May 28, 1973 was Monday, Memorial Day. I was in the fifth grade. We had to go to school that day. It was the last day of school. The day dawned beautifully cool and crisp. It was nothing like the day before had been
I awakened on Sunday morning, May 27, 1973 with a warm breeze blowing through an open window. It was more than a breeze. It was a stiff southerly wind. It was very humid. The air had a very foreboding feel to it. I knew it as that unmistakable feel of tornado weather. Unusual for that late in May, but serious.
What I did not know that morning was that strong low pressure was centered near Omaha, Nebraska. A strong cold front curved around through Missouri and Arkansas. Ahead of the front, a squall line extended over western Tennessee and northern Mississippi. Warm, moist air covered Alabama. At 6 a.m., it was 72 degrees in Birmingham with a dew point of 69F along with a south wind of 15 mph. I also did not know that several tornadoes had occurred on Saturday, including a deadly F4 that moved through the business district of Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Severe weather began over North Alabama around 1:30 p.m. when tornadoes touched down near Hulaco in Cullman County. This F2 tornado moved along a 25 mile path, to the Arab and Eddy areas. This same thunderstorm produced another F2 tornado that moved across Jackson County from near Section to Dutton. These first two tornadoes killed no one, and injured ten.
Further south, trouble was brewing over Tuscaloosa County. I clearly remember listening intently to tornado warnings for Tuscaloosa County, knowing full well that those storms would affect Jefferson County. Fortunately, those storms produced no significant severe weather as they passed. Relieved that the weather was over, I went out to play. The weather was not over....
I awakened on Sunday morning, May 27, 1973 with a warm breeze blowing through an open window. It was more than a breeze. It was a stiff southerly wind. It was very humid. The air had a very foreboding feel to it. I knew it as that unmistakable feel of tornado weather. Unusual for that late in May, but serious.
What I did not know that morning was that strong low pressure was centered near Omaha, Nebraska. A strong cold front curved around through Missouri and Arkansas. Ahead of the front, a squall line extended over western Tennessee and northern Mississippi. Warm, moist air covered Alabama. At 6 a.m., it was 72 degrees in Birmingham with a dew point of 69F along with a south wind of 15 mph. I also did not know that several tornadoes had occurred on Saturday, including a deadly F4 that moved through the business district of Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Severe weather began over North Alabama around 1:30 p.m. when tornadoes touched down near Hulaco in Cullman County. This F2 tornado moved along a 25 mile path, to the Arab and Eddy areas. This same thunderstorm produced another F2 tornado that moved across Jackson County from near Section to Dutton. These first two tornadoes killed no one, and injured ten.
Further south, trouble was brewing over Tuscaloosa County. I clearly remember listening intently to tornado warnings for Tuscaloosa County, knowing full well that those storms would affect Jefferson County. Fortunately, those storms produced no significant severe weather as they passed. Relieved that the weather was over, I went out to play. The weather was not over....