One-on-one with Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox - KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana News Weather & Sports

There is an image in my mind from April 27th of Tuscaloosa's mayor, who seemed as cool and collected as anyone could be under the circumstances. This week, as Walt Maddox and I toured the areas of devastation, he confided to me that his "first" reaction after the tornado hit was fear.


MADDOX: When I got into the field and the first time I saw everything, it was overwhelming.  I was scared.  And I would be misleading you to say otherwise.

SCOTT: You were scared?

MADDOX: I was scared.  Absolutely I was scared.  And concerned.  I knew the city had lost most of its major emergency assets, we were running out of ambulances and I knew our hospital would not be able to take on this many injuries.


At the moment those feelings came over Maddox, he was with two of his aides and a police chaplain.

 
MADDOX: Chad and Heather and I were on University Boulevard and prayed in this very vehicle and asked God for wisdom, courage and strength.  And we gained a sense of clarity and purpose and began to do our jobs.      


The immediate task was rescue and recovery, first responders and neighbors working side by side.

 
MADDOX: We found hope in each other and refused to give in.  And it would have been easy that night.  But our citizens would not quit.  No one complained and everyone filled in. It was neighbor helping neighbor that got us through this remarkable point in our history.  

SCOTT: So that's what you learned about Tuscaloosa.  What did you learn about yourself?

MADDOX: (pause)  You know I haven't even thought about that.  I guess I know now that even under the toughest circumstances, I can do the job the people hired me to do.

 
The job of recovery continues and Maddox told me he has already decided to run for reelection next year to try to oversee the rebuilding efforts. The neighborhoods of Rosedale, Forest Lake and Alberta City got crushed, also, part of the business district at 15th and McFarland. Tuscaloosa has come a long way in the last year, but there's still a long way to go, especially with rental properties.

 
MADDOX:  2,000 to 3,000 houses may not be built for 5, 10, 20 years.  Until there's a market, until landlords have a financial reason to build back more houses, I don't see that taking place for years.         


When the mile-wide tornado was bearing down on Tuscaloosa, everyone looking at our live pictures knew it was going to be tragic in such a populated area. 53 people died. 1200 went to the hospital.  

 
MADDOX: I knew it would be bad, but I didn't know how bad.  

SCOTT: Until you came out here and saw Rosedale had been obliterated.

MADDOX: When you see people digging through rubble and looking for their children, it changes you forever.