brent alabama tornado

I was only 7 at the time. It was in a 11 yr old eyes the pain people was going through and trying to come to grips with it never had i seen the power as i did that day. US Dept of Commerce May 20 Moore Tornado passes above a private shelter Video, Moore, OK Before & After Swipe & Drag Map, New Research On The 1925 Tri-State Tornado. In Vestavia Hills, a roof was damaged when a tree hit it and landed nearby: In Vestavia Hills, a roof was damaged when a tree fell and hit it. All NOAA, Long TrackF-4 Tornado - Local Climate Data Severe Weather The National Weather Service has spent the past few days tracing the path of Alabamas deadliest tornado since 2019. My granddad died in 1979. Please try another search. Radar showed a large amount of debris from this tornado lofted into the atmosphere in what is known as a "debris ball" signature. He looked like he was in shock. 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. I remember well. This was my first time in Brent. Strangely enough, a telephone line was continued to operate for a short time. I will never forget going over to Brent on the Bypass. A social security card that belonged to a cousin was found in Georgia unharmed. The Brent Tornado went on to kill 5 people in Brent and continued to Mt. My father was manager of the IGA in centerville at the time , I was 16 yrs old . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The volume of snapped trees was enough to assign an EF-3 rating for this segment of the tornados path, the weather service said. I was living in Brent Alabama when that Tornado hit. That steady, strong wind, which I think must have been at about 25 or 30 miles per hour, was indeed a very warm wind. 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). 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. Tornado Warnings CNN's Chad Myers gives an update on the weather system tearing across the south eastern US, including a tornado that . It is the sixth longest track tornado of record in U.S. history. The only thing I remember left standing with the steeple of a church. #alwx @spann @NWSMobile @michaelwhitewx @WKRGEd tornado warned storm last night. Looks like theres a power line almost down. I sit here and still remember the smell in the air. The tornado then moved toward Coven Abbett Road and then Elbert Road, damaging several homes and destroying several boat houses. At least two homes were shifted from their foundation. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. I had no idea what it was. Seconds later, I felt what reminded me of fine grain sand hitting my face and arms. This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. Shortly after the storm a young man came running by our car and he was crying. The wind had picked me up slightly and I felt as if I were floating down the hill. I was wrapping up my junior year at Tuscaloosa High School, and on that Sunday night we received a call for . All photos and writing by John Brasher unless otherwise noted. We had glass and mud and other debris in our clothes and underwear but we were all fine. Tornado Information for Brent, Alabama. The designation of the station was Centreville Radar. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. I was 9 years old. We got to Brent just as there was enough light to see. At that time, a NOAA WSR-57 radar station was located on Alabama Hwy25, southwest of Brent, and just west of Highway 5. It still scares me till this day when i hear that a Tornado is near. Bob and I had fairly new vehicles and several windows in each car were blown out. Please Contact Us. In total, five fatalities occurred along Sandy Ridge Road at three separate homes, the weather service said. A drug store was in the same area. Fire Weather Bob was preaching. National Weather Service There was a lot of people gathered on the bridge where you could see Brent in the distance. These are not individual tornadoes but reports of tornadoes. Graphical Forecasts May 27, 1973 was a red letter day in the annals of Alabama severe weather events. A typical tornado track is 1 to 2 miles long, according to weather service data. John got out of the newspaper business in late 1960s. Linhares added that using that definition, 95 of 2,505 tornadoes, or 3.8 percent, qualify as long-track tornadoes. A portion of the tornado did some damage at the bottom of the hill from the church. Damage in Brent. We all met in the hallway and headed for the lobby of the building. In Hoover, winds sparked a brush fire near the City Heights apartment complex off Lorna Road. There was an eerie look to the sky and a funny smell to the air at my parents house. #alwx https://t.co/5yJdHOvAWY. We heard that Brent was destroyed. I begged to go with him. There were several people wondering around in a daze, looking for their belongs. On May 27, 1973, a category 4 tornado tore through the Brent, Centreville, Montevallo, and Greensboro area, leaving 90 percent of the city of Brent destroyed. The first thing he said when he walked in the door was Brents gone. NOAA Weather Radio A single tornado may account for multiple reports along its path. We jumped in his 1956 Chevy and headed off. NWS 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. The storm that spawned that tornado had an even longer track. I am 50 old and I will never be able to smell fresh pine without thinking about the tornado. That wonderful man called my uncle and he showed up later to pick us up to take us back home. it was fairly beat up even before the storm. Trees blocked road.then we saw our home was destroyed. We went into a bed room and knelt down between a bed and the cheftarobe. Since I was a victim I didnt get to see any pictures. About our contributor Re-use please credit https://brenttornado.wordpress.com/. The Old Kingston-Lake Martin tornado was one of 14 tornadoes that hit Alabama on Jan. 12. Legal Statement. I have always wondered who he was. Damage in Brent. All NOAA. 