Alabama's April 27th Tornado Nightmare | Rogue Earth | FULL DOCUMENTARY
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- Опубликовано: 16 апр 2024
- A catastrophic tornado outbreak struck Alabama on April 27th, 2011. Meteorologists like James Span and his team worked tirelessly to provide crucial warnings and live coverage amid the chaos. Storm spotters demonstrated immense bravery, risking their lives to offer vital visual confirmation of approaching tornadoes.
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Rogue Earth - From Season 1 Episode 1: Recent changes in the Earth's climate have led to extreme weather conditions. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves and floods occur more and more often and are more unpredictable than before.
Terrifying true accounts of Mother Nature's raw power.
Recent changes to the Earth’s climate have resulted in extreme weather events. Natural disasters like hurricanes, droughts, tornadoes, heat waves, and flooding are becoming more frequent and unpredictable. Mother Nature is definitely in charge.
With a visceral sense of urgency, Rogue Earth presents the terrifying true accounts of communities caught in the middle of dangerous weather events.
Weaving together interviews, archival footage, and user-generated content, this documentary series chronicles the gripping timeline-from calm, to storm, to devastating aftermath.
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-When 62 tornadoes hit Alabama in 2011
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I was really looking forward to seeing this as I was there. But then you start out with the absolute BS that storms are getting worse than ever before. I'll probably still watch it, but I'll skip that part. I really hope there's no more doom-mongering, or I won't be back.
I agree with PruneHub 100%
That man with the shelter Saved lives that day. What a wonderful man.
Wish American had more James Spanns’. A man with a great heart that genuinely cares for his neighbors. God Bless you Mr. Spann from Mark in Kentucky !!!
We do. Several.
When James Spann comes to work with the jacket off and suspenders out from the get go, you know it's going to be a very, very bad day.
Jacket off indeed.
So true
That man is an icon! He should be known Nationally not just Alabama.
@@boogitybear2283 I think both he and Gary England are recognized nationally. I think England retired awhile back, but Spann said he's going to keep going for awhile. Glad we have him down here in the south. I still remember one outbreak where we had a bad EF4 go into Newnan/Peachtree City GA and it was really late at night. Spann was covering the tornado as it went through Alabama, but even when it crossed into GA he kept covering it since the Peachtree office had to evacuate/shelter. Man is a national treasure.
Sleeves rolled up is a bad James Spann indicator. What a Leg. As a Birmingham, Al resident for 47 years. April 27 2011 was one of the most surreal days of my life. Right there next to 9/11. Tornadoes in the am missed my house by half a mile. Watched the Cullman tornado drop around 1 o'clock. After that it just rained tornadoes.
It honestly breaks my heart knowing how guilt ridden James Span was after this.
He felt guilt and responsible that so many people lost their lives and that he should have done more when he did all he could and without a doubt saved so many lives.
Even to this day if even one person dies from a tornado he is reporting on he feels like he should have done more.
Bless this man he is someone who deserves every bit of love that he receives.
Agreed! He has nothing to feel guilt over! You can't help it if people are gonna make poor decisions about where to be safe at! I mean the 3 college kids was Heartbreaking.i couldn't of imagined what those parents dealt with... so much grief, but they decided to "wait the storm out together" and where they were...
He shouldn't feel bad about it he did all that he could do but if people don't want to take cover in bad storms then they are the ones that are responsible for their actions
James has no control of this. The earth and all is alive. It does what it will.
What's bad is that for yrs 'Cry Wolf' was what people heard and now a big disaster of 62 twisters ravaged through these towns. What's worse folks driving and trying to get home but can't! They either die in vehicles, die in places this nightmare hits etc. What SHOCKED ME was places like churches were closed during this mess. THAT'S BAD
The qlcs is to blame that knocked power out to many in the early am, when round 2 happened well rest is history
James Spann, Jason Simpson, Brian Peters , Tim Coleman and all the spotters teams were heroes that day.
The closest to superheroes we have on our planet. Bless them all.
They left out Brad Travis and Dan Satterfield. They saved alot of lives in north Alabama that day. Including mine.
