ARDMORE — While separating valuable personal items from debris among what was left of his house Tuesday morning, Mike Schell said he’s thankful for his grandchildren.
The 63-year-old Ardmore retiree said if his grandchildren, Hayden, 8, and Alayna, 14, weren’t visiting, he and his wife, Phyllis, probably would not have left their Gatlin Road home for safety in a neighbor’s basement.
“We took the precaution, especially because of them. It was the smart thing to do,” Mike Schell said.
Schell said while in the basement of John and Janie Eubanks’ house less than a quarter-mile away on Pinedale Road, they heard hail hit the Eubanks’ house. Phyllis Schell said the lights blinked a couple of times and then power was lost.
After a tornado that was at least an EF2 — which packs winds of 111 to 135 mph — passed through, the Schell family returned to find the house they have lived in since 1985 in ruins.
“The grandkids started crying. I told them ‘Quit crying, you just saved Papa’s life,’ ” he said.
Phyllis Schell said their son Ryan and daughter in-law Belinda were with them. “When we were in the basement; we had prayer,” she said. “I really believe God took care of us.”
She said a few minutes after the tornado struck, they saw a fire truck go down Gatlin Road. “I was hoping they were not going to our house,” she said. “But it was ours. At first, it was horrible to see. It was scary. Then I realized we were all OK, and all of a sudden I was calm.”
No injuries related to Monday night’s storms were reported.
The National Weather Service in Huntsville confirmed the damage to two homes in Ardmore was caused by a tornado that was an EF2 or stronger about 6:30 p.m. Monday. An EF2 tornado is capable or ripping roofs off framed houses, snapping large trees and turning small debris into missiles, according to the NWS.
Phyllis Schell said before 7 a.m. Tuesday, neighbors and friends were at their house helping with the cleanup.
“It’s really amazing how many people have shown up to help us,” she said. “We always hear about bad things in the news, but there are still good people in this world.”
Mike Schell said his house was “totaled out, but thank God we’re all alive.”
Some parts of the house were scattered several hundred yards away in a field across the road. Phyllis Schell said one of her late father-in-law’s World War II military caps was found in a tree in that field.
Some of the parents of the players on Hayden Schell’s travel ball team, the Hazel Green 9-under Trojans, were busy lending a hand Tuesday morning.
“I got an email from the coach, and then I saw it on the news last night,” said Lamont Duckett, of Huntsville, one of those parents. “Most of us have been out here all morning helping clean up. I’m doing whatever needs to be done. It’s weird to walk into the house and see the sky. … I’m just so glad to see them all alive.”
The tornado caused damage to the roof, kitchen and garage of the home of Bob Walters and his daughter Patty Harding, next-door neighbors to the Schell family.
“When I heard the weatherman say, ‘Ardmore take cover,’ we tried to get our four cats in the bedroom walk-in closet,” Harding said. She said two of the cats darted under a bed while two cats joined them in the closet.
“We heard a huge roar and some banging and some glass shattering,” she said. “It maybe lasted two minutes.”
The house’s metal roof was ripped off, and the garage partially collapsed. A window and 14 sun catchers were broken in the kitchen, Harding said.
“We had a trampoline in the backyard,” she said. “I don’t know where it is. Someone told me it is mangled in a ditch about a quarter-mile away.”
She said she was “kind of in shock” to see the damage to the neighborhood.
“I’ve heard about tornadoes hitting,” said Harding, who has lived in Ardmore nearly two years after moving from Indiana. “But you don’t realize what it’s like until it happens to you. It’s scary.”
Her newfound advice: “If you hear the sirens, go to a shelter. I’m a believer now.”
Donald McNeese, a nearby neighbor, said he stayed in his house as the tornado struck the area. His house didn’t receive damage.
“Mom, Dad, the two dogs and I got in the bathroom,” he said. “It sounded like a train. It created a roaring sound. It lasted a couple of minutes. When it was over, I came out and saw the (Schell) house and checked to see if anybody was there. Their propane line was spewing everywhere. This whole thing could have been much worse.”
Athens Utilities Manager Blair Davis said all power was restored to customers by 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
About noon Tuesday, eight state highway department trucks and crew members were clearing Alabama 127 near Bucks Hollow Road, outside of Elkmont. Workers used heavy equipment and chainsaws to open both lanes.
by Michael Wetzel, Decatur Daily
March 21, 2018