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. Winter Weather, About Us I was told that all the pressure in cans like hair spray and deodorant was sucked out by the pressure in the tornado. The tornado then moved across the rest of Tallapoosa County causing EF-0 to EF-1 tree damage, including in the Sessions area. Born in Bham, raised in Shelby community in SE Shelby County. I have a couple pieces of wooden doll furniture I was trying to find info about. Flood Products Description And I never want to go though that again. 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. Homes crumbled, trees snapped and roads are impassable in areas of Bibb County including West Blocton and Brent. I had turned 12 years old the day before and I still remember what happened just like it was yesterday. (Photo courtesy of Jane Ganey). He was gracious enough today to share his acccount. According to the National Weather Service in Birmingham, the Autauga tornado was on. Multiple locations were found. He lives near Clanton now and still does some photography work from time to time. The weather service said the tornado continued northeast into Chambers County, causing EF-0 to EF-1 damage. Here are the longest tornado tracks on record in Alabama. As many as eight tornadoes may have. I thank God every day we made it out ok. That room had glass almost from floor to ceiling and faced north. Our Office pic.twitter.com/YyTHNV3VJw. Looks like the tornado clipped the corner of Brook Hall and did some minor roof damage and it took down this large tree report and photos from William Richard pic.twitter.com/DAjrZRrM8E, Tornado damage on the campus of the University of Montevallo @spann pic.twitter.com/LwtccCqYaB, brooke hall montevallo @spann pic.twitter.com/jKK8TVuU5j. The tornado continued northeast to County Road 42, causing massive tree damage along Autauga Creek. My dad asked me to fill the pulpit on this Sunday evening. Interactive Tornado Map View larger map BMX RSS Feed Current Hazards We found out the next day that the freezer came from 2 miles down the road. Severe Weather Videos US Dept of Commerce Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. ***NOT FOR BROADCAST***Contact Brett Adair with Live Storms Media to license.brett@livestormsmedia.comAs severe storms began to rotate across western and cen. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings I was stationed at old Craig AFB in Selma and was a T-37 instructor pilot. The worst of the damage occurred in Alabama and . 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. Flood Products Description While at Clemson, Brent Venables admits 'I was hoping to play Alabama and not Kyler Murray as a defensive coach' Apr 24, 2023 Apr 24, 2023 Updated Apr 25, 2023 All rights reserved (About Us). It had a track of 139.10 miles, according to weather service data. Winter Products Description He worked the radar controls, scanning up and down the height of the storm and plotted its anticipated path on the radar screen. My brothers girlfriend at the time , Jane Bamburg lost their home and whole neighborhood in Brent including a small church . We did not know where she was for almost two days. Severe Weather Preparedness This was a single tornado, putting it at #7 for the longest single tornado track in the state of Alabama. I also recall the courage, resilience, and resoluteness of the citizens of Brent, as well as their willingness to do all they could to offer help to their neighbors. Long-track tornadoes are nothing new in Alabama. It was a day not easily forgotten. Flash Flood Warnings This week's severe weather in the Mid-South was visible from outer space . On May 27, 1973, a category 4 tornado tore through the City of Brent. With nothing left to do at the radar site, Dale, Bob, and I headed to our cars to try to get home. Severe storms began to batter Alabama on Wednesday afternoon, toppling trees and power lines and damaging a church and a university dorm building. I do know how powerful the tornado was. So glad the community banded together & rebuilt! The Centreville radar continued to track the storm as it worked over Greensboro and targeted Bibb County. You held your breath. I will never forget this particuler Tornado. Tornado Safety Rules, Awareness Weeks The tornado killed seven people and injured several others and caused widespread damage along its long path. The tornado extended 139 miles on the ground. If you would like, I could transcribe the article and post it. The monster storm finally dissipated near Anniston, on the western slope of Mt. The timber was twisted off, mattresses and bath tubs were in the top of trees. I am thankful our lives were spared . But police quickly let my granddad through. The Centreville Press published a