I had just gotten out of hospital. A large tornado struck in or close to Brent and Centreville, Alabama, around 5 p.m. local time, prompting the Weather Service to issue a "tornado emergency" and warn of potentially "catastrophic" damage. All the windows on the left side of the car were gone only to have mud, grass, pines needles and other debris about an inch thick on the inside of the windows on the right side of the car. 27, 2021 at 4:16 AM PDT. I was living in Brent Alabama when that Tornado hit. Just downstream, several manufactured homes in a cluster were shredded and thrown considerable distances, the weather service said. That steady, strong wind, which I think must have been at about 25 or 30 miles per hour, was indeed a very warm wind. We watched as the wind whipped up and a cow and a tractor, among other debris, flew by as if they were lightweight toys. The National Weather Service in Birmingham deployed two storm damage survey teams to assess the extent of the tornado damage in central Alabama. Snapped trees and power lines were seen on both sides of Highway 17: 1140pm - Reports from @ChoctawEMA - Damage to South Choctaw High School (south of Gilbertown) with snapped trees and power lines across both sides of Highway 17. Picture from The BirminghamNews Market data provided by Factset. Julia Musto is a reporter for Fox News and Fox Business Digital. These are not individual tornadoes but reports of tornadoes. Non-Precipitation Warnings Public Information Statement You could feel the car trying to turn over but it stayed upright. Hale,Bibb, Perry, Shelby,Talladega and Clay Counties The roof of the building was rapidly peeling away. [8:05 PM]: An EF-1 tornado was confirmed by @NWSHuntsville meteorologists today across portions of Lawrence, Morgan, And Limestone counties. Daily Rainfall Plots Winter Weather Warnings A moment or two later it was also announced that the Brent Church had been hit. Another tornado, an EF-3, had a 29.24-mile path through Perry, Bibb and Shelby counties and injured two people. Based on the damage scene and contextual evidence, it is plausible that winds were stronger, the weather service said. The weather service said countless trees were snapped and uprooted as the tornado moved northeast toward the Elmore-Coosa county line at U.S. Highway 231. We wanted to see what the conditions were like. At least five manufactured homes were blown away with their frames thrown considerable distances, the weather service said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. I am 50 old and I will never be able to smell fresh pine without thinking about the tornado. The tornado rapidly strengthened as it approached the Old Kingston community and reached EF-3 intensity. Flash Flood Warnings He was a contributing photographer for the Montgomery Advertiser Sunday Magazine for a while. "In the 16-second timelapse, you can see the lightning that accompanied the storm during March 25," the agency wrote Friday on Twitterin a message accompanying the 16-second clip. I remember he and I were standing outside then it seemed like the oxygen was sucked out of the air . I remember this so well. I lived in Calera, Al at the time. I remember looking out the back window at the huge black cloud looming in the background. At least three manufactured homes were obliterated, the weather service said, with their frames thrown up to 100 yards along County Road 43. My family lived in Cottondale, but we camped at Lake Payne numerous times. I sit here and still remember the smell in the air. Local Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Data Brent tornado flipped our trailer in Wilsonville. The severe weather continued into the early hours of Thursday morning, with hurricane-force winds, hail, tornadoes and flooding rain all possibilities. Severe Weather My grandfather was Conger Cummings and had worked for the highway dept several years. Strangely enough, a telephone line was continued to operate for a short time. Aviation Weather, Climate and Past Weather The tornado destroyed approximately 90 percent of the city. Deadly tornadoes that ripped through Alabama throughout Thursday remain a significant threat to other Southern states as the sun rises on Friday. Supercell three: Newnan and Peachtree City, Ga. Trees blocked road.then we saw our home was destroyed. However, with only manufactured homes in the path, there appear to be no damage indicators that will allow a higher rating.. The largest church in the community, Brent Baptist, was destroyed by the tornado. My step-grandma (Ida Bailey Elam) was at home. Severe storms began to batter Alabama on Wednesday afternoon, toppling trees and power lines and damaging a church and a university dorm building. Services were being held here when the tornado struck. The radar dish had been blown from its tower and lay on the ground no more than 20 feet from the office Dale and I had jumped into. National Outlooks The road was barricaded. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings Then, late in the day, a monster storm in the making, indicated by a very distinct hook echo, appeared to our southwest. It was a long night. This tornado made a lasting impression on me we lived in Mobilebut traveled to Birmingham once a month.Hwy 5 was our route and my dad made a special stop to show us the destructive power of a tornado.Ive been interested in them ever since that day when at the age of 11 I was awed by the power of tornadoes. It gave me a very healthy fear of tornadoes. These are accounts of those two killer storms on the evening of May 27, 1973. The sights and sounds are still fresh in my mind; almost like it happened yesterday. Picture from The Birmingham Post-Herald Now i live in Charlotte N.C. My Grandfather was Tom Green, one of the people who died in this terrible event. Tropical Cyclone Reports, Warnings and Other Products I will never forget it, I remember the storm. What a night to remember! When we topped the hill, there was a Texaco station to the left. Even though the tornado took a turn just below the Centreville business district, I can still recall the strange feeling in the air that evening. A little humor in a bad situationthe tornado had worked us over pretty good. More EF-3 damage occurred along County Road 18, where the weather service said vehicles were moved or flipped, numerous trees were snapped, one site-built home was destroyed and others heavily damaged. #HUNwx pic.twitter.com/wyBjSkmRCp. I have always wondered who he was. Power lines and trees down on Alabama 382 (Montgomery Road). I was then awakened somewhere around 4:30-5:00 by their phone ringing. 