Editor’s Note: Students at Tanner School were asked to share their stories about the recent tornadoes that struck nearby.

I woke up the morning of the tornado and then I felt my trailer move. I think tree fell and it did. It was time to go to school so I got on the bus. When I got to school Mr. Green was telling everybody to go straight to class so when to my class teachers were telling us to sit down face the wall. I didn’t see my teacher. Finally we went in the classroom then my teacher said get of our jurnural and write a story. Then we went to lunch came back and I check out I went to my grandparents house. I ate some noodles then I went to my house to get ready to go back over my granny house. Than the tornado hit, My anuntei called and said she was watching it.

Ainaya Kingston

Grade 3

Tanner

On Apirl 27th, the siren went off four times my mama said I wasn’t going to school! The power was off so I play on the laptop. I took out my giggypig put back up. Then the power came back on. Everybody got up. We watch TV. Then the siren came on agin. My uncle Mike was coming. Then he didn’t want to but my mama and granny fust so much he came. When he got there the siren went off agin. We all jump in the tub. Me in my coosin was in the bath tub. The next day I didn’t I had to go to school. We went to Tanner then we went to look at the damage. We look at my uncle Mike’s house was gone. Gas staicn was pack. That’s my experience of the twister.

Amauree Cain

Grade 3

Tanner

My experience when the tornado came was sad, because people lost their lives, and some lost their homes. I felt so very sad when I heard all the deafs in Alabama. I started thinking about how my house could’ve been taken away, or how one of my family members could have died. I am very blessed. All I could do when the tornado was coming towards Athens was get in the hallway with my mama, my Uncle Timmy, my puppy, Rocky, and pray to God to protect us with his angels. 1 day after the tornado had come through my Auntie (D’angla) came over with his daughter (Averi). They told me, my granny, and my mama that Bulaland, that were me papa was buried, was really bad. I was also sad, because I have a couison that is a grown man, and he’s name is Victor Malone he’s house is now just a big pile of debris. I think that tornado is the most scariest thing, because one minute everything is regural, and the next minute your life is flashing in your every own eyes. If I had one word to describe the aftermath of the tornado would be horrible.

Asia Byrd

Grade 3

Tanner

Tornado warnings was out all day. I thought the storm wouldn’t be so severe, but it was the worst storm I ever seen. It was such a scary day. When I got home from school it started storm. I saw trees, power lines, and cars flipped over on my way home. When my mom got off from work it started hailing, raining, lighting, and thundering. After that we got a tornado warning issued sirens started going off and everything. Me, my mom and dad started looking out my window and we saw a huge tornado. I think it was a ef4 tornado. It was on Hatchet Ridge Road. It was so close to getting my house then I so debris and everything start coming out the sky and tin start coming down. It’s still some little pieces from the storm their. Then the next storm came by it was a tornado on the side of my house. It wasn’t so bad as the other one but it didn’t tear much of it was by Clements. I saw it out the kitchen window of my house. It wasn’t down but it was forming into one tornado. On the news in my dadd car they was talking about people who died from the storm. We didn’t have power so we was about to go down my grandma’s that night because they had power. We stop to get some gas and got something to eat but Mcdonoold was close, and bugar king, boJangles so we didn’t get anything to eat. We went home and the power was on. The cable wasn’t on but we watched movies. And from now on, I will remember this shocking day.

Montez Wiggins

Grade 3

Tanner

The tornado was bad and Huntsville was bad because it took some half of the trayler and wires was fell on the ground. Some people died and some didn’t and I saw Swan Creek was a lot worst. And we saw people eating on a table outside. People lost there house and they are crying because they don’t have were to live and people are sad because there family members died. And cars were half gone and some people mom and dad died.

Petra Matias

Grade 3

Tanner

One moring I woke up the power was off. And it was dark and the cloud was gray and black and I went to school. They told us to get on the hall and turn around the wall and be silent and then our teacher came and we went in side the classs and write in our journal. And we had a few time for lunch. So we went. After lunch we went outside the hall then my dad picked me up and left to a church and shelter. Stay there and we eaten food and they told us to stay on a room. This peoples house was tour up people were crying because they lost there house and then trees were cut up. When the danger pass, we went home.

