Nature’s Wrath

My wife and I were on another road trip from October 1st until the 12th. We covered a lot of territory, and were going to spend the last two days sightseeing in Northern Alabama. However, the weather wouldn’t cooperate, and it rained both days so we didn’t get to see very much.

One thing we did see that was completely unplanned was the aftermath of a tornado that had gone through the little community of Phil Campbell – believe it or not, the town is actually named “Phil Campbell” – on the way to see a place called Dismals Canyon.

As we drove along the country road I noticed that lots of the trees were either “topped” or lying on the ground, and these were pretty large trees. In fact, the scene immediately reminded me of the destruction I saw near Mount St. Helens in Washington back in 2009. The only real difference was that the trees at that site all were pointed away from the open crater of the mountain, while these tree trunks were jumbled and pointing in all directions.

As we got closer to the town we could see buildings with roofs and siding torn off, and several were being rebuilt. The Tornado went through on April 27, 2011. We even saw a house being raised by a group of Amish men and boys, a sight you wouldn’t expect to see in rural Alabama.

The path of destruction stretched for several miles on both sides of the road. It must have been one heck of a storm, though I don’t recall hearing about it. I guess the tornadoes in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and in Joplin, Missouri eclipsed this one in the news. It did pretty well destroy Phil Campbell though, including the school, which was minus the roof and a whole brick wall.

It was quite a sight, and it was a good thing we got to see it, because Dismals Canyon had a sign that said it is open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day and then only on weekends in the fall and spring and closed completely in the winter months. I’m sure the closing was a direct result of the tornado, which also hit the canyon. We were there on a Tuesday, so we never got past the entrance.

If you ever get the chance, take the short detour off Route 78 (east-west) or I-65 (north- south) and go see Dismals Canyon, which is not really “dismal”, but is named for the tiny bioluminescent creatures called dismalites which light up the canyon walls at night. I know we are going to return there sometime next year.

There are other worthwhile attractions in the vicinity, which you can preview at Road Trip America in case you’re interested. It might be best to wait until the area is fully restored to do it, however.