SMITHS STATION, Ala. (WRBL) – The tornado struck hard and fast. Businesses, homes and an elementary school there damaged. News 3’s Chuck Williams has the recap.
There was extensive damage in Smiths Station, but unlike Beauregard there were no deaths and no life-threatening injuries reported.
About 3:20 p.m., tornado hit Smiths. The heaviest concentration of damage was near West Smiths Station Elementary School. Sam Cook was trying to get into his house off Lee Road 294 behind the school.
“It sounded like a race car coming. Like the Indy 500. It was in a rush. On a roll. All of a sudden it just attacked.”
Cook has a harrowing tale of survival.
“I was coming in the door. I made it to the steps. It knocked me to my knees one time. I finally got up. I was getting out of the truck to go in the house. I had to go about 30 yards. I couldn’t run. The force of that wind, you couldn’t run. You just had to take steps to make yourself go.”
Cook’s elderly mother in law had to be rescued from the home. She was shaken but, OK, Cook said. The storm then moved to U.S. 280, where it destroyed the Buck Wild Saloon and the Sunoco gas station. It also closed the major highway’s eastbound lane when a cell phone tower was toppled.
Buck Wild owner David McBride was in his truck just outside the bar when it hit.
“I seen the trash swirling in the air across the field over there. Then I said, ‘Oh, no, this ain’t good.”
Charlie Patel was in the gas station next door.
“This sound was coming, roar. And then there was just air coming in.”
McBride went over and checked on Patel when the winds died down. Patel’s business partner, Al Patel, was thankful.
“I want to thank you for taking care of Charlie. In a time like this, you took time to make sure Charlie was OK.”
“He’s my friend. And friends are hard to find and even harder to keep.”
The clean up process will begin Monday morning.
Mayor Bubba Copeland confirms to News 3 that there is a lot of damage in Smiths Station but thankfully no one severely injured or dead.
by WRBL (2019, Mar 4)
