A True Short Story About Weather Prediction

By Elton Camp

In the 1930s, weather forecasting throughout the nation was in its infancy, mainly
relying on ground reports, weather balloons and past trends. Advance warning of
threatening conditions were rarely possible and people suffered as a result, especially in
the rural areas.

People spoke about the “September gales” that occurred spasmodically in the fall
of the year, but had no way to associate them with the remnants of hurricanes that blew
into Alabama from the Gulf of Mexico. Even people in South Alabama were often taken
by surprise by destructive hurricanes when they arrived with unexpected ferocity. The
most lethal hurricane in United States history struck Galveston with warning coming
from the weather bureau only within hours of its arrival, far too late to attempt
evacuation.

The first year my parents worked in North Alabama, one of the heaviest snowfalls
in the history of the area blanketed the ground with nearly two feet of heavy, wet snow.
It fell on already frozen ground and the temperature remained well below freezing for
weeks afterward. Transportation came to a halt for nearly two weeks. The winter storm
had come as a complete surprise to the public and to the weather bureau.

Mother had experienced snow only as scattered flakes in the air where she’d
grown up. Her unfamiliarity with North Alabama enabled her husband to have fun at her
expense.

“It snows like this a whole lot. I’ve seen it even deeper and it’ll stay most of the
winter. We won’t be able to get around. And you’ll go for months without seeing your
parents. You might as well get adjusted to it.” It was only after hours of her upset and
tears that he admitted the cruel tale was untrue.

The following spring of 1933, they had potentially much more serious encounter
with severe weather. One day had been distinctly cool, but overnight a warm front
abruptly moved into the area. Due to the clash of temperatures, the sky grew threatening.
A dark, ominous wall cloud appeared. Brilliant lightning flashed repeatedly. The
thunder from close bolts vibrated the windows of their rural schoolhouse.

“We’d better get all the children in the same room. They’ll feel better with us
both,” Eloise urgently whispered to her husband. He nodded in agreement.

As the teachers stared apprehensively out the window, they saw a dark funnel
drop suddenly from the wall cloud. It extended almost instantly to the ground and began
to roar. Large pieces of hail rocketed from the sky.
 “It’s a tornado,” Howard whispered. “There’s no storm pit anywhere that’ll hold
this many people. Even if there were, we wouldn’t have time to get to it. We’ll have to
ride it out where we are.”

“We’re going to play a game,” she called out to the children with as calm a voice
as she could muster. “Everybody get down on the floor under the desks and cover your
head with your arms. Anybody who moves or talks loses.”

The children obeyed but giggled at the strange instructions. While the adults
watched out the window, the tornado passed on the opposite side of the road from the
school. A dense debris cloud of dust, leaves, limbs, and pieces of tin arose as it ground
along. Since it moved parallel to the building, they escaped damage. It might have
changed direction at any moment. There had been no advance warning or even
notification that threatening conditions were moving into the area.

Significant improvements in weather forecasting didn’t come until after the

horrible “day of the tornadoes” in the 1970s. The death and destruction of that day,
including the nearby town of Guin in Marion County made the government and weather
authorities ashamed and they became determined to do better. From that came Doppler
weather radar, satellite photos and the warning systems that have saved countless lives.

In April 2011, a series of savage tornadoes hit north Alabama. Two town near
here, Phil Campbell and Hackleburg, were devastated. People had at least twenty
minutes warning, but the tornado was an EF 5 that leveled even well-built houses. Many
deaths resulted and there was massive property damage.

Despite advances in weather forecasting, the awe-inspiring power of nature

continues to impress.