picture of a car sitting on top of a gas station. I dont know if he got one or not, but Dale Black deserved commendation from the weather service for his work and keeping on task that day. I ran into my grandparents bedroom. (Old Leeds Rd, Birmingham, AL) @spann #alwx #wx #wxtwitter pic.twitter.com/HQwVlcM5S4. Tornado warnings were issued up-stream. Late Wednesday night, a student dorm at the University of Montevallo sustained damage from a tornado: This is a window blown out in one of the living rooms at the New Residents Hall at the University of Montevallo photo from Jennifer Howard pic.twitter.com/O8Ewx2Czpc, Minor damage from Tornado at Brooke Hall. Billboards were hitting the ground all around us. The roof was two thirds gone, and the rest of the building looked as it had been sand blasted. Graphical Forecasts More than 12,000 acres of timber was destroyed. Strongest Ever? It has a mayor/council form of government. Questions? The frame of a manufactured home was thrown 250 yards and into a field. Microbursts It crossed the highway and rolled a manufactured home along Autauga County Road 40. The tornado continued northeast, causing sporadic EF-1 timber damage as it crossed U.S. Highway 280. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. My sister had called for me to come home because for some reason she was afraid. A steady stream of warnings went out from West Oxmoor that day based on teletypes from Centreville radar. As the system moved eastward --with thunderstorms and hazardousflash-floodingin other states --a tornado also touched down in Vermont on Friday, injuring at least two people. *Tornado risk is calculated from the destruction path that has occured within 30 miles of the location. It was a Sunday afternoon, the wind was very high. As we got even closer we could then see what had transpired. I just remember the next morning packing up to go home and my parents talking about a storm in Brent. Click Link Below For Brent Tornado track: This is the interior of the Brent Baptist Church. NWS Thoughsix tornadoes developed around Alabama on the 27th, including4 F2s, it was the F3 northeast of Birmingham and the long-track supercell which dropped an F4 through the towns of Greensboro and Brent, which did the most damage. The first was an EF-2 tornado that carved a 35.17-mile path through parts of Choctaw and Marengo counties. Other Research As many as eight tornadoes might have hit Alabama on Thursday as a result of a "super cell" that later moved into Georgia, said John De Block, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Tin and other debris was found in the Oakmulgee Forest many miles away from the path of the storm. Yes, I remember it well. Drought Monitor I found out later that people died in that church. We lived In west blocton at the time and we were driving through centerville on our way home from my grandparents house in SC. My family and I lived on the hill in Centreville at the time, about a half mile from where Bro. There were 43 tornadoes confirmed across 11 states, with the bulk of activity primarily on March 25, which resulted in the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issuing its second high-risk outlook for the month of March, as well as the second high-risk outlook for 2021. Tornado Database We didnt know what to do. Ill never forget Dale saying that if the tornado held together, it would pass right over us. Similar damage was seen in northwest Elmore County as the tornado neared the Coosa River. Tornado Safety Rules, Awareness Weeks The familiar white dome that covered the antenna simply vanished. We watched in amazement at everything but the kitchen sink swirled around and past those windows. Past Events Alabama Tornadoes 1973 Weather.gov > NWS Birmingham, Alabama > Alabama Tornadoes 1973 Current Hazards Current Conditions Radar Forecasts Rivers and Lakes Climate and Past Weather Local Programs BMX RSS Feed Lots of power polls snapped at the tops & lines down. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. My wife stayed home in Montgomery that afternoon with a our new baby. My dad heard it and yelled to get inside . Conciencia y Preparacin, Weather Safety We were at my parents house just a few blocks away from the new house. Came to warn us as we were outside having a cook out with friends. I watched as everything around us was destroyed. Dale gave Bob and me a lot of grief about how his truck had come through unscathed. I wish so badly that I could find some pictures from the damage in Calera on this day. I was 12 years old at that time. Planes and hangars . A pine tree splits in half, falling on a metal fence on Old Leeds Road in Birmingham. We had relatives who lived there and the surrounding areas. Tree trunks were snapped relatively close to the ground, and the bark was ripped from them. He was a contributing photographer for the Montgomery Advertiser Sunday Magazine for a while. All-Hazards Awareness Booklet Jay Reeves/AP. Insulation was strung on the ground and on the trees for miles. By the 26th, two more F4s were accounted for in Oklahoma and Arkansas. This email from Chris Golden of Tuscaloosa, used here with his permission. The tornado was on the ground an incredible 139 miles. For example, from Thursday's storms, there are just over 30 tornado reports in Alabama. near Mertz, or 13 miles southwest of Brent, moving