@lindseymorris3432 there are so many. All the spotter teams, including from Mississippi state
@@dawnieb.7394You're leaving out chief meteorologist Richard Scott.
@@lindseymorris3432 dan Satterfield? I wonder if that's the same guy that moved to the depmarva area and started working at wboc.
I woke up that morning and told my husband that people were going to die that day. I hadn't watched the news in a few days, but I just felt it in my soul. We were living in Springville at the time. I had a doctor's appointment that morning as I was pregnant with my first child and I had a flat tire and a wonderful young man stopped and helped me change my tire. I hope he was safe afterwards.
U should see if there are photos of the victims killed that day and see what happened to that young man ❤
@@elizabethmarielunacordoba9956 Frankly that just sounds incredibly morbid and stress-inducing. Sometimes it's better to just hope and pray and not have to see the faces yourself.
@@bugjams your right. It's best to hope he is ok today. 💞
Don’t people die every day?
@bugjams I don't think they meant picture of them being literally dead. Just pictures that the family gave 😅
As a meteorologist, let me say that this is a superb piece of work -- great film, great sequencing, features on several of the weatherpeople who made a difference that dark day. Plenty of post-tornado follow-up too, which is too often overlooked. Kudos!
This gets that tingle in my nuts feeling. It’s very sad people lost their lives but god damn I would love to experience this
@@garrettstalnaker406 maybe from a safe distance, you would.
@@dawnieb.7394 no, I’d be as close as I could even if it means taking my life cause I’m an idiot, I find tornadoes beautiful and exhilarating
@@garrettstalnaker406 then you learned nothing. I can only surmise that you are a kid.
I lived in Huntsville (north Alabama) when 4/27 happened. This is the best documentary about that day. He gave Jason Simpson the perfect intro + screen time. Most people forget to mention him/ give him his flowers.
As an Alabamian I will always have respect for James Spann!
As someone who has lived in many places but not Alabama I also have a lot of respect for him :) Glad you have someone like this. Is he mentoring others who can take his place (somewhat?)
I went during the summer of 2011 with a church group to help rebuild in the outskirts of Birmingham…I have so many photos as I entered what was left of many of the homes…photos of loved ones’ photos on floors of homes with no walls and debris everywhere. I will never forget it…ever….
I hope that lady found her dog. For some of us our pet is like our child.
April 27th, 2011 super outbreak. The tornado I remember the most that day was Tuscaloosa EF4. James Spann saved thousands of lives that day.
I was smack in the middle of it. I almost told my wife to keep the kids at home from school but didn't. Later that morning I went out during a quiet time to get them from their schools ( each on opposing sides of town) managed to make it to the high school for the first child and had to hunker down there while three separate twisters blew by. Finally made it home safe with both before things spun back up. I've been through many tornadoes in my life but April 27 2011 will always be the single most terrifying day of my life
That's so scary! That parent intuition knew! I am so glad you all were ok.
I flew an airplane over the path of an EF-5 tornado that struck north Alabama that day. I could see the scar the tornado made across the Earth. Some trees were laid down in a circular formation, while other trees were snapped off halfway up the trunk. I saw in several subdivisions nothing but concrete slabs where homes once stood. I counted over 60 homes that were just gone. Debris was laying across fields and in the swamps for miles. A huge electrical transmission tower was twisted and bent over to the ground, power lines lying everywhere. Seeing the destruction from the air put another perspective on how much damage occurred. Several people were killed in this tornado.
Still scars in the earth I heard
There are still scars till this day
I live in that town in north Alabama that was tore up and there is still scars.I have been born a raised here all my life all my family live here in Alabama
It's the 13th anniversary today for the lives lost during this storm, rest in peace.
I live in Tuscaloosa we were on the westside of Tuscaloosa where the tornado first touchdown and the tornado was right behind our house, and it was supposed to come straight through our house and hit downtown, but it took a turn. James Spann did everything he could that day. The power went out right as we got confirmation that a tornado was on the ground. The other areas of the city had lost power that morning due to the first storm that hit 4am that day. I remember James Spann saying if the sun comes out it’s going to be bad.
