Severe Weather Baaculaureate services had ended 12 minutes before the tornado came through Greensboro and destroyed the old Southern University which housed Southern Academy at the time. In Bibb County, one person was injured in Ashby as a manufactured home was overturned, according to the weather service. Major tornado outbreak hits the South, kills 5 in Alabama - Axios The weather service said that the damage intensified as the tornado neared the Autauga-Elmore county line, where several site-built homes lost most of their roofs along County Road 68 East near Poplar Springs Road. The staff at Centreville radar that Sunday afternoon were Dale Black and Bob Coe. Dale or Bob, cant remember which, made the comment that the wind felt like it was coming from a blast furnace. Power lines and trees down on Alabama 382 (Montgomery Road). "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. No wind, calm as could be. near Mertz, or 13 miles southwest of Brent, moving east at 55 mph. On the 24th, an F4 developed in Oklahoma, killing 2. We all met in the hallway and headed for the lobby of the building. And it carried a sweet smell, like that of freshly cut hay. We didnt know what to do. National Weather Service It was a long night. 216 buildings were destroyed, 570 buildings were damaged, 97 mobile homes were destroyed, and 45 businesses were damaged or destroyed. Born in Bham, raised in Shelby community in SE Shelby County. NOAA Weather Radio The Autauga tornado was a dreaded long-track tornado, with a path that was 82 miles long. At least two homes were shifted from their foundation. Unbelievable, but the roof to the apartments was blown through a gabled wall about making hole about 12 inches above the window without breaking the window. All NOAA. Hale,Bibb, Perry, Shelby,Talladega and Clay Counties Several vehicles were picked up and thrown, and one pickup truck had its cab separated from the bed. We looked over and there was a wall of debris coming right at us. It wasnt hot or cold it was just right. At that time, a NOAA WSR-57 radar station was located on Alabama Hwy25, southwest of Brent, and just west of Highway 5. Up Close and Personal with the Brent Tornado - May 27, 1973 Damage reports out of Hale and Bibb Counties, Talladega woman killed in 2-vehicle crash, Arrest made in Tuscaloosa shooting; 1 injured, Homicide in Center Point, shooting in Birmingham believed to be connected, Tarrant man shot in ankle while walking outside his home, Police investigating early morning shooting at area Waffle House, Senator Tuberville pushes for bill on institutional child abuse. I also took photographs of the town, the most poignant of which was of a clock that had stopped at the moment the tornado hit. The weather service said the most severe damage was observed from County Road 43 to County Road 42, and wind speeds were estimated to have reached at least 150 mph. Seconds later, I felt what reminded me of fine grain sand hitting my face and arms. DAMAGE REPORTED INCLUDING SNAPPED TREES AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. Significant damage to homes and trees occurred along the very wide path. Please avoid the area of Wilhite and Milligan road, as a power pole has broken, units are on-scene with Morgan County Sheriff's Office awaiting Joe Wheeler EMCPicture from Ebenezer Fire and Rescue pic.twitter.com/WHOdVP5Hwt, Gradient wind damage at Centre photo from Alan Amos pic.twitter.com/I4uPVJsq5Z. I was told in the same place of horrible destruction, there was eggs in a carton that was untouched. My father was manager of the IGA in centerville at the time , I was 16 yrs old . That steady, strong wind, which I think must have been at about 25 or 30 miles per hour, was indeed a very warm wind. Click Link Below For Brent Tornado track: This is the interior of the Brent Baptist Church. Severe Safety w/ ASL Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Stunning imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) GOES East satellite captured the. We were in a Chevrolet station wagon. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys Highway Patrol Division reports the following road conditions: Bibb County Reports of trees down on Alabama 5 South of Brent. In addition to the obvious property damage, the tornado . You could feel the car trying to turn over but it stayed upright. This is my biggest memory because it looked like someone had just picked it up and sat it down. The National Weather Service in Birmingham deployed two storm damage survey teams to assess the extent of the tornado damage in central Alabama. Hurricane Preparedness 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. Our Office 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. #alwx. (Old Leeds Rd, Birmingham, AL) @spann #alwx #wx #wxtwitter pic.twitter.com/HQwVlcM5S4. Some were not as lucky. Dale had driven his old fishing truck to work. We lived in Columbiana and were about to move into our new house. Bob and I had fairly new vehicles and several windows in each car were blown out. A pickup truck was thrown 120 yards to the northeast, and a shallow crater was formed where it landed. or redistributed. Deadly Alabama tornado traveled a 82-mile path, one of the longest in Be safe! A portion of the tornado did some damage at the bottom of the hill from the church. Winter Weather, Special Programs The National Guard or State Troopers commandeered us a room at what was the Cinderella Motel. More than 12,000 acres of timber was destroyed. One of the most vivid memories I have is when he reached a point in the road where the asphalt had been literally lifted off the ground and was gone. #alwx https://t.co/5yJdHOvAWY. I was living in Brent Alabama when that Tornado hit. I remember this so well. Thinking back, Ive wondered if he would have taken me with him if he had known what we would see. Local Climatology He was covering the operation of the NWS Radar Station at Centreville/Brent when he and the staff there became a part of the story. F3 of Tarrant and Centerpoint The Brent Tornado was and remains the longest track tornado in Alabama recorded history. That wonderful man called my uncle and he showed up later to pick us up to take us back home. I remember that my Aunt was living with my Grandfather at the time and she was injured and sent to a hospital in Tuscaloosa. Office History, Education The tornado that killed seven people in Autauga County had a path that was 82 miles long and stretched