It was fifteen years ago today when Alabama was the hardest-hit state in the historic “Super Outbreak.” NASA’s Earthdata website says the state endured sixty two tornadoes in eighteen hours, resulting in over two hundred and fifty deaths, and fifteen hundred injuries, and one and half billion dollar in damage. Violent EF-4 and EF-5 tornadoes hit Alabama, including a massive long-track storm that struck Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. The storms destroyed communities, destroyed homes, and caused extensive infrastructure failure across the state.
The Alabama Public Radio news team provided dawn to dusk coverage of basic information for our listeners, including where to find water, food, medications, etc. That reporting came up during a recent taping of the “Coffee and History” podcast by Alabama Heritage Magazine. I was invited to appear as a guest, and the host Caroline Gazzara-McKenzie asked me about the challenges in covering the tornadoes
“Well,” I responded. “The tornadoes hit my neighborhood, I just told my wife your pick a house that you like, and she did. One week later, the tornadoes hit, and one third of our house had to be taken down to the dirt. So yeah, I have to report on it. But also, you know, we’re in the thick of it too. So, while my staff is reporting on this, I’m kind of like a mother hen, kind of watching them to make sure, okay, ‘are you eating? Are you sleeping?’ Our newest Morning Edition host was so new that all of the street signs, were gone, so he had a hard time exactly knowing how to find his way to the station.”…