😮😮😮😮was u scared? From n.y.s here so nev seen 1b4 glad ya made it through all
@@JhonSmith-zt1ve yes terrified plus I was 9 months pregnant
I had to fight back the tears a few times during this video, especially at the end. I never realized that many people had died and when you put a face to some of those people, of course it becomes real instead of just a video.
James Spann is God send. Alabama is lucky to have him
And also to help scientist ofc
I've lived on the East Coast my entire life and even I know his name.
Yes we are.
James Spann and Richard Scott both.
Yes we are
Mark Wilhelm was one of the Storm Spotters that sadly passed away. Rest In Peace Mark. He got the best footage of a Tornado going through Tuscaloosa while saying “Lord Jesus help the people in Tuscaloosa.”
May he rest in peace and his family relish the memories left behind.
Man it’s going to be a sad sad day when Mr Spann passes! I adore that man! And I’m not even an Alabamian I am a neighbor tho.
I remember watching this live on the weather channel and if I got this right he was standing on a hilltop and he was picking up mail from over a hundred miles away. I watched it till into Tuscaloosa and just remember tears coming down my face without knowing it. I'm in Ohio and yes a BIG Buckeye fan who always hated Bama, but after that day I had a different perspective. I just remember saying may the good lord be with them. I wasn't there but my heart was. May god bless those who lost their lives that horrible day. And yes there is a little ROLL TIDE in me till this day.❤
This outbreak and the Joplin Tornado were beasts beyond beasts
These, and the May 3, 1999 Moore, Oklahoma Tornado as well as the May 20th tornado that took virtually the same path years later through the same town.
The El Reno, Oklahoma tornado that killed some world-renowned storm chasers was said to have had the fastest wind speeds **ever recorded on earth.**
If I remember correctly, it wasn’t categorized as an F5 or whatever the largest was on the scale-bc the scale is based on damage and it largely ripped through desolate fields with little to no homes/structures/trees.
The quantifiable data though…from the spotters/chasers that were out that day, was unbelievable.
I’m sure many have know about these or have already seen them, but if not… there are a couple of excellent documentaries on the Moore, OK May 3 tornado as well as the El Reno, OK tornado, with **excellent** up close footage of both.
I agree 1999 Moore was a super beast and the aftermath left behind is unbelievable and the 2013 one as well and El Reno still amazes me at how big and wide it got
Smithville Mississippi
I don’t live in Alabama. I live in Pennsylvania but I watch all these videos so I have seen James Spann many times and he is amazing. All these meteorologists and spotters are heroes.
The Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado lifted just before reaching our house. It then dropped again about 4 or 5 miles past our house and was then known as the Shoal Creek-Ohatchee-Webster’s Chapel EF-4 that killed another 20+ before moving into Georgia. Like a scene from “Final Destination “ , however, 9 months later an EF-3 tornado touched down at almost the exact spot that the EF-4 had lifted, destroyed our neighborhood, and then lifted at almost the same spot where the Shoal Creek EF-4 touched down. The EF-3 killed one teenaged girl in the subdivision just about a mile west of our house.
That's insane.
Damn wtf! 😳😳😳😳
@@k5elevencinc0 Yep. About 15-20 minutes before the EF-4 tornado would have hit us, I was in my front yard picking up letters, forms, personal photos, and a couple of pages from yearbooks that were from Tuscaloosa, Concord, Pleasant Grove and Forestdale. There were also these strange “entities” that appeared to be small pieces of wood, branches, twigs, and even pieces of paper that had somehow became entangled in scraps of insulation and then apparently dried like that. They were falling like heavy snow everywhere. Sometimes, several items would be wrapped in insulation and these fell much faster.
On the morning of January 23, 2012, it was my stuff falling in people’s yards.