through several counties. Tropical Cyclone Reports, Warnings and Other Products Graphical Forecasts It was not until I was in my twenties that I got over the fear of even a tornado watch being issued. i wanted to stay outside and play. Brent tornado flipped our trailer in Wilsonville. John did some stringer work for UPI covering Alabama football at Legion Field, way back when, which he says was lots of fun. Heres a look at the updated track of Thursdays deadly tornado from the preliminary storm report from the National Weather Service in Birmingham: The tornado touched down at 12:40 p.m. Jan. 12 west of U.S. Highway 82 near Independence, causing damage to nearby farms. Me and my family were driving back to Tuscaloosa from Opelika on that Sunday afternoon. Brent - Encyclopedia of Alabama The three of us were unhurt, but not unaffected. Current Hazards We wanted to see what the conditions were like. TAKE COVER. In total, five fatalities occurred along Sandy Ridge Road at three separate homes, the weather service said. @NWSHuntsville @DanielleDozier @BenSmith_WHNT @katemckennawx @EmilyOwenWX @BradTravisWAFF @spann #alwx #hunwx @LimestoneEMA pic.twitter.com/iF9wqHMQe4. Tropical Cyclone Reports, Warnings and Other Products We watched Dale pull out of the parking lot on onto the road. Make sure you know about the #1 weather-related killer: RIP CURRENTS! But this was a very different kind of day. Weather Service Office Significantly Damaged, Roof of Weather Service Office Centreville. Tornado Safety Rules, Awareness Weeks I remember strong storms Sunday evening while still at the lake, but not being frightened. Local Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Data With nothing left to do at the radar site, Dale, Bob, and I headed to our cars to try to get home. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. #ALwx pic.twitter.com/KReKMA1wPj, Not much better in the light of day#ALwx pic.twitter.com/bFa9XvHZfI, This is Theodore, Alabama Rangeline road. There was phenomenal things happened that was amazing. The devastation was horrible. Picture from The Birmingham Post-Herald Tornado Information for Brent, Alabama. TORNADO EMERGENCY for Bibb County Until 5:45 pm - The Alabama Weather Blog I was a victim of the 1973 tornado. Cheaha. Shortly after the storm a young man came running by our car and he was crying. He had been in Centreville only two weeks prior to the Brent Tornado. 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. Info: Tornado reports do not correspond to the number of tornadoes that occurred. My sister and I both survived but had sustained many injuries. In Baldwin County, a downed tree came inches away from damaging a nearby truck: 1148pm - Tree damage in Daphne, AL (Baldwin County). One person was injured, according to University. The only thing I remember left standing with the steeple of a church. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The weather service said numerous homes were damaged -- some significantly -- on River Run Road and the adjacent side streets. The air took on that certain feel that is indicative of possible trouble ahead. I take tornado watches and warnings very serious today. It has a mayor/council form of government. NWS Birmingham, Alabama465 Weathervane RoadCalera, AL 35040205-664-3010Comments? Brother Grady Chism announced at the benediction that the Bethel Church had been hit by a tornado. He was a contributing photographer for the Montgomery Advertiser Sunday Magazine for a while. I was a photographer/reporter for the Centreville Press at the time and I was at the radar site when the tornado struck. 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. After the warning had gone out, the weather guys and I walked outside to the northwest corner of the building. It had top winds of 150 mph in several spots along its long path. Rivers and Lakes All-Hazards Awareness Booklet The worst of the damage occurred in Alabama and . Brent, AL is a Very High Risk area for tornados. In Limestone County, the Emergency Management Agency reported a tree fell on a mobile home. You held your breath. His photo on the front page of the Centreville Press that week showing Brent Baptist Church, sign, and clock won the Best News Photo from the Alabama Press Association for 1973. About Radar. Previsin de 7 Das I stumbled across this site, looking for the N.D. Cass Co. of Alabama. Flood/River Flood Warnings, Productos en Espaol It went on to cause damage in Greensboro, Brent, Centreville, Montevallo, Calera, Columbiana, Wilsonville, Childersburg, Alpine, and points between. I was 12 years old at that time. Just downstream, several manufactured homes in a cluster were shredded and thrown considerable distances, the weather service said. Local Climate Data As a victim I feel as though Ive been robbed of a part of what turned our lives upside down. Hwy 5 Brent photo from Kirk Smith pic.twitter.com/cwe1HJdK0Q. Special Weather Statements Tornado damage in Old Kingston and Marbury,AL. 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. The first thing he said when he walked in the door was Brents gone. It was fun, so I thought. He gave him a note to call my uncle with my uncles phone number to tell him what happened and to please come get us. The tornado crossed Highway 63 South and neared the Wind Creek State Park area. NOAA Weather Radio CNN's Chad Myers gives an update on the weather system tearing across the south eastern US, including a tornado that . On that Saturday night, May 26, 1973, I was sleeping, like usual. Several days later, Centreville Press published Jim Oakley and I followed the path of the storm in a plane from Brent to Columbiana. The largest and most violent of these would become known as the Brent Tornado. No one slept that night. Two Monster Tornadoes of May 27, 1973 - National Weather Service Deadly tornadoes that ripped through Alabama throughout Thursday remain a significant threat to other Southern states as the sun rises on Friday. I remember going through what once was Brent.I remember seeing a gas station made of cinder blocks and it was completely leveled. According to the NOAA representative that conducted the storm survey,wind speed may well have surpassedthe threshold of F5 strength in areas near the Brent Baptist Church. I will never forget this particuler Tornado. A drug store was in the same area. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Since I was a victim I didnt get to see any pictures.
