Tornado Hacks Through Hackleburg

In Hackleburg the destruction is so extensive the skyline of the town isn’t what it used to be.

“This was a neighborhood, about 500 houses here and it's all gone,” says Pastor Elizabeth Knowles. “Before you could just see the top of the city water tower, now you can see right to it, this used to be solid trees and houses." Local people estimate 90% of Hackleburg has been destroyed. Hardly anyone or anything escaped without a storm scar.

“Think of it this way, they lost a gas station they had, a doctor's office, supermarket, all three schools have been wiped out--elementary middle and high it's going to be a major rebuilding process but I’m sure that we can,” says Marion County Sheriff Kevin Williams. So far 29 people have been reported dead in Hackleburg and 35 people have been killed in Marion County. That’s the highest in the state per capita. With an uphill battle against rubble during the day some have to contend with robbers at night.

“We've had marshal law basically in force from 7pm to 7am, after dark we run everybody out but we've made a couple of arrests where people have come in and started looting,” says Williams.
Principal Joan Baker tries to salvage what she can from the elementary school. Classrooms that were neat and orderly are ruined. Had school not been preemptively cancelled Wednesday things could have been a lot worse.

“You think things are always going to be the way they are, but you can take nothing for granted in life,” says Hackleburg Elementary Principal Joan Baker. I could spend a week here in Hackleburg and still not come close to fully documenting all the damage. Now homeowners dig out and volunteers dig in as Hackleburg begins the long road to recovery.