For a few weeks, there was a tall tree that had most of its branches stripped away but it was still standing with a slight tilt and a probably 20’ to 30’ sheet of tin roof wrapped around the very top (about 80-90 feet up). We began to call it “our billboard” because we would see workers, sight-seers, and anyone else that was near our house looking at it and pointing it out. One day, the tin was gone but the tree was still there. I don’t know what happened to our billboard. 😎
Ummm that would be it. Record breaking pack -up and move. I’d be GONE the next day at the latest
@@leanneadams2549 It doesn’t matter. I lived in Oklahoma when I was young and a tornado struck near our house. I grew up in Alabama in a well-known “tornado corridor”. The first tornado I remember was the F4 that hit Jasper and Cullman on 4/3/1974. Its path was about 1/2 mile NW of my house and it caused an injury to my aunt that killed her a couple of weeks afterward. I remember three other tornadoes that I either saw or caused damage to our property. I was driving from Cullman to Wallace State College in January of 1988 and an F3 crossed a major intersection about 30 seconds after we had passed through it. I was at the University of Alabama in 1992 when a small tornado hit about 1 mile south of my apartment. The 1998 F5 that hit Oak Grove and almost hit Birmingham lifted just a few minutes before it would have hit my apartment. In 2001, I watched a funnel cloud pass just about 200 yards north of my apartment and then in 2002, a small tornado hit the building where I worked and damaged several cars in the parking lot. Nothing else happened until the 2011 and 2012 events described above and then after a trip to Mobile in 2020, I noticed a tight couplet on my radar app just north of Atmore, AL so I got off the interstate and found a good vantage point just north of the Creek Indian Reservation. I watched a wall cloud for several minutes and then saw a funnel cloud form and lower several times but never touch down. As it faded from view, a tornado warning was issued and I attempted to catch up but only managed to come upon the damage path about 25 miles later.
Today I was visiting another state and the weather forecast had been “partly cloudy” with only slight chance of a thunderstorm. After we reached our hotel, I noticed a severe thunderstorm approaching from the SW. I watched a wall cloud pass a few miles to my east with some rotation but never saw a funnel or anything. I just seem to attract them.
In the four day super outbreak, there were 364 tornadoes. Alabama was one of the hardest hit states by the outbreak. The destruction caused by these tornadoes was like the aftermath of a nuclear war!
I will forever remember this day & I was hundreds of miles away watching it on TV, riding out my own storm in Kentucky. I can’t imagine actually being there.
I drove through Mississippi a year after that Tornado outbreak. There was at least a half mile wide path of destroyed trees in the woods that run along the interstate, and probably stretched what seemed like 10 miles. Then I came across a small town that was 95% gone. There was metal twisted around the remainder of trees, houses leveled to their foundations, and when I approached the main 4-way intersection all directions were impassable. I remember I sat there in a state of disbelief before tearfully turning around and backtracking the way I came.
Smithville Mississippi
Dear Ms. Mims I am truly Sorry for your loss. Having lost a child myself under different circumstances I imagine the pain is the same. Angels never come to earth for very long.
Coincidentally, I am reading Kim Cross' book What Stands In A Storm, the fascinating story of this outbreak. It particularly focuses on how it affected the families of the three students who died. I was happy to see author Kim Cross and seeing this excellent documentary fleshes out the book very well. The production of this video is phenomenal . You have earned a subscription today. Thank you and thanks to Ms Cross.
I just ordered that book!
Powerful EF4 and 5 + Tornados my heart goes out to the 252 families that lost love ones my prayers go to you all.
Iirc it was 251
Someone was counted dead twice
A loooong time ago, Tom Skilling (long time meteorologist at WGN) did a Tornado special, "It Sounded Like A Freight Train". Ever since then I've been fascinated with tornadoes.
Even better today, is Pecos Hank's videos.
Never seen one in person. But that's okay, lol...
People quickly acknowledge the existence of God when they see these storms " ohnmy God oh my God
Pecos Hank is the best.
They are awesome inspiring, and terrifying at the same time. I never want to see one again.
I love Pecos Hank. Besides being great at tornado chasing, he takes excellent photos and video. And I don’t even live in tornado country!
James Spann is one of those people that does exactly what he was put on earth to do.
