Cleanup crews sift through the rubble in Tuscaloosa following Wednesday’s storms. These photos were taken from an apartment comples in Tuscaloosa. -- Special photo

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Two Selma residents who were in Tuscaloosa during Wednesday’s storms are fortunate to be alive after braving one of the greatest natural disasters in recent memory.

Former Selma residents Patrick Wilkerson and Ryan Sorrells witnessed the storm first-hand and both feel fortunate to have survived.

For Wilkerson, the tornado brought an unexpected direct hit to his Arlington Square apartment at the corner of University Boulevard East and 25th Avenue East.

Wilkerson said he knew the tornado was coming, but had no idea it would turn in his direction. After a conversation with his brother, who was in Selma, Wilkerson said he grabbed his dog and headed to the bathtub just to be safe. This turned out to be a potentially life-saving decision.

Soon thereafter, the tornado headed straight for his complex.

“Everything got really dark and it sounded like I was in a wind tunnel,” he said. “I watched the roof of my apartment rip off completely. It was like someone pulling the top off a can.”

As he hunkered down with his dog, Wilkerson said he could see his flatscreen television being ripped from the wall and debris flying through the air. Pipes began to rattle, the bathroom flooded and Wilkerson headed toward a wild ride that would see him take on a number of lacerations.

“I remember the pipes around the bathtub clanging around and I blacked out,” he said. “When I came to it was pitch black dark and I was under rubble. I was under the bathtub, which I think saved my life because there was an air conditioner and a sink and countertop on top of me. The tub formed a pocket so it didn’t crush me.”

Wilkerson was eventually rescued by neighbors and began walking toward Druid City Hospital. He was then told the hospital was diverting patients to the Northport branch  and was given a ride by motorists headed that way.

Though he suffered numerous cuts, Wilkerson was treated and released. His dog also pulled through despite being knocked unconscious.

As the tornado approached, Sorrells took refuge in University Mall, where he said the destruction that followed was like “something I’ve never seen before. It’s so big and so wide. When you first see it you think it’s like a big rain cloud, but then you notice how big it is. It’s loud, stuff starts shaking and then you see lots and lots of debris in the air.”

Sorrells has remained in Tuscaloosa to help with the cleanup efforts and said the outpouring of support has been extremely encouraging.

“Everybody in Tuscaloosa has teamed up and really helped out a lot,” he said. “The other day we went and bought a couple of cases of water and brought them to the rec center and we walked in and there was so much stuff there. It looked like a wall of bottled water and diapers. People have really come together and have been helping out a lot.”

As the manager of the Tuscaloosa Cracker Barrel, Sorrells said he is still trying to locate some of his employees and hopes for the best.

The sheer strength of the storm,” Sorrells said, is overwhelming.

“The power of it shaking buildings is surreal,” he said. “And then you walk out and see what it’s done. It’s kind of like an atomic bomb hit. It’s unbelievable.”

Though they were shaken by the storm, both Wilkerson and Sorrells agreed they are thankful to have persevered.

“I had some staples in my leg and the doctor told me my back looked like I had been dragged by a car,” Wilkerson said. “But I’m still alive.”