Tornado Strikes Alabama High School

Tornado Strikes Alabama High School

Source Link: www.11alive.com

An apparent tornado damaged a high school in Enterprise, Ala., Thursday as a violent storm front moved across the state. There were no immediate reports of injuries, state and weather officials said.

Enterprise High School was damaged when a possible tornado moved through the southeast Alabama town, and police were trying to determine if any students were trapped inside, according to state Rep. Terry Spicer of Elba.

Spicer says he's been talking with local officials, who reported that there was significant damage to the school, with the gym's roof heavily damaged.

Forecasters issued a tornado watch for most of the state and several school systems in north Alabama closed or dismissed students early as a storm front as severe thunderstorms approached.

(visit the link for the full news article)

From the updates I'm hearing on CNN, there are some injuries to some children, and probably others too. Students were taking cover in the gym, but everything was destroyed.

They were going to let the kids out early but didn't do it quick enough. Very sad.

"An apparent tornado" so it is not known for sure, kinda odd nobody noticed if it was or wasn't a tornado.

I think that wasn't as updated. Turn on CNN. They have the footage of the school and town destroyed. There was a tornado. No "apparent tornado"

Originally posted by enjoies05
I think that wasn't as updated. Turn on CNN. They have the footage of the school and town destroyed. There was a tornado. No "apparent tornado"

Yes and Aparently they are missing at least 3 kids ... From reports that my insureds were watching ... or Listening to on the radio .. anyone else hear any information on that ?

From what I hear there may be more. Everyone in the town is doing a part in searching for more.

[edit on 1/3/2007 by enjoies05]

Another article. Sad

A tornado struck southern Missouri, killing a 7-year-old girl and damaging homes and businesses Thursday, and another apparent twister injured dozens at an Alabama high school, authorities said. Enterprise High School "appears to have been right in the path," said Paul Duval, meteorologist with National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Fla., which monitors southeast Alabama.

"The stadium was destroyed and there were cars tipped over in the parking lot and trees were ripped out. There were trees and wood everywhere. It was just horrible," she said.

Sadly the death toll is rising, 15 found dead so far in the school.


From the thread asala made in Fragile Earth

www.abovetopsecret.com...

[edit on 1/3/2007 by enjoies05]

That same storm has hit a hospital in Americus Georgia. Many injuries and already deaths reported.

In Americus Ga., the hospital, EMS and fire station have been hit. They are asking for help from surrounding counties. The storm cell weakend after it hit Alabama and then strengthend again after it moved into Georgia.

hosted.ap.org...

ENTERPRISE, Ala. (AP) -- Administrators at a high school where eight students died in a tornado were warned about severe weather nearly three hours before the twister struck, raising questions Friday about whether classes should have been dismissed earlier.

Residents of the neighborhood surrounding Enterprise High School said they heard warning sirens long before the tornado slammed into the building, crushing the victims in an avalanche of concrete and metal.

But school officials said they had no chance to evacuate earlier because of the approaching severe weather. And others said the carnage would have been greater if students had been outside or on the road when the storm hit.

So they knew it was coming plenty of time before it happened. Why the hell didn't they evacuate??

Because of approaching weather?? They were supposed to evacuate because of the approaching weather!

[edit on 2/3/2007 by enjoies05]

its very sad but put yourself on the teachers shoes the kids are leaving then the school cop says the tornadoes there you try to get whoevers outside inside and all thos kids are leaving it must have been crazy in those halls

Yeah, but three hours before it hit they should have started getting kids and teachers into safer places. Not wait until it hits and then it's too late.

you dont have that kind of warning with a tornado you have 15 minutes max...i live in new mexico and most of the time when the sirens goes off noone does anything unless they can see it you can be under tornado warning and the sirens never go off tornados are sporadic and only on the ground for a little while ussually they like go up and then the storm produces another one somewhere else.....but i agree when were at shool here and were under a tornado warning or there a bad storm we dont do anything we just wait around for somone to tell us to curl up and get next to the wall

Originally posted by enjoies05

ENTERPRISE, Ala. (AP) -- Administrators at a high school where eight students died in a tornado were warned about severe weather nearly three hours before the twister struck,

[edit on 2/3/2007 by enjoies05]

Thats more than 15 mintues. They had plenty of time to do something, anything.

but the tornado wasnt on the ground for three hours......youd have to live in a state that has alot of tornadoes to understand a tornado warning is a lot easier to blow off than a hurricane warning a tornado doesnt hit a whole town at once the sirens go off when theres a tornado on the ground not when theres a storm that could potentially spawn a tornado this guy that was being interviewed on cnn said it hit the ground while he was walking up to the school....think about it this way what else could they have done sent them outside????

Yeah, I don't know what it's like.

It just said they knew about the dangerous weather beforehand, and weren't other schools dismissing?

Do they have storm shelters or something like that around there?

idonno but i wouldnt have risked making a run for it......i hope that they get some now ive never thought about it but i think every city should have to have some sort of storm shelter

My school was in during the tornado. I go to Walker High School in Walker County. The bell rung and we were all forced into the halls, saying a tornado had hit Enterprise.