13 years ago yesterday and to think we've had two days of massive tornadic storms go through nebraska, iowa, and oklahoma...
This was a really good presentation on a complicated subject. Bringing in science with the citizens' experiences was done very well.
At 67 I've been through 5 tornadoes here in western lower Michigan. It's a hotbed of serious storms that generate tornados regularly. Temperature changes between the Great lake and the land are the ingredients for these monsters.
It is terrifying. I can't encourage people enough to find a safe place now along with a few supplies before bad weather events strike.
Being without food, your cell phone and especially medications could make for a serious situation.
My heart goes out to these folks, especially those who lost friends and loved ones, their lives will be changed forever....❤
My God,... the ending was very, very hard to hear. Those kids... that horse... Just took my breath away. I am so very truly sorry for everyone who lost someone that day: their family, friends, neighbors, beloved pets & farm animals.
John Wathen (Wah-then)'s footage of Hurricane Creek being lifted up as mist ahead of the storm is incredible. I grew up near Cordova and have lived in Tuscaloosa since the early 90s. This day was truly unforgettable. Thank you, John, for saving lives that day.
I live in Alabama, I remember that omninous tornado in 2011…destroyed many building and trees around my highschool.
A tornado hit immediately outside of my high school. I was probably 150 yards from it. It was a bad storm, then there was horizontal rain quickly followed by the trees all leaning a certain direction and then we couldn't see anything.. 1200 people screamed as the power went out. It may have lasted five minutes but it was crazy.
The EF4 that hit Cullman was coming my way, but shifted north and missed me.
Respect to storm chasers in the south giving info to the meteorologists. Takes courage to report amongst all those trees and hills.
I was there that day parked my big truck at Walmart they had everyone go inside I went back outside because I've never seen a tornado before I saw a sight that made my knees buckle here I a retired marine I saw that tornado literally stopped backed up like saying I haven't done enough damage then then took off and grew larger after that it was a long hour drive to Huntsville where I lived
Wow crazy day, a time you'll never forget. ❤
And people who lived through them, always refer to the twister as "coming after" them, like it has thoughts or something
I live in Shelby County in Alabama & this day was horrifing. Will never forget watching the news all day & witness what happened
I knew too many of those victims. I still mourn them though it has been 13 years. So young! So ready for life. Graduation was just weeks away for many of them. It makes me sick to this day.
This was one of the best reports I've ever seen. I'm sitting here numb. So sad for all the ppl effected.
One of the toughest thing to stand up after sitting in your basement and realizing it was the only thing left of your house 😢😢😢 seeing that look on your parents face will change you
I’m from Tuscaloosa and I was 5 when this happened. Luckily our neighborhood was fine but 15 minutes down the road there were houses destroyed. Scary stuff…
I was living in Northport at the time. I was 12 years old when the storm came. I still remember the story my grandpa would tell me about how the tornado sounded.
losing your house to a natural disaster is devastating. The emotional toll is another level of devastation..
_Human_ disaster , natural _occurrence_
After living through an F4 that hit Harvest when I was 12, this felt like a nightmare beyond belief.
Watching this video just after the outbreak last week, this is haunting.
Amazing documentary, but at the same time so heartbreaking. 💔 God bless everyone involved!!
I lived in Hartselle, AL that day. It came over, and a huge tree fell not far from our house . I was in the closet with my dog and the sirens were deafening. I know people who lost loved ones
The devastation and loss of life was so sad. I loved AL except for the tornadoes. We moved a few years after that where there are no tornadoes.
I will never forget this date.I was living in meridian mississippi at the time and I could remember them saying tornado emergency something I never heard of and i'm originally from iowa. About a month after this tornado I went to Tuscaloosa Alabama, which is like an hour from Meridian, Mississippi and what I saw a month after was so devastating.I saw houses off their foundations.I saw cars literally in trees. At that time they were still doing clean up
James Spann's "respect the polygon" played in my head the day a tornado hit my neighborhood. I evacuated my family to a disaster rated parking garage. It missed my house by two blocks.
