Hundreds come together morning after tornado to help impacted areas across Calera

CALERA, Ala. (WIAT) – People in and around Calera spent Sunday cleaning up the mess Saturday night’s storm left behind. The National Weather Service says damage in the city is consistent with at least an EF-1 tornado with wind speeds around 90 miles per hour.

At one mobile home park off 13th Street, a tornado left many homes damaged. One in particular was torn off its foundation just minutes after the family left to shelter with a friend.

“This right here, that was my bedroom. I would’ve been in that bedroom playing with my Xbox when it hit,” Tim Striegel said. “We’re just lucky to be alive.”

Striegel and his daughter Krystal are picking up the pieces, saying their faith in humanity is restored.

“To see so many people come out here to help, and the calls that I’ve been getting from people saying, ‘if you need anything, give us a call,’ it’s just really overwhelming,” he said. “It just, I can’t describe it.”

From providing meals to lifting a chainsaw, the people of Shelby County are making sure their neighbors are taken care of.

“Knowing that there’s a community that can come together no matter what, even if you don’t know each other and you’re just coming and introducing yourself, it’s just amazing to see that you can come together when something tragic happens,” said Tracy Padgett, while serving lunch to the mobile home park with Grace Community Chapel.

About 2 miles away from the mobile home park, hundreds of people came out to help Calera Baptist Church clean up after a portion of the roof over the sanctuary was ripped off.

“We could’ve been in here having our service this morning, but instead we’re out here cleaning up the stuff. We had to mop water out of the sanctuary, and it was rough,” Calera High School freshman Benny Zavala said. “I don’t know why it happened to our church, but God does.”

Calera Baptist Church Pastor Jason Jarvis feels blessed the only damage from the tornado was to the building and not any people in his congregation.

“Something that’s meant for bad, God meant for good, and so I’m excited about that, and I’m excited to see where God leads us in the future,” said Jarvis.

Pastor Jarvis isn’t sure how long it will take to fully repair the church, but he says that won’t stop the congregation from worshipping together. He hopes to have a temporary venue for the church set up by Monday.