Nayeli Ramirez

Grade 3

Tanner

A woman heared the tornado siren and she took her baby and layed on top of it and the tornado tore her roof and sucked up her baby from arm and she hasn’t found her baby yet. Her baby was six months old. And her baby is alive. A 87 year old women was killed in a tornado when the tornado came and it tore her roof off and sucked her up and thew her and a tree fell on her and she died. She didn’t have no face. Her husband got thrown out to but he was trown in a river and died. He lost his hands and his feet and he had drowned and turned grayed. Located Hakelburg AL

Passion Williams

Grade 3

Tanner

2 weeks ago torndos were coming torwards our school and people were coming out in the hall way. People had to sit on the wall when the torndo came torwards our school. We had to cover our body. I saw stuff flying in the air. It teder up our field house. The torndo was  rad in rain. One torndo came to a car and total it. It cracked the windshieeled and a truck lose it’s trailor and grabge was flying all around. You could see nothing but garbge. It was little strips of garbge. After the torndo was gone the power went out and it didn’t come back on in till 72 hour. My family had to light candles. My family only had 3 candles. We put one in each room. The torndo had done a lot of damge to peoples homes. Me and my dad ride to see how bad was the damge and peoples food was spoiled they had to throw it away. Some bodys family was eating spoiled food. The food was yellowish and their family was steel eating it. Well that’s all for now.

Timothy Mayberry

Grade 3

Tanner

Me and my grandma and my mom and dad and sisters were at my grandma house when the tornado hit. It was very very very very bad. It was horrible.  I hate tornados so much. I really do. It terrifies me very much and a tree almost hit my grandma house but we were safe.

Arianna Peoples

Grade 2

Tanner

This is the worst storm yet. We hope there is no storm that is worst than this. Two grandparent’s lost their lives protecting their grandchildren. Two of them go to Tanner High School. One is in kindergarten and one is in 3rd grade and one doesn’t even go to school. It is very hard on those children because their grandparent’s raised them all. The worst part was that they all saw everything. Blake Pedan was one of the victims that got hurt. He is the oldest. This is an experience. The devastating tornados ripped through North Alabama. More than 258 dead across Alabama. Including babies, Parent’s, grandparent’s, and family members. All these people who lost a friend or a family member had faught this tornado. They are really brave to fight this dangerous tornado. I’m thanking the Lord because he kept me and my family safe.

Kasie Farris

Grade 3

Tanner

I think the tornado experience for me was very scary because my neighbor’s house was messed up and other places. I rode threw the house were gone. It was just sad for everbody and the trees were just teared up and one good thing about it that people helped out on a lot of staff like rebuilding houses and getting tin out of peoples yard. That day when it first happen April 27, It was just the worst day for Tanner had and that it was raining bad and storming and hailing bad and it was really flooding bad. That was just a bad tornado. I’m just glad that it didn’t hit my house. Some of the people I know died by the tornado and a lot of people I know survived like my mom and my dad and grandma, granba and I started not sleeping good because the tornado was scaring me. I had nightmares about it for about 2 days. God Bless.

A.J. Nelson

Grade 3

Tanner

Wendesday, April 27, 2011 a tornado swept through Tanner Alabama. People houses were destroyed, lives were lost. When I saw the homes the tornado destroyed I was very sad. I was said for the people who lost their lives, homes, and cars. I went to school at 10:00 am that day. It was scary. We had to stay in the hall for protection. The only thing that happened to my family was we lost power for a few hours. My granddaddy went outside the next day after the storm. He looked around to see if the house was alright. The house was fine. Grandaddy found a chds blue sweatshirt with the words brilliant on the front of it. The shirt was on the top of our house. I wonderd where did the shirt come from. All of my neibors were okay. But some people I know lost everything. I prayed for the people. I didn’t know nothing else to do but that. The whole thing was scary. I know one day everyone will be okay. That’s my story.

Brooklynn Coleman

Grade 3

Tanner

I have been through a tornado. I was scared and afraid. When it was at my house it was like a big valcum cleaner. We got in the closet with blankets and pillow. Right now my house is still standing. I thank god for that because he saved my house and took care of me and my mom. I thank god for everything he has don for me and my family. It is amazing how god work and most of my family live in Anderson Hill. It got hit and when I to see them there house where gone and some of my family lived in Frenches Mill. All of there houses are gone too. I’m so sad all I can do is pray and give clothes and supples. When it was at my house, I was watching to. God Bless.

