MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) It's one year later, but evidence of last year's Christmas Day tornado can still be found in many parts of Mobile. On South Carlen Street in Midtown, several homes still sit vacant and in some cases are in worse condition than they were in the night the tornado hit. Now a lot of folks in the neighborhood are hoping the city will step up and take care of properties they call eyesores.Several Midtown homes were demolished after the tornado, others were gutted and renovated, but some homes, like a couple on South Carlen never came back. Homeowners in the area tell Local 15 they've written the city about the issue, but nothing is being done to fix the houses they say are slowly rotting. We couldn't go through that again, said Tessie Johnson, a S. Carlen Street resident. On Wednesday, memories of Christmas 2012 came rushing back to her. We jumped up, jumped into the tub with the dog and just huddled down and probably 10-15 seconds later it was over and the roof was gone, said Johnson. It took almost a full year to repair her home. She and her husband just moved back in Thanksgiving week. It's been painful but we're just glad to be back. We do have some little things left to do but it's just great to be back home, said Johnson. But the Johnson's home is smack in the middle of two empty homes that are still in disarray after last year's tornado.They have mildew and mold, said Johnson. Everytime S. Carlen resident Tom Gaylard looks out his window, he's greeted with the two houses that are falling apart and decorated with blue tarps and caution tape.You know it's an eyesore. It takes the neighborhood down, said Gaylard. To make matters worse, he's been trying to sell his home since March. Would you buy my house if you were across the street from an abandoned wreck? People ride by and they dont even see I have a sign out because they're looking across the street at the ones that have been damaged, said Gaylard. But for most Midtowners, Johnson and Gaylard included, their spirits aren't broken.And on this Christmas night, many folks are counting their blessings. You know, today's beautiful and everybody is safe and looking back no one got hurt that day, said Dauphin Street resident Liz Inge Wetzler.
