UWA's Community Grit: A Tornado's Devastation & Resilience

0:00On April 27, 2011, a massive tornado outbreak ripped through Alabama, killing 252 people with heavy losses in West Alabama. At the University of West Alabama, Dean Tina Nairmore Jones was in her office when classes shut down fast. She huddled her staff in a safe back room, including Secretary Monica Newman Moore from Tuscaloosa. Moore's home in Alberta City got hit hard. Her husband even sent a video of the twister passing right over. They convinced her to stay put on campus that night. Next day, Jones and her family grabbed generators and chainsaws to cut through the wreckage and reach Moore's neighborhood. Neighbors everywhere stepped up, making sure folks had what they needed to keep pushing forward. One heartbreaking loss was a UWA online student from Tuscaloosa. Her husband accepted her degree at commencement after she passed. The school fired off alerts to keep everyone informed, highlighting those tight small town bonds where you know your people. Those memories stick with Jones, now retired after serving as provost, showing how devastation sparked real community grit that still echoes today.

1:07That wraps Birmingham News today, brought to you with AI.