east at 55 mph. Hi,I witnessed the destruction in Brent first hand.I was a student at the University of Alabama at the time and the next I and a couple of friends drove to Brent.It was unbelievable That monster was so powerful that all of the trees on both sides of the road were mowed for as far as the eye could see,even for years later.It was t Nine were in central Alabama, one was in north Alabama, one was in southeast Alabama and three were in southwest Alabama. There was one lady who had her legs cut off by flying tin. And it carried a sweet smell, like that of freshly cut hay. But, It was the 27th which proved to be the deadliest for Alabama. He had been in Centreville only two weeks prior to the Brent Tornado. However, with only manufactured homes in the path, there appear to be no damage indicators that will allow a higher rating.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I interviewed a number of long-time residents of the town for my article. These are accounts of those two killer storms on the evening of May 27, 1973. In 1973 I was a cub reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. My dad stood beside Hwy. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Path of Major Destruction 135 Miles Long, Southern University/Southern Academy,Greensboro, 36th Anniversary of Brent Tornado, CentrevillePress, Like a Bush Hog on a Rock Pile & The Famous BrentTornado, A ride through 2013 Centreville and Brent. Winter Weather, Special Programs Starting on May 22nd and 23rd, tornadoes dropped out of the sky across portions of Texas. It took every thing we had. 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. Cheaha. We started hearing stuff hitting up against the house. The tornado continued northeastward into Tallapoosa County, where EF-1-caliber damage was observed. This is my biggest memory because it looked like someone had just picked it up and sat it down. So much more I could tell . The storms that killed at least six peoplecontinued passing through the region early Friday morning, bringing an EF-4 tornado to northwestern Newnan, Ga. that left the city looking like a "war zone.". @NWSHuntsville @DanielleDozier @BenSmith_WHNT @katemckennawx @EmilyOwenWX @BradTravisWAFF @spann #alwx #hunwx @LimestoneEMA pic.twitter.com/iF9wqHMQe4. A year earlier I had been called to preach. We were traveling down Hwy. He worked darkroom for a while at the old Waldrup Studio in Mountain Brook. Weather service meteorologist Mark Linhares said a long-track tornado has a path that is typically 25 miles or longer. Link Copied! Picture from The Birmingham Post-Herald One of my first big assignments was to go to Brent a few days after the tornado hit and write a story about what was going on in the devastated town. My family (Johnsons) lived in Six Mile at the time, and I was 11 when this storm happened. In southwest Alabama, near Gilbertown in Choctaw County, several trees were downed by the wind: 930pm - Reports of trees damage near Gilbertown in Choctaw County, AL. Eric's Weather Library, Maximum Rated Tornado The F4/F5 Database, NOAA Recorded Tornado Touchdowns Tornado Enviroment Browser, Sites dedicated to specific tornado events. In Brent near the railroad was two huge tanks that belonged to Olen Belchers saw mill was blown several hundred feet. What a story! (Photo courtesy of Garrett Doss). The tornado hit several homes along Sandy Ridge Road, where some of the deaths occurred. No one slept that night. He reluctantly let me go. Our car was destroyed. TORNADO DEBRIS SIGNATURE NOTED ON RADAR. The tornado never lifted from the ground as it followed highway 25 the entire way. All rights reserved. I dont recall the buildup to the storm, but I remember my mom and dad calling my brother and me from the yard into a makeshift storm area dug underneath our front porch. There was warning of the approaching storm shortly before its arrival and the congregation rushed into the basement. Severe storms began to batter Alabama on Wednesday afternoon, toppling trees and power lines and damaging a church and a university dorm building. In Baldwin County, a downed tree came inches away from damaging a nearby truck: 1148pm - Tree damage in Daphne, AL (Baldwin County). 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. 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. He also has an excellent website about the day. 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. DAMAGE REPORTED INCLUDING SNAPPED TREES AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. It then crossed Interstate 65 and reached the Pine Level community, where several homes had roof damage and a manufactured home was rolled off its foundation and onto County Road 68 East. New Day. It was a week or two before I was shown the immense damage to Brent. The tornado was a mile wide at that point and we had no idea we were driving right into it. Questions? Video shows damaged buildings in Bertram, Texas from a possible tornado. The swarm of storms came. Ive never felt conditions like that before or since. Contact Us Ive got to find a hill so I can see just what were dealing with, my granddad said. 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! Winter Weather, Special Programs Their house only received minor damage. Conciencia y Preparacin, Weather Safety

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