I'm from alabama and was stationed in fort leonard wood, Mo at that time. My parents kept me informed what was going on. Plus my dad told me that was the first time a tornado ever walked down bankhead mountain. He told me it was an EF-5.
I lived in rainsville at the time of the outbreak. I’ll never forget the way that tornado looked and the absolute carnage that it left behind. It was one of alabamas darkest days for sure.
Our Midwest getting hammered last few weeks in 2024. God bless these people back in this 2011 catastrophic event and the victims of more recent events 🙏
This a historic outbreak I will never ever forget .. A swarm of tornadoes back to back from Texas all the way to New York!
My brother lives in Cullman. He had a bunch of damage to his shed and the side of his house. Thankfully him and the family were okay.
At 11:15, watching the people in the cinder block shelter and seeing the mom put her baby behind the other woman says it all. She didn’t feel safe even in there.
I think alot of deaths could be prevented if we built our houses with underground shelters.
On April 27 2024 in Oklahoma City there was a tornado outbreak 😢. I didn't realize it until later that it was the Tuscaloosa anniversary. There were at least 20 tornados that hit Oklahoma 😢
That shelter video is prob best one out their. Insane how seen jet inflow pulling in those clouds on ground than go in shelter and sounds insane than you see light under door. Most realist video out their and their one from moore to
It's when the mom said it looked like her daughter was sleeping...😔🙏🏻😢
After Moore, OK was hit twice, I had a chance to go back and visit. Two schools were students died were rebuilt. In the garage of every rebuilt home was a bench type of storm shelter, below the concrete floor, with a fixed a sliding steel door level with the floor. Holds about 6-8, seated. Every new home had it, it wasn't an option. Peeps need to start putting in below grade steel and/or concrete storm shelters in/attached to their homes in tornado alleys. This also includes commercial and public buildings. In west Texas along I-10, every rest area has a large concrete/rebar tornado proof room with steel door and bolts. Texas did something right for the traveling public.
That’s awesome, good to know about the I-10 rest stops. I’ve driven long trips on that stretch of I-10 in Texas several times and never knew that, but then again most of my trips were outside tornado season. Unfortunately, I know the area of North Texas where I grew up has basically no basements or underground shelters due to the soil composition. Still, even if underground shelters aren’t an option, I think everyone in tornado-prone areas should be able to have at least an above-ground shelter, either in the garage, backyard, or built into the home. Obviously cost is an issue for many people, but I wish that wasn’t the case.
@@andrewc6778
They don't mind paying $45K+ for a new car, $20K+ for a pool, but can't seem to find $5K+ for a poured concrete/rebar or filled block/rebar storm shelter above ground. How many times have we seen foundations swept clean, yet the only thing standing are those storm shelters and bank vaults? Their priorities are misplaced. It is an _asset_ to the property as well. Can't put a price on lives. If they do, better to take out life insurance for everyone in the family and pay those premiums for 25+ years.
@@jbsimmons54 Oh, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely agree. I’m not saying it’s financially IMPOSSIBLE for a lot of these people to install some kind of storm shelter, but the financial aspect of it deters a lot of people from doing so which I think is a shame (and a testament to where our priorities lie as a society, like you said). Although, we can’t forget that some of the people who may need a substantial shelter the most, such as those in mobile homes that wouldn’t withstand even a weak tornado, may genuinely lack $5K of disposable income and truly cannot afford a shelter. People may also lack space for a shelter, and, most ridiculously, some neighborhoods might have HOA rules that restrict outdoor shelters (for vanity/curb appeal reasons I guess). Really, I think we need building codes to require them, financial incentive for people to have them installed, and more public tornado shelters (which of course wouldn’t just be for those whose homes have no shelter but also those caught outside during a storm). For instance I feel like trailer parks in tornado prone areas should have to have a storm shelter in their vicinity. I guess to some degree, unfortunately, a lot of people just don’t like changes of any kind, or don’t want to go to the effort of building a shelter because the probability of getting hit by a tornado individually is low.
