The Storm in Pictures

For many in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee, today is part of an open-ended nightmare that began on April 27, when some of the most powerful tornadoes to ever touch down in the South cut a path of indiscriminate destruction across the region.

Birmingham photographer Cary Norton spent the weekend capturing the aftermath of this storm in Alabama, one of the hardest hit states. (To see his photos click here.) “In some places like Pratt City,” Norton said, “there was nowhere to turn to escape the damage. It was all damage.” But it was the resilience of the people and the faith in their communities that impressed him the most. “Wherever I saw damage I saw people with grills and burgers and water and sodas. I saw strangers helping strangers, friends helping friends, and people driving from hours away to help others they had never met. It was amazing to see everyone immediately start rebuilding their towns and their lives.”

Ultimately, the cleanup and rebuilding of these towns will take months, and, in some cases, years. But there are ways for all of us to help:

American Red Cross
U.S. mobile phone users can text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 automatically through your phone bill. Or call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit www.redcross.org.

Salvation Army
Text GIVE to 80888 to donate $10 through your phone bill. Or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY or visit www.salvationarmyusa.org and designate “Tornado Relief.”

Alabama Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund
Visit www.servealabama.gov or call 1-888-421-1266.

West Alabama Food Bank
Text FOOD to 27722 to donate $10, or visit www.westalabamafoodbank.org.