82 and found a man driving through to Tuscaloosa. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). The weather service will have to analyze all the storm tracks to say for sure, but it appears that one storm held together -- possibly dropping tornadoes periodically along the way -- from Mississippi all the way across Alabama and into Georgia. i wanted to stay outside and play. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. The timber was twisted off, mattresses and bath tubs were in the top of trees. We came through just before it got there and the next day we went to see the devastation. The tornado lifted near Mount Cheaha. @NickLilja pic.twitter.com/fE9ZJX4nbq, Mobile home damaged in Brierfield https://t.co/LiDuYr9ifY, Damage in Chelsea along County Road 333 photo from Philip Morris pic.twitter.com/43OWBQGBDL, DEVELOPING: At least one person rescued ftom trailers damaged in Ashby in an apparent tornado @abc3340 @spann #alwx pic.twitter.com/Viog3h5K0q, @spann 59 north at Trussville pic.twitter.com/RUN3ZKidr9. National Outlooks Linhares added that using that definition, 95 of 2,505 tornadoes, or 3.8 percent, qualify as long-track tornadoes. Regional Highs/Lows/Rainfall, Forecasts On April 27, 2011, a massive storm, causing numerous powerful tornadoes, struck the southeastern . It was the Alabama Highway Department, calling my grandfather to tell him to go survey the damage from a tornado that had hit Brent/Centreville. We had relatives who lived there and the surrounding areas. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. While Selma itself was not hit by an actual tornado that night, Im sure one came very close and just did not touch down as there was a green hue to the sky and rain driven sideways just plain scary! But on this morning, the town was completely leveled and destroyed. The tornado touched downnortheast ofDemopolis and traveled northeastward. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration A tornado also tore through Marengo County, leaving behind a trail of debris: Tornado damage tonight at Faunsdale in Marengo County. all that was left was the block foundation . Eric's Weather Library, Maximum Rated Tornado The F4/F5 Database, NOAA Recorded Tornado Touchdowns Tornado Enviroment Browser, Sites dedicated to specific tornado events. Please Contact Us. There was warning of the approaching storm shortly before its arrival and the congregation rushed into the basement. It was a week or two before I was shown the immense damage to Brent. The worst of the damage occurred in Alabama and . Our Office I heard several stories about people leaving their trailers and laying in a ditch for protection. #alwx https://t.co/hjDcyyF7jL. That point was close at hand on the evening of May 27, 1973, in Brent, Alabama. An outbreak of severe weather, including several destructive tornadoes, swept across the South Thursday, killing at least five people in Alabama and one in Georgia. My husband couldnt get to our house that night because of all the uprooted trees.The next morning when we went to the house we found a roof ( with apt #s 9,11 and 13 still on some of the boards) from the apartments a few blocks from us in our master bedroom right where our bed would have been had we been living there. US Dept of Commerce We moved back home I found out that school year a girl I went to school with year before that she was killed in the storm. The tornado then crossed the northern section of Lake Martin, damaging additional lakefront homes. Been waiting for ya Mr. Cummings. I saw things a 12 year old boy probably shouldnt see. Hale County - Reports of trees down on Hale County 21 and Hale County 4. So much more I could tell . And Bob Coe was able to reach his wife at home in Brent to make sure his family took shelter. The staff at Centreville radar that Sunday afternoon were Dale Black and Bob Coe. It still scares me till this day when i hear that a Tornado is near. (Old Leeds Rd, Birmingham, AL) @spann #alwx #wx #wxtwitter pic.twitter.com/HQwVlcM5S4. He was preaching a revival in Montgomery for the former pastor of the Brent Baptist church. All photos and writing by John Brasher unless otherwise noted. You held your breath. I dont know where Bob ended up as the storm struck with full force. The weather service said the tornado touched down in Autauga County and remained on the ground until it reached Chambers County on Alabamas eastern border with Georgia. Non-Precipitation Warnings I watched as everything around us was destroyed. The most stunning tornado of the event was the long-track tornado that carved a path of damage spanning 80.38 miles over its 98 minute lifespan from Hale to Shelby Counties. Tornado warnings were issued up-stream. Witnesses say they saw a large, wedge tornado sweep through the area destroying some homes, but thankfully sparing lives. Moments after the storm had passed, even though we knew it was very strong, we had no idea what had taken place a mere mile or so away. However, one man was killed when the roof and walls collapsed. The tornado was on the ground an incredible 139 miles. My dad, who was a serviceman with Alagasco, was called out within the hour. The tornado demolished more than 12,000 acres of timber and over 500 buildings; 72 people in the area were injured and five of its citizens killed. In Hoover, winds sparked a brush fire near the City Heights apartment complex off Lorna Road. I just recently reread the article I wrote after my visit to Brent. Nine were in central Alabama, one was in north Alabama, one was in southeast Alabama and three were in southwest Alabama. We told him we were fine and ask if he was ok. At the time, I was a photographer/reporter for the Centreville Press