@@andrewc6778
Good points. I think some tornado prone states as well as some charitable organizations in the alleys do give out grants to cover some or all of the shelter costs. I know in the Alabama outbreak of 2011, there was a farmer/rancher who had a large block/rebar shelter and his neighbors all drove over there to use it at his invitation. The bad thing I saw about the OK ones in the garage is that it's squarely under one of the vehicles. So one might have to sacrifice a vehicle outside to the tornado to use the bench shelter below ground with a half fixed and half sliding steel door. I guess it was the lowest cost as it was entirely steel. Just scoop out earth and drop it in. HOA prolly wouldn't mind these since they're flush with the earth. Not being visible makes it hard to know it's even there - for strangers. I think mobile home parks should be required to have a large or a few distributed storm shelters. The property owner pays for the asset, but as usual, can increase land rents to pay for it and maintain it. Now if only we can do something about the teens vandalizing them...
@@jbsimmons54 What you're missing is that the car, the pool and other stuff people pay good money for gets used. The tornado shelter has a fraction of 1% chance of serving it's primary purpose, even in the most tornado prone spot in the world. This is why more people don't invest in them unless they are at a good time in their life to do it.
Oh wow I just noticed how this new this video is. I was just turning 11 when this outbreak. And I just remember going home early. Then watching all of these things on the news
So thankful to the Lord for Mr. Spann. The Tornado looked like something you wouldn't see in Alabama. I remember watching Mr.Spann during this storm. 😳😮just cried and prayed. I knew that people were hurting.
This was an excellent documentary! 🌪️
What an amazing video. Absolutely incredible. It was an awful beast of a storm! I shuddered at the sight of a few of the clips-but the sound. If terror and death have a sound-must be much like the deep, ugly groaning of that wind as it went through town, crushing, shredding and destroying all.
Hearing James spann blame himself makes me so sad. I truly believe a lot of the deaths were unavoidable due to how strong the tornado was and just the structures inabilities to withstand it. A lot of survivors lived due to sheer luck and coincidence (meeting up with a neighbor that had a shelter, staying at work, etc). While I always believe there is room for improvement, there are situations where you can only do so much. James spann saved countless lives, more than he could not save. I hope he knows that.
John wathen at 28:18 is my favorite. What a cool guy. What a horrific storm but what a cool guy. And what a great documentary. This is one of my favorite tornados docs in recent memory.
Know it must be hard wondering if you could have saved more lives but listening to the broadcast that you did on that day you must have saved many many more than you would have if you hadn't been so intense so urgent and so frank. Bless you for taking that chance and saving lives like you did. I hope you have peace about that because you did everything right.( To the weather announcer.)
I’m not even two minutes in, And the footage is already wild!!! This is going to be insane, I can tell.
excellent film work and story line
Homes need to be built with cement and reinforcements all should have a safe place or a shelter in the house to withstand a EF 4-5 tornado this hopefully should help save lives
That was a terrifying day we were in Sumitom we didn't get hit but Sipsey and Cordova not far from us was devastated .
I graduated in 2011. Amazing years back when the world was a great place. We got to miss school for 2 weeks bc of this!!! No power. No gas no stores curfew
If that Tornado had directly hit Birmingham right after it hit Tuscaloosa. It would have been the most catastrophic tornado in US history.
Thank you
I do wish some time had been spent on other areas affected by this storm, like my hometown in GA that was destroyed on this day.
I live in Georgia too. This film is about how it affected Alabama.
I heard got bad in georgia as well at least in the northwest portion and close to atlanta. I was stationed in MO during that time. Went home on leave that summer to see how it was doing. They were just getting power turned back on in Lawrence County, AL. then went back to fort leonard wood, MO. Found out to be ready a get mobilized for joplin, MO. Although I didn't mobilized for it. I remember both of those times like it was yesterday.
Back then I lived about 2 miles outside of Hackleburg. I am lucky to be alive today!!! That was one of the worst days of my life!!
If I remember correctly that is the tornado that walked down bankhead mountain.
These disasters have been happening forever. Smart phones, mobile radar and GoPro's just make us better at seeing and documenting them.
