A new monument was unveiled this past weekend in the Lawrence County community of Mount Hope. Residents gathered Sunday to commemorate a reminder of those in that county who perished as a result of the April 27th, 2011 tornadoes.

Thursday is the six-year anniversary of the devastating storms that ravaged many parts of Alabama. Fourteen people died in Mount Hope when an EF5 tornado ripped through the town. The death toll for the state on that tragic day came to 243.

Emily Reeves, whose grandmother died in the April 27th, 2011 storms, recalled, “Through all the debris, we finally made it over there and everything was gone. It was like a ghost town, foundation was the only thing left. After about the first fifteen minutes, I found her underneath, probably 20 feet of debris.”

After saying the monument made her heart smile, she said, “I feel good about it. And I know where she’s at.”

So many Alabamians were directly affected by the deadly tornadoes on that day. Those who lived through it will most likely never forget it, but the monument will help future generations understand the devastation that took place.