Students at Jemison HS make cards for Fultondale students after deadly tornado

JEMISON, Ala. (WBRC) - Students at Jemison High School are making cards for students at Fultondale who were affected in Monday night’s EF-3 tornado.

The deadly tornado caused significant damage to northern Jefferson County around 10:30 p.m., including to Fultondale High School and the nearby area. Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin says the school building will not reopen as previously planned construction for a new high school begins in a little more than a month.

The heartbreak in Fultondale centers around the death of 14-year-old Elliott Hernandez, who was a freshman at the high school. WBRC spoke to Christopher Arizaga on Tuesday, who said his brother was a “great kid.” Elliott’s father remains hospitalized.

A GoFundMe has been set up for the family.

The project at Jemison High School was organized by 10th-grade English teacher Jacob Roop.

“When I heard the news of the students who passed away from the tornado in North Jefferson County, I was saddened,” Roop said. “As an educator, I can’t imagine coming to school to find that one of my students was tragically killed in a tornado. I wanted to send some positivity and encouragement to the students of Fultondale High School, so my students and I wrote letters and cards to send to the students in the community. I have also encouraged them to donate to the GoFundMe.”