Not to mention more people, Billions, more settlements, less unoccupied lands, instant communication & availability of recording equipment. We are just more aware of what Mother Nature has always been doing with a far greater chance of seeing it than ever from increasing population & population density
"People don't pay attention to warnings, but when they see it on live television, _then_ they do something."
Well, this probably wouldn't be such a problem if the warning broadcasts weren't so tame and vague. Even when there are _actual tornadoes_ on the ground, they still say "tornado *warning."* To most people, this means "A tornado _might_ form." There ought to be more clarity.
If radios suddenly had a guy loudly and sternly saying, "THERE IS A FUCKING TORNADO IN YOUR TOWN, EVACUATE OR SEEK SHELTER," maybe people would do something. Spann was so right about the Boy Cried Wolf thing.
It baffles me the Midwest gets hit with tornadoes every year, and they can't come up with a better way to get it into peoples' heads that they're in danger. Many of these deaths could've been avoided if warnings hadn't been established as routine, and if the warnings for when a tornado has actually been spotted weren't so pussyshit weak.
I think it’s just survival of the fittest man.. I live in Oklahoma and I’m like a damn storm chaser when weather is coming our way… feel like I’m going to war… got my guns out and everything 😜
I lived in carbon Hill Alabama or Walker county better known just a few minutes up the road from Jasper and believe me when does tornado outbreak hit it affected my town and I did have a friend who owned a chicken farm who passed away from that storm outbreak that was definitely a crazy day
I learned not to drive through Tuscaloosa traveling at night years ago. Driving to Louisiana from Atlanta, I had to go through Alabama for an assignment and decided to drive through the night. Upon seeing the lightning, I observed a huge tornado. I pulled over and was able to make it into a hotel lobby before they locked the doors.
OMG that's like an extreme nightmare wow
I live in Birmingham Alabama 🙏🏾 sometimes we ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, can't blame the meteorologists for anyone's death. That's life 🤷🏾♀️
The Springfield MA tornado was not in 2015 it was June 1st 2011. It first started by Westfield MA. I was only 10 miles away from where it really started to do damage in Springfield. It was an EF-3 rated tornado with an eastern path that lasted up to around 40 miles and was on the ground for roughly an hour from Westfield MA to a bit east of Sturbridge MA. I went through some of the damage path in Monson MA and various smaller towns west of it to see what it had done. Trees were down everywhere and tree crews were on every street chain sawing them down. Power lines all over the place. Roof damage was moderate/significant to homes that were directly hit/swiped by the outer winds of the funnel. The 40 mile long scar is still very visible on satellite view to this day.
The Springfield Mass tornado was 2011, not 2015. I was there. It was crazy!😊
29:33 Actually the video that captured the infamous Springfield MA EF3 happened on the same year two months(June 1 2011) after the 2011 Super Outbreak
Nebraska and Iowa just had a tornado in April 2024. It leveled houses.
When was this?
That's what I always say, you can replace a house and possessions, but you can't replace a life. I could never imagine going through storms like these because I live in Pennsylvania, but I grew up in Tampa, Florida so I've been through low category hurricanes and tropical storms...still, nothing compared to a strong tornado or a Category 5 hurricane.
Never underestimate the power of the weather 😢
It was so sad when a four year old little girl died that day. She was too young to die, that precious soul
My children were young teens when we went through this day and I told them that morning they would never forget this day and they haven’t. It killed 5 people in our little town. It was an entire family. The land still holds the scars from that day. We had no power for 18 days because it wiped out the entire electric grid even from the TVA System , those big huge metal power lines were ripped up and thrown into the Tennessee River.
Thank god we didnt have another violent and record breaking tornado outbreak since 2011. And if im not wrong, the last known EF5 to have struck was in Moore in 2013. Its a miracle that no EF5 happened since more than a decade now.
I live and work in tuscaloosa. I was at the hospital in an office that faced 82. That is the closest i have ever been to one.
Didn't even touch on the EF-5 that went through Rainsville, Alabama, that too was a big one.
that's the same one I believe went through mount hope
Country people talking tornado makes it so much better
its crazy how it happened again april 27