When you ask any local meteorologist when Central Alabama’s primary severe weather season is, he or she will tell you that the main season is March and April, but that there is a secondary season in November. If you ask Meteorologist in Charge Ken Graham from the National Weather Service in Birmingham about Alabama’s tornado seasons, he will tell you that things have been changing over the past few years. And he has the numbers to back up his supposition.
Between 1950-2004, there were 199 tornadoes in March and 196 in April in the state. But with four significant tornado outbreaks in the fall tornado season since 2000, the number of tornadoes in November from 1950-2004 has now reached 201, making it the most with the highest frequency of tornadoes.
The point is that Alabama has two distinct tornado seasons. Graham points out that it is one of the few places in the country, (or the world, for that matter) that experiences two times of peak tornado activity. As an Alabama resident, you have to be mindful of both. In fact, tornadoes can occur in any month of the year here.
Alabama is number thirteen on the list of states that have the most tornadoes. On average, we experience twenty three per year. But the state ranks in at number three on the list of states with the most tornado fatalities. There are many possible reasons for the disproportionate number of fatalities. First, our tornadoes are harder to see and track. Many of them occur at night. They are often wrapped in rain and difficult to see because of terrain and trees. Another major reason is the amount of manufactured housing employed in the state. Mobile homes are important because they provide an affordable place to live for many people. But a mobile home is no place to be in a severe weather situation.
There has never been a better time to receive severe weather information. NOAA’s All Hazards Radio (formerly NOAA Weatheradio) will alert you at any hour of the day or night, but less than 10% of homes and businesses have them. Almost every person has a cell phone that is capable of receiving text messages. Services like E-Warn can deliver NWS warnings straight to your phone. ABC3340 provides wall to wall coverage anytime that a tornado warning is in effect for any part of its coverage area in North and Central Alabama. The Internet provides a plethora of detailed severe weather data and radar information.
Tornadoes sometimes snuck up on us thirty years ago. And they still can appear with little notice from strong thunderstorms. But there is no excuse for not having a personal tornado safety plan for you, you family and your business.
Between 1950-2004, there were 199 tornadoes in March and 196 in April in the state. But with four significant tornado outbreaks in the fall tornado season since 2000, the number of tornadoes in November from 1950-2004 has now reached 201, making it the most with the highest frequency of tornadoes.
The point is that Alabama has two distinct tornado seasons. Graham points out that it is one of the few places in the country, (or the world, for that matter) that experiences two times of peak tornado activity. As an Alabama resident, you have to be mindful of both. In fact, tornadoes can occur in any month of the year here.
Alabama is number thirteen on the list of states that have the most tornadoes. On average, we experience twenty three per year. But the state ranks in at number three on the list of states with the most tornado fatalities. There are many possible reasons for the disproportionate number of fatalities. First, our tornadoes are harder to see and track. Many of them occur at night. They are often wrapped in rain and difficult to see because of terrain and trees. Another major reason is the amount of manufactured housing employed in the state. Mobile homes are important because they provide an affordable place to live for many people. But a mobile home is no place to be in a severe weather situation.
There has never been a better time to receive severe weather information. NOAA’s All Hazards Radio (formerly NOAA Weatheradio) will alert you at any hour of the day or night, but less than 10% of homes and businesses have them. Almost every person has a cell phone that is capable of receiving text messages. Services like E-Warn can deliver NWS warnings straight to your phone. ABC3340 provides wall to wall coverage anytime that a tornado warning is in effect for any part of its coverage area in North and Central Alabama. The Internet provides a plethora of detailed severe weather data and radar information.
Tornadoes sometimes snuck up on us thirty years ago. And they still can appear with little notice from strong thunderstorms. But there is no excuse for not having a personal tornado safety plan for you, you family and your business.
on September 12, 2005, 12:07 am
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