Jennifer Pitts Adair

Sheltered by God: a Year in the Life of an April 27, 2011 Tornado Survivor Jennifer Pitts Adair

Brandon Adair, 27, and his wife Jennifer, 30, were married for only 11 months. They had a house they loved, four cats that were like children to them, and dreams of starting a family together.

But in a matter of seconds their dreams were shattered when the walls to their house were literally ripped apart around Jennifer and their pets on April 27, 2011. By the end of the day their home state of Alabama was battered by 62 tornadoes. Brandon and Jennifer's home was obliterated by an EF5. Only their foundation, floors, and a pile of rubble remained.

Then the questions began. Were the neighbors okay? Where were their pets? Where was Jennifer's purse with all of her identification? Where would they live? Would they rebuild or move?

But most importantly, how would they rebuild their lives when everything they knew was gone?

To preserve the darkest moments of her life for her future children, Jennifer kept a journal for a year after the tornado outbreak. In her own words she tells about the emotional and mental impacts of surviving a massive tornado, the nightmares that haunted her, and their day to day life as they struggled through recovery, a second tornado, and a difficult childbirth all within the first year.

In her book Jennifer Adair holds nothing back. She writes about the good and bad equally, revealing a side of survivors that's rarely seen.