By Sharon Davis Register
I had just graduated from high school on Wednesday night, May 23, 1973, before the tornado hit Sunday, May 27th. I remember going for a walk on that Sunday afternoon, and I remember it was sunny and the wind was blowing very hard. I can remember it was blowing my hair and almost making me lose my balance, so I only walked a short distance before going back home. There was no sign of rain.
My brother, Scott Davis, and I decided to go to the Centreville Baptist Church that night for their worship service. We went in separate cars, and I took my younger brother, Todd Davis, with me. I think he was 10 years old. My parents had gone to a movie or shopping in Tuscaloosa that afternoon and had not gotten home before the service.
While we were in the service at church, the lights began to flicker, and we could tell a storm was approaching. Our pastor, Brother Hayne Standifer, seemed to have talked something over with a few men and he asked us all to go downstairs to the basement for the service. I assumed it was because they were getting reports of the storm being strong with a possible tornado. He didn’t tell the congregation anything about the weather. The lights did go out inside the building and the wind was picking up. As we passed the front door going down to the stairwell to the basement of the church, the front door of the church blew wide open. The storm was so strong and fierce that my brother, Scott, grabbing the door to close it, almost flew out into the storm. He had to hold onto the door frame to keep from being pulled out by the wind.
We had our service by candlelight. While Brother Standifer was preaching, people began to get up and leave. It was obvious something had happened. There had been some people coming in and getting a few national guard members. Brother Standifer was obviously getting some messages because he then told us there were reports that the John Goodson home had been hit by a tornado. They did not know if the family was safe. This was the home of one of my best friends, Tanya Goodson. I was very worried for Tanya and her family’s safety, and I remember praying.
We then were told to stay in the church until they could find out more information. We began to go upstairs to the vestibule, and we began to get reports that the entire town of Brent had been blown away by a tornado!!! Everyone began to scream and cry and pray. Those were truly traumatic moments for all. My home and my parents were in Brent as well as many other families and their homes. We also learned that the Brent Baptist Church was GONE!!! Everyone was terrified for our loved ones. I remember holding my younger brother tight in my arms and my older brother rushing out of the building to help as well as find out if our family was okay. I was frightened for him, but he insisted he had to go and help the others.
There were police cars circling the town square in Centreville after we heard the news. No one was supposed to leave because of so much debris and reports of damage. After about an hour of being in shock and fear for my parents and my home, I found out they were safe and there was only slight damage to our home. The large pine trees in the back yard were all down. Our pet goat, Bo Jo, was frightened with eyes as large as saucers, but he was okay.
All night long, I remember seeing spotlights through the windows as they searched for people in the destruction. There were sounds of ambulances, police sirens, and chainsaws. Very early the next morning, we walked down to Brent, and we all cried. We were also very thankful to be alive. We were filled with sorrow as well because knew of others that had loss and so much damage.
As the sun was shining brightly that morning, above the broken town, there was a beautiful rainbow.
