A Day for Prayers

1. We got lucky in East Cobb last night. What happened in Alabama and in Georgia to our northwest and to our southwest was horrible. You can see videos from the aftermath of the tornadoes that killed at least 63 people in Alabama. As close as , we're afraid of what the daylight will reveal in the devastation. Forgive us if we're not as lighthearted as usual this morning, but the most important thing you can do today is anything you can to help the victims in Ringgold, Griffin, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and elsewhere, even if it's just to pray.

2. The weather, mercifully, should be calm if cool today. A little more rain could fall before 8 a.m., but then the clouds gradually will clear. The high will top out around 69 degrees, and the wind will blow 10 to 15 mph, with gusts to 20 mph, the National Weather Service says. The temperature will drop into the high 40s overnight, but it will be clear.

3. We've said it before during storms, but we'd like to salute the crews of Marietta Power and Water for the work they do during severe weather. We didn't see any notices of East Cobb power outages, but if there were any under Marietta Power's watch, they were resolved. More than 2,100 customers were out at one point in west Marietta, but the crews quickly made the repairs and got those homes power again.

4. If you do have storm damage from the severe thunderstorms that swept through East Cobb, or if you have stories to tell about a night of hunkering down, let us know in the comment box below, on our Facebook page or with an email to editor Wendy Parker.

5. There will be nonstorm news today. The Cobb County Board of Education will meet in executive session at 5 p.m., then hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 at the Central Office on Glover Street in Marietta. We'll have a preview on the website this morning, then will attempt live coverage of the meeting tonight. Will this be the night we learn the finalists (or finalist) for the superintendent's job?