Every so often, Mother Nature decides to change the Alabama landscape, and many residents are still clearing debris and surveying the damage from Monday’s rearrangement.

Whether it was a tornado or not remains to be seen, according to the Limestone County Emergency Management Agency, but the effects were found throughout the county. In Ardmore, a photo was found of a couple killed in Lawrence County. In Rogersville, Joe Wheeler State Park is closed due to extensive damage to the day use area and half of the campground.

Near Tanner, a lone chimney near Hatfield Lake Road, perhaps most familiar to those who regularly commute along U.S. 31, met its end. Barbara Lindsay, who owned the land on which the chimney stood, said she wasn’t sure what happened to the house that went with it.

Lindsay said the house was already gone when she and her husband Bobby purchased the land several years ago. She said it has served as a fun little conversation piece for the area, and they even went so far as to decorate it with a wreath for Christmas each year. She was surprised to know the wreath hadn’t gone far from the chimney during the storm.

“The wreath was laying up their on the ground near it,” Lindsay said. “It’s amazing to me.”

While it may not have been the ending some wanted, Lindsay said the property was in the process of being sold, possibly for development of a subdivision. She said it’s possible the chimney would have been torn down anyway.

Lindsay also said they owned the metal storage building north of the chimney that was destroyed in the storm. She said there wasn’t much in the building itself, but she was grateful for the trees behind it, which kept most of the debris near its original location.

“I don’t know what kind of damage those houses on the other side of the trees would have had (if the trees weren’t there),” Lindsay said.

Joe Wheeler shuts down

Unfortunately, while trees may have protected some homes in the Tanner area, they destroyed recreational vehicles and buildings at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville. Park Superintendent Chad Davis said a review of the area Monday night revealed damage to unoccupied travel trailers, bathhouses, campsites, picnic tables, the activities building, beach house and a shelter.

Haley Newton, marketing manager for the park, told The News Courier some areas will likely be marked unsalvageable. Power and phone lines were restored Wednesday afternoon, allowing the lodge, marina, cottage and golf course to reopen today.

However, the campground and day use area would remain closed until further notice. Newton said there wasn’t much left standing, but as a state park, they needed to wait until the National Weather Service and state officials surveyed the area to determine what the next steps would be.

“Please allow our state park crews and utility personnel complete their work,” Davis said in his post. “We’ll notify everyone once our facilities are open again and ready for business.”

Newton said they were very lucky in that it was a slow season for the campground, so park rangers were able to successfully evacuate everyone to a safe area before the storm arrived.

Photo in Ardmore

Among the casualties across the South were a couple in Lawrence County. Media outlets reported the family was in a mobile home when the storm hit. Chase and Keisha Godsey were killed, and their 7-year-old son was critically injured.

The next morning, more than 40 miles away, Sherry and Kent Dutton found a photo of the late couple, according to The News Courier’s news partner WAFF-48. The Duttons told the news outlet it was not the first time items have blown onto their Ardmore farm from a tornado.

Multiple collections have been set up for the victims’ family. Chad Godsey, Chase’s brother, thanked everyone for their prayers, love and support of the family during this time. He said the couple’s son suffered a skull fracture and brain bleed but was on the mend in Birmingham. He encouraged people to contribute to the Chase and Keisha Godsey Donation Fund at any Redstone Federal Credit Union.

Tornado or no?

The National Weather Service is expected to visit Limestone County today to determine if Monday’s damage was in fact the result of a tornado. Rita White of the Limestone County EMA said there are two paths in particular where circulation may have occurred, but if it was a tornado, she doesn’t think it had much time — if any — on the ground.

White said the official determination could be announced as early as today. In the meantime, she thanked everyone who has helped clean up affected areas.

Based on reports to the local agency, White said it appeared damage was “scattered” throughout the county but overall, “we definitely got lucky.”