One Year Ago Today…
Eleven tornadoes touched down during the pre-dawn hours across North-Central Alabama, killing one man in Oak Grove, and a teenage girl in Clay. The Center Point/Clay tornado was rated EF-3, and was responsible for the death in Clay, and 75 other injuries. The tornado stayed on the ground for 15 miles, and was 800 yards wide at times.
See damage from the Center Point/Clay tornado from AirLink 33/40….
The teenager that died in the event was 16-year-old Christina Heichelbech, who lived in Clay. ABC 33/40 reporter Sherrie Evans talked with her parents last night.
ABC 33/40 – Birmingham News, Weather, Sports
Unfortunately, some in the nation media claimed this tornado event happened “with no warning”, which was totally incorrect. The outbreak was forecast days in advance, and the warnings were excellent. But, to their credit, ABC News did a report the following night on how good the warnings were, and mentioned specific ways of getting warnings beyond sirens.
We can be thankful for today’s calm weather.
Category: Met 101/Weather History
About the Author (Author Profile)
James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.Subscribe
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