Ashton Hines

Grade 3

Tanner

On the day of the storm it was a wet Wedneday. It all started at 3:30 am and enened at about 4:00. At 3:30 am, my mom, Kim Craig woke me up. We all got dressed. Then we went to Mikki Massey Big Mamas stormsheter. It was scary but nothing happened. When it was clear we went home. My mom had to go to work that day. It was like 9:00 9:30 my mom already left. So my dad Barry Craig, we went to his shop, Craig Motor Com. Then the sireins came on. But we did not go to Big Mama’s. We went to Jerel Gambel’s baysment. That tornado hit in East Liestone hit when we were at Jerel Gambel’s. We stayed a while then we left, and went to the shop. Then the 3rd toronado came in. My mom came home. Then we went to Big Mama again. It was about 10:00, 10:30, and we arrived. We stayed there all day. It was about 3:00. When it was clear we went to see the damaged. It was so sad. I wanted to get all the money in the world and give it to them to fix the damaged. Everone said it was just like 1974.

Madelyn Craig

Grade 4

Tanner

The deadly tornadoe that ripted into Alabama’s world on Apirl 27 was a deadly stom. It hit Athens Alabama, Collman, Hunsville, Decater, Limestone county, and Madison. 152 people died on the 27th. It was a very deadly storm. Thousands of people lost there homes. We have almost 100 people trying to help and the bad thing is that some people that got hit and are steal helping clean up and at Tanner it was a F5 that hit but in Ms. Lewter 4th grade class haves a bucket we cut out hands and we put them in if we do something to help are community. I help you help to.

Leann Armstrong

Grade 4

Tanner

Wednesday, April 27, 2011 it was a very scary day. There was several tornadoes that hit Tanner, Madison, Hunsville, Cullman, and several other place. It’s sad so many people lost their lives, homes and everything they worked hard to achieve. It took Swan Creek and lots of my friend homes. There was a church that was taken, my family as well as others were without power for over a week. This has been the worst time of my life. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who the tornadoes touched on this dark day in April.

Olivia Mitchell

Grade 4

Tanner

On Wednesday, April 27, 2011 was a big turnadoe that hit Limestone County and 152 people died in Cullman and when the turnodoe hit Limestone county 2 hours later golf size hell started coming down. Homes, cars and trees were destroyed. Many people was affected and diffrent wars.

Amy Sanchez

Grade 4

Tanner

The tornadoes where bad. It killed lots of people in Alabama. I fill sad for them. People they lost their homes and their stuff. But we was lucky when the tornadoes came. My nana branda Wallace tolled my and my brother Josh to take cover she will not let us die.

Alex Towe

Grade 3

Tanner

When the tornado came I had to go in the storm-shelter. The tornado het my couison ilhead trailer in Swean creek. Her trailor was Dumegz. My friends grandparents got killed Saveen them. I had to go to a motel. I stayed at Days inn. It was fun. When I looked out the window and I saw rocks going in circles in the air, I told my mama. She said it was a tornado. I had to use candles when I was in the storm shelter. I saw a house and all that was left was the floor. The persons name was Steave his dauther’s name is Aliesea.

Jayla Walton

Grade 3

Tanner

Last week my Nanny’s and Papa Rod’s house got damaged, and they were in their house. They went in one of their rooms and their roof came off. Everthing was flying towards them. When the tornado was gone they tried to get out and there was a truck in their front door. The rescue squad came and pulled the truck out. So they can get out. So they got out and they started looking for their cat, Snowball. They kept looking for her, and finally they heard her, they thought she was hurt but she wasn’t. Turns out she was in the same room. She was behind the washer machine. So the rescue squad took them somewhere. When my dad got that phone call he saw the tornado. He told Alex, Chrissy and me to the closet so I did, but my sisters didn’t. I took my dog suger and my cat cracker put them in the closet with me. We sat waiting. My sisters Alex and Chrissy was watching the tornado as well. They told me it was clear. They also told me that the tornado barely missed us. So my dad got another phone call from my mom. She said that the tornado was right behind them so the took a shortcut to get to my house. They stopped at this store. So my mom parked her car there and left with my Aunt Amy. The tornado was still behind. Finally after two hours she got home.

Zoe Bohanon

Grade 4

Tanner

When the storm came we were in the storm shelter. Our house was okay but it blew my shed down on top of my camper. Then after the storm was over we were in the living room and my dad called my grandfather. My grandfather said moist of his house blew away. So we rushed to his house. It turned out he was okay. He was sitting in his living room. First the wind blew his two front trees into his house, then the wind came to the side of his house and blew part of his roof of there. Then the wind came around back and blew his big oak tree that’s about 30 years old into the back of his house. You can’t even get in the back door! Only one of his windows broke though! If it wasn’t for his trees, his house wouldn’t be here.

The main thing is he’s still here. He lives on Stewart rd. close to Tanner.

Garret Mann

Grade 4

Tanner