Pratt City Remembers: Special Tornado Anniversary to Be Held Saturday, April 26, 2014

The Pratt City Library will join the Mayor's Office and the City of Birmingham on Saturday, April 26, to commemorate the third anniversary of a 2011 tornado that destroyed homes and buildings in Pratt City.

Rebirth and rebuilding continue in Pratt City as Birmingham prepares to mark the anniversary with music and more at Hibernian Street and Dugan Avenue on April 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Grammy-nominated singer Alvin Garrett will make a special appearance. The event is free.

The Pratt City Library, which was destroyed in the April 27, 2011 tornado but later rebuilt, will have a children's crafts table. The library will also provide free copies of the anthology Voices From the Storm, a collection of literary works inspired by the tornadoes of April 2011 and January 2012. It was written by people of all ages from across Alabama.

Free workshops will also be offered on Saturday.

A continental breakfast will be available at the library at 8:30 a.m.

At 9:00 a.m., Councilor Marcus Lundy, Jr. and HandsOn River Region of Montgomery will host an emergency preparedness workshop. Disaster kits will be given to the first 100. The workshop will address several topics, including what to do when a tornado is spotted in your area, what's the difference between a watch and a warning and how to protect yourself during inclement weather. "We think knowledge is power,'' says Lundy. "As people gain information on disaster preparedness, they should feel empowered.''

At 11:00 a.m., the City of Birmingham, in partnership with Legal Services of Alabama, will present "Preserving the Wealth of Our Communities: Educating the Public on Estate Planning." The importance of wills and trusts will be addressed.

From 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., Legal Services of Alabama will provide free, one-on-one appointments on estate planning. Participants must be a Birmingham resident to qualify for an appointment.

The library, which reopened in February 2014 with a newly added storm shelter, is located at 509 Dugan Ave. The library's phone number is 205-791-4997.

Note: The tornado happened on April 27, 2011. However, the commemoration will be held on April 26, 2014.