A Facebook group is helping reconnect storm victims with lost belongings after last month’s deadly tornadoes in Alabama. It’s called the “Missing Items, Documents, Photos from Alabama Tornados.” The group is open to anyone who has found an item. Or anyone looking for possessions after the recent storms across the state. Group creator Lori Rikard encourages those living or hunting in the surrounding areas to be on the lookout for lost items.
“Some of them can travel as far as eight miles away, or a couple blocks away,” said Rikard. “And then we’ve had some that are sixty miles away, or forty-five miles away. So, that has just been mind-blowing to me. It just shows you the power of these storms and how devastating they are.”
The group was originally created in 2021 following the Shelby County storms. But it has seen a notable rise in members following Alabama’s latest bad weather. Rikard says some possessions have been found over fifty miles away from their homes.
“Some really fascinating items are on there,” she said. “Anything from baby blankets, to pigs, to dogs…a letter that somebody wrote, I think when they were in Iraq…some family photos that looked like they dated back to the eighteen hundreds.”
Rikard encourages those living or hunting in areas surrounding the recent tornados to be on the lookout for lost items. Any possessions found can be posted on the group to reconnect them with owners.