I was ending my junior year at Tuscaloosa High School in late May of 1973. On Sunday evening, May 27, there was an urgent call for help from Bibb County, where a tornado had just gone through Brent. I was picked up by a group of amateur radio operators from Tuscaloosa, and we made the quick trip down U.S. 82 to set up emergency communication in the disaster area. It was the first time I ever saw tornado damage first hand, and it had quite an impression on my life. The memory of this night is as clear as if it happened yesterday.
The tornado was rated F4, and stayed on the ground from just northeast of Demopolis to the western slope of Mt. Cheaha. After causing major damage in Greensboro, the tornado rolled into Brent, destroying a large part of the town and killing 5 people.
John Brasher was a photographer for the Centreville Press in 1973, and he has shared these pictures of the damage that night in Brent....
This was the tornado as seen by the old National Weather Service WSR-57 radar, which was just southwest of Brent, and took a direct hit from the tornado a few minutes later.
The radar antenna was blown off the tower, and damage to the facility was severe.
Operators at the site were not injured, thanks to their quick action after seeing the hook echo. Of course, they also relayed the information to Birmingham's NWS office, who had excellent warnings in place.
More damage to the radar building, which was on Alabama 25 just a mile or so west of Alabama 5. The building was rebuilt, and still stands today, even though the radar operation was shut down in the mid 90s when the Shelby County Airport NEXRAD was put into service.
The Brent Baptist Church was destroyed; one person in the church was killed.
The Brent Baptist Church was rebuilt on the same site; it is a recommended stop on "Spann's Best Way To The Bama Beaches" this year.
This was downtown Brent.
See much more on John's excellent site:
http://www.brenttornado.com/
The tornado was rated F4, and stayed on the ground from just northeast of Demopolis to the western slope of Mt. Cheaha. After causing major damage in Greensboro, the tornado rolled into Brent, destroying a large part of the town and killing 5 people.
John Brasher was a photographer for the Centreville Press in 1973, and he has shared these pictures of the damage that night in Brent....
This was the tornado as seen by the old National Weather Service WSR-57 radar, which was just southwest of Brent, and took a direct hit from the tornado a few minutes later.
The radar antenna was blown off the tower, and damage to the facility was severe.
Operators at the site were not injured, thanks to their quick action after seeing the hook echo. Of course, they also relayed the information to Birmingham's NWS office, who had excellent warnings in place.
More damage to the radar building, which was on Alabama 25 just a mile or so west of Alabama 5. The building was rebuilt, and still stands today, even though the radar operation was shut down in the mid 90s when the Shelby County Airport NEXRAD was put into service.
The Brent Baptist Church was destroyed; one person in the church was killed.
The Brent Baptist Church was rebuilt on the same site; it is a recommended stop on "Spann's Best Way To The Bama Beaches" this year.
This was downtown Brent.
See much more on John's excellent site:
http://www.brenttornado.com/
on May 26, 2006, 8:00 am
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