and thought this might be a good opportunity to head down to the Centreville radar site to document their operations during severe weather. In total, five fatalities occurred along Sandy Ridge Road at three separate homes, the weather service said. We looked over and there was a wall of debris coming right at us. Damage in Brent. The SPC issued a HIGH Risk for a tornado outbreak with strong long track tornadoes.This is footage from the Brent, AL long track tornado. Storm damage in Brent Alabama The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Highway Patrol Division reports the following road conditions: Bibb County - Reports of trees down on Alabama 5 South of Brent. Local Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Data Storm Spotters (SKYWARN) #alwx https://t.co/5yJdHOvAWY. All the trees that my cousins & I had played under & swung from were gone. It is dedicated to the people of Brent, Centreville, and all those affected in the many locations. Multiple locations were found. Since I was a victim I didnt get to see any pictures. Tornado Warnings Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. In the wee hours of the morning, somewhere around 2-3:00, I was jolted awake by a sound I will never forget. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Nationwide & Real-Time, Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. The roof was two thirds gone, and the rest of the building looked as it had been sand blasted. A string of those tornado reports likely came from one storm, one long-lived supercell storm. It looked like the town had been scrambled like eggs. Tornado Database I remember this storm. So glad the community banded together & rebuilt! This storm had its beginning just northeast of Demopolis. Weather service meteorologist Mark Linhares said a long-track tornado has a path that is typically 25 miles or longer. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The tornado hit several homes along Sandy Ridge Road, where some of the deaths occurred. After being outside for a couple minutes, we went back into the station. Microbursts A man was killed and his body found under the rubble. I remember the devastation from this tornado well. Have not lived another night/day like this weatherwise until April 27, 2011. With nothing left to do at the radar site, Dale, Bob, and I headed to our cars to try to get home. We lived In west blocton at the time and we were driving through centerville on our way home from my grandparents house in SC. Please try another search. The hardest hit area was Brent, where the tornado caused upper level F4 damage, bordering on F5. James Remembers the Brent Tornado. Winter Weather, About Us So he continued down the road, dodging the trees and lines. It let me know that mother nature is not just about chasing bumble bees with an insect net, playing marbles, and drinking lemonade on the front porch, or fishing on the bank of a creek. Justice prevails. Partial roadway blockage on U.S. 82 near the 85 mile marker. All rights reserved (About Us). My Papa (BB Elam) was at church at the Brent Bible Methodist Church. It went on to cause damage in Greensboro, Brent, Centreville, Montevallo, Calera, Columbiana, Wilsonville, Childersburg, Alpine, and points between. I lived north of Lake Payne in Hale County. Even from 8000 you could see the amount of destruction that had taken place and knew immediately it was not good and that it would be a long road to recovery for both the town itself and the people it effected. I found out later that people died in that church. Little did she know that God had just spared us from total destruction. A single tornado may account for multiple reports along its path. When we exited the building the air was deathly still and we could hear sirens of the emergency vehicles. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He looked like he was in shock. Legal Statement. We walked outside to inspect the damage. Severe storms began to batter Alabama on Wednesday afternoon, toppling trees and power lines and damaging a church and a university dorm building. My family and I went around the town to help our neighbors. I think I can remember this correctly, but we had been camping since Thursday the week before. The radar site and Brent, about 8 miles to the northeast, were in the crosshairs. He worked darkroom for a while at the old Waldrup Studio in Mountain Brook. May 27, 1973 was a red letter day in the annals of Alabama severe weather events. I wish so badly that I could find some pictures from the damage in Calera on this day. I remember strong storms Sunday evening while still at the lake, but not being frightened. On May 27, 1973, a category 4 tornado tore through the City of Brent. Conciencia y Preparacin, Weather Safety pic.twitter.com/YyTHNV3VJw. Powered byWPtouch Mobile Suite for WordPress. We thought we were going to miss the storm until we turned left by the Cahaba River, passed by Twix and Tween barbeque and about a half a mile later all heck broke loose. I always looked forward to school being out so I could spend time fishing around Mulberry Creek. Contact Us Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The National Weather Service has spent the past few days tracing the path of Alabamas deadliest tornado since 2019. #alwx. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Hazardous Weather Outlook, Current Conditions No one slept that night. The volume of snapped trees was enough to assign an EF-3 rating for this segment of the tornados path, the weather service said. Well hell, it even took the road up, said my granddad. None of them were affected. I was the lead instructor that morning in a two-ship formation training mission. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings It was me, my two brothers, my mom and dad and our dog. Other Research It was not until I was in my twenties that I got over the fear of even a tornado watch being issued. Strongest Ever? My family (Johnsons) lived in Six Mile at the time, and I was 11 when this storm happened. Shortly after the storm a young man came running by our car and he was crying.

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