This is an unbelievable outbreak. So many warnings, so many confirmed tornadoes and tremendous amounts of damage. Tuscaloosa and parts of the Birmingham area were hit very hard.

Damn.

Tuscaloosa Mefite/Mechazen here -- it was indeed very bad, the worst storm system to hit here since Katrina and the worst tornado since the 1930s. Half a mile wide, an apparent F5, and it tore right through one of the main thoroughfares here in town, taking out a gas station, some restaurants, a few apartments, and an entire shopping plaza. Debris from local businesses was raining down on Birmingham, the gusts were so strong.

Fifteen dead last I heard, though I'm sure that number will climb. Posting by cell phone (and candlelight) here -- I don't expect the power to be back on for awhile, considering how long it took to get restored by the comparatively weaker storms that came through a few weeks ago.

Wow, Rhaomi, I can't imagine what it must be like having a huge strong tornado like that move through your town.
The pictures of the destruction where mindboggling.
Best wishes to all of you there.

Tornadoes frighten me so much that I can hardly bear to look at the pictures. Glad you're okay, Rhaomi.

Fifteen dead last I heard, though I'm sure that number will climb.

Sadly, you're right -- on the radio this morning, the number of deaths being reported was increasing with each report and approaching 200. So, so bad.

Over 200 reported dead now. Damn. The news photos are terrifying.

Atlanta got REALLY lucky- the storms split and passed both to the north and south of us, but left us alone. I'm hearing stories from relatives and friends that it got really scary bad here in Georgia, but nothing like it was in Alabama.

Before and after pic of the same spot in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Aren't BitterOldPunk and elizarde in Birmingham? Has anyone heard from them?

There's a MetaTalk thread on this, too, and yes, thankfully, BOP and elizard have checked in there.

Just saw that, FishBike, and came to say the same thing. *relieved sigh*