Heidi,
I am with you girl!! I hate tornadoes!! Living here in Georgia we didn’t have them all the time but we had our share! I don’t think anyone can ever be prepared for one. No matter how much of a warning that you get.

It is horrible seeing the destruction that occurred. What’s worse is all of the lives that was lost in an instant with nothing that they could do to stop it!! I hope that the ones affected get better help than in the past. And my thoughts and prayers go out to them all.

I am looking forward to your coverage tomorrow! I will definitely be watching!

Cynthia, Covington, Ga.

Heidi - Thank you for your coverage and for not being detached. I too grew up in WI and have many of the same memories as you. I can remember tent camping and praying during many summer storms. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people who have experienced so much loss during this batch of storms that seems way too early in the year to be happening. There will be many more this year I’m afraid. Best wishes to you and stay safe.

Hi Heidi,

People seem to think because you live in areas that produce natural disasters, that you are use to them. That they don’t effect you emotionally, but they do. Especially when kids are involved, they are the innocent ones and it difficult to think of them suffering in any way. But on the other side if we were to stop for 5 minutes and think of all the horrible things that occurred in that time frame, we would all be walking around with broken hearts.

San Francisco, Ca

It is truly sad to watch the devastation the tornadoes caused when they swept across the U.S. Midwest. It will be interesting to see if they rebuild those areas faster than New Orleans 9th Ward (2 yrs and still waiting with open hands and pleading cries). With the number and ferocity of devastating storms impacting the world over, it boggles the mind that Politian’s have any doubts about the effect of global warming. Their slow response to take corrective measures will only hurt or kill more of humanity and our environment. Let’s hope you really can “Keep them honest” Anderson! Canada’s watching with sincere interest.

Heidi,

Thank you for sharing your memories with us. I grew up in Tennessee and while we had tornadoes they were a rarity. When I grew up they got more common and I came to dread spring because with spring came the tornadoes. We had our drill - going to the basement to a certain wall, using the giant pillows to cover our heads, holding hands, waiting on the hail to begin. My girls were toddlers and they were always wide-eyed and upset . Now we live in Alabama and we get more and there is the big siren that goes off to warn you, the schools have drills, etc. My girls still get wide-eyed as we cower in the closet in the basement - until I read your post I didn’t really understand the depth of their terror. Thank you for the insight.

I hope for the best for the folks touched by these tornadoes last night. I also hope that these storms occurring so early in the year don’t point to a very active tornado season. Looking forward to your report .

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL

HEIDI, THANK YOU FOR GOING TO TENN AND GIVING THESE PEOPLE A VOICE. I LIVED IN SOUTHAVEN MS AFTER KATRINA FOR6 MONTHES .I LIVED IN LONG BEACH MS WHEN KATRINA HIT TWO BLOCKS FROM BEACH,SO I CAN FEEL FOR THESE PEOPLE .WE LOST A LOT BUT WE HAD OUR LIVES AND YOU CAN START OVER ,OUR LOVE AND PRAYS ARE WITH THEM. MY SON AND TWO GRANDSONS ARE STILL UP THERE BUT THEY ARE OK,WE WILL BE WATCHING.WE WILL NEVER FOR GET ANDERSON AND ALL HE DID. THEY WILL NEVER FORGET YOU HEIDI.

I am so sadened about the tornadoe devasted areas and the hardships that many families now are facing. My condolences go out to the members of the many families which lost a loved one. It angers me very much that all these presidential candidates are spending millions and millions of dollars a day in advertisements Senator Clinton, Obama, Mccain, Huckabee, Romney, and Paul) while instead they can put their money where their mouth is and go and help the tornadoe devasted areas. This will make the “presidental candidate” much more known, liked, and well respected. It will show the humanitarian side of him/her and how dedicated to the USA they all claim to be.

HEIDI,

I’VE SPENT MOST OF MY LIFE IN ONE PART OF TORNADO ALLEY, OR ANOTHER. IT’S ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE THAT THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION THESE MONSTERS CAN CAUSE TEND TO DISMISS THE DANGER. YOU CANNOT OUTRUN THEM, THEY TURN ON A DIME, THEY DISAPPEAR, ONLY TO DROP BACK DOWN SECONDS LATER.

IT SADDENS ME TO HEAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT WARNINGS THE WEATHER BUREAU PUTS OUT, AS IF THEY MADE A HORRIFIC ERROR IN FORCASTING. CITIES ARE FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO IGNORE THEM, AND OFTEN COMPLAIN ABOUT TOO MANY WARNINGS “WHEN THERE WASN’T EVEN A TORNADO.”

I STILL FEAR THEM. I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR THEIR POWER. IF I’M CALLED OVER REACTIVE, SO BE IT. THERE WAS ONE HORRIFIC TWISTER THAT HIT ANDOVER, KS A FEW YEARS BACK AND THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT OTHER THAN CHIMNEYS AND TREES “CUT” AT THE SAME HEIGHT WHERE IT HAD TRAVELLELED. I KNOW THEY SET UP TRIAGE IN THE PARKING LOT OF WESLEY HOSPITAL.

WE NEED TO ALWAYS THINK OF THE CHILDREN.

MAGGIE

Heidi
Thank you very much for reporting this story. Personally, i think this is the most important story of all. I always think about the kids, especially when they never know what exactly happens and how serious an issue is, until they find out themselves…
I was just wondering, do they worn people ahead of time?? and as for the students, shouldnt there be a special underground place for students in dorms to run to when time of tornados?
Those kids and people are definitly in my prayer, and i think any candidate whos true candidate that cares about American people, should leave everything he’s/she’s doing and go there to help in anyway possible…

Heidi

Thank you for bringing us coverage from on the ground. Let the people in Tennessee know they are in our thoughts and prayers.

I wonder if anyone else brought this up? I hate to be the one repeating this, but do y’all think that MAYBE this has something to do with Global Warming?

I’m asking because with all this election talk, I am actually wondering where the candidates stand on the Environment. I know it isn’t the most important of topics (what with everyone about to become homeless with the Mortgage crisis and the recession) but where do the candidates stand on the environment?
I have to ask because they keep sending their condolences to the victims but where do they stand?

Hey folks…..you think the tornadoes were tragic? Imagine what will happen if we don’t start doing something serious about global warming! The biggest tragedy here is that the American public (generally speaking) still believes that they can’t make a difference in the global climate crisis on an individual level; unfortunately, it’s the ONLY WAY we’ll solve this crisis. PLEASE WAKE UP EVERYONE AND DO SOMETHING! Don’t rely only on your politicians and government, they can only do so much if we aren’t willing to make personal sacrifices. Be an individual, speak your mind, make a difference!

Thank you for all your reporting today from Lafayette. I’m originally from here in Chicago, but spent many years living in and around Nashville, and have weathered many tornadoes, including the one in 1998 that hit downtown Nashville, and another in 2003 that nearly wiped out downtown Jackson, Tennessee. Even as an adult, I was (and still am) terrified of tornadoes. Complicate that with having family and friends living all around Tennessee from Memphis to Nashville and many places in between, and I was a basket case last night, alternating between watching CNN, The Weather Channel, and live streams from WTVF and WKRN from Nashville online. Luckily, all of my friends and loved ones have been accounted for. My thoughts go out to those who have lost friends and loved ones. Thank you again for your dedication.

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