Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é

Nov. 15, 1989, is a day that will go down as one of Huntsville's worst disasters.

A 200-mph tornado struck the city without warning.

"It was a nightmare," recalled Toney Drive resident Betty Lunsford, whose home was demolished by the monster tornado. "It's just an overwhelming sense of loss."

Lunsford remembered volunteering at her church, which kept her away from her home. Today, she reflects on her blessings.

"You're so grateful that you're alive and your family is alive that that seemed minor," said Lunsford.

While Lunsford and other homeowners and business owners lost just about everything to the destructive tornado, 21 people lost their lives and more than 500 others were injured.

At the corner of Airport Road and Whitesburg Drive, there is a memorial wall with 21 black bricks that honor those who perished. That area of town is where most of the deaths and injuries happened that fateful day.

Former Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é reporter Tim Hall and former photojournalist Scott Bemish recall arriving on the scene around Airport Road, when their jobs as journalists suddenly shifted to being rescuers.

Bemish came to the aid of Millie Goldstein. Her car was lifted by the tornado and landed on top of an electric transformer, 20 feet off the ground.

"She kept saying, 'I just want to go to sleep,' and I said, 'No, you're not going to sleep. You're going to talk to me. We're gonna stay focused right here,'" recalled Bemish.

Goldstein survived the storm. She and Bemish reunited soon after. Her family thanked him for saving her life. Goldstein died about five years ago.

"She was a sweet, sweet lady," said Bemish.

Hall, too, jumped into action after delivering reports on the air. He remembered when emergency workers asked him for his camera light to help shine light into dark areas in the search for survivors.

There was one woman in particular who was buried deep in the rubble that reached out for his assistance.

"I reached down, and she pulled my arm — the center of my arm — and I said, 'Do you need help?' And she said, 'What happened?'" said Hall.

Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é was the only television station on-air to help inform viewers that the tornado touched down. The station had purchased a generator which kept the power on.

But it was dark, and drivers were already stuck in rush-hour traffic. The destructive tornado which was first reported around Redstone Arsenal tossed vehicles around like matchsticks.

Weather alerts mostly helped those who were watching to find cover with just seconds to spare.

Jones Valley Elementary was in the direct path of the tornado — a school where more than 30 students stayed for after-care. Five-year-old Ryan McKennan was one of them.

"They told us that the weather was turning and they needed us to get inside," recalled McKennan. "I remember them telling us to cover our heads, and I remember looking up anyway and looking out and seeing just this wall of swirling dirt and wind and just — a tornado."

How anyone could survive the crushing blow to that school is miraculous.

Though the '89 tornado may have left behind death and destruction, it also brought out the best in the human spirit.

Lunsford remembered the weather turning cold after the storm rolled through, and she did not have a coat to keep warm. Out of the blue, a friend stopped by and not only give her a new coat but also handed her a crisp $100 bill.

That simple gesture prompted Lunsford to hand out $100 every year to families in need, every Nov. 15 since the tornado struck.

And it all started on a day where countless others also received a special helping hand during one of Huntsville's darkest hours.

"That's something meaningful — our way of remembering," said Lunsford.

There are certain things you can do to prepare for a storm. Having a "go bag" is a very good idea. For information about this, click .

For information about shelters, go to your specific county's website for more information.

Find an excellent resource for more information about disaster assistance and resources .