As you may or may not know, on February 17th of this year in Autauga County, in central Alabama, a town called Prattville was struck by an F-3 Tornado.
Despite the fact that both of our response vehicles where down for repair at the time of the disaster, the NDRT was still able to respond moments after the tornado hit, thanks to the selfless help received from a neighbor and the use of his van.
The Damage was extensive as the base of the tornado was about 400 yds wide and it's path took it through residential and businesses alike.
There were many miracles that day, the first of which was No deaths. The injuries, though around 50, could have been even greater. And the greatest miracle of all was the out pouring of community support immediately after the tornado had passed and the hours there after.
Businesses that had, or had not, sustained damage, offered what ever help they could to the relief efforts. One such business, the Prattville Wal-mart, had taken a direct hit from the tornado, and yet, despite the fact that they had no power, they began to pour supplies, food, and water into the relief effort. They continued to meet the needs of the public, first responders, and disaster personnel well into the night, while trying to handle the damage they themselves had taken.
Another, was the out pouring of volunteers and volunteer organizations, and one such organization that stood out was CERT, a group of citizens ( Contact your local EMA or OEM to find out more) from the community and local communities that came forward and helped with many aspects of the disaster relief effort.
Over all, for the NDRT's first official disaster response, I would have to say I was very proud of the performance and professionalism of our organization. Had the NDRT been at full strength, I believe the performance level of the organization would have been exceptional.
This Letter was received on March 6th. Thank you Chief Tucker, The City of Prattville, and all those who pulled together to help those in their time of need.
This letter was received from the Auatauga EMA office: The NDRT wishes to thank the Autauga EMA for this letter of recognition and support and we pledge to always being there to help when ever a disaster strikes.
