1991: Birmingham’s Good Friday Blowdown

March 29, 1991 was Good Friday.

Many people went to bed expecting severe weather during the night, including me. I set the alarm to get up a short time before I expected it to him. But it wasn’t the alarm clock that woke me up. It was an unbelievable roaring sound and continuous lightning.

We lived on Montclair Road on the edge of Mountain Brook then. I instantly thought we were having a tornado. Before I could get everyone up and into the hall, it was gone as quickly as it had come. The power was out.

We had no idea until the next morning that on the other side of the hill, it looked like a war zone. A massive downburst had wrought devastation from Edgewood to Eastwood Mall. Countless trees were down in yards, on homes and across manicured golf courses.

Over 175 trees were down at the Botanical Gardens. The ½ mile wide downburst caused extensive damage along 21st Avenue, by Vulcan and along Cahaba Road. The Birmingham Country Club lost hundreds of trees.

That was on this date in 1991.

Do you remember this event. Share your stories.

– Bill Murray

bill.murray@theweathercompany.com
Follow my weather history tweets on Twitter. I am wxhistorian.

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