Dear Editor,

I’m writing on April 28. The weather is perfect, with brilliant blue skies, warm sunshine and a cool breeze in the air. How can this be? Just yesterday, things were just the opposite.

April is always a turbulent time in Alabama. Even with all the new age of technology, we can never really be prepared for nature’s disaster.

On April 27, the weather was very unstable and as we all watched our local news stations, we were not prepared for what was about to happen. Alabama was under an extreme severe weather alert.

As we watched the horrific twisting black cloud envelope the city of Tuscaloosa, it was as if we were in the middle of this horrible catastrophe and there was nothing we could do but feel its powerful destruction and pray. My heart was sick.

Our home is located adjacent to Highway 82. Over the years, I have watched the fans of the University of Alabama make their annual journey to watch their favorite football team in action. But today the traffic consisted of a different kind of fan.

First, there were numerous State Troopers leading the convoy of our Alabama National Guard and followed by the convoy of Alabama Power trucks of all descriptions. And the vehicles for search and rescue followed.

These people are truly our heroes. As the day progressed, I watched our country reach out to our beloved state. I feel so blessed to be an American, but most of all an Alabamian.

And when I saw the great response from our Auburn neighbors, it was overwhelming. The “A” that was posted on Facebook consisted of one red side and one orange side as a sign of unity.

Yes, the Crimson Tide is full of pride, but this event wasn’t about what people did on the field but what they did in the field for their fellow man.

This was truly the day Crimson cried.

Rita Little, Maplesville