[TootsieWootsie]

I have done some research on cities in Alabama, and it seems all the cool cities like Huntsville and Mobile are subject to occasional hurricanes or tornadoes. Not fun.
Is Alabama ridden with hurricanes and tornadoes all over the State?
Are there any safe major metros in Alabama?
Gosh, how I would love Gulf Shores, but I just do not want to be there when the next big hurricane strikes.

[MullinsCurve]

You've been reading Chicken Little.

Yes we have hurricanes and tornados, but not "all over the state". I am well over 40 and I can remember about 4 or 5 significant hurricanes to noticeably damage the state in my life time. Frederick, Opal, Ivan, Katrina and Georges (I think that last is correct). Get very far inland, the damage from hurricanes is not that bad. It is the storm surge that does so much damage and they don't go much more than several hundred yards off of the Gulf.

Tornados do cause damage and we do have a good many. I guess after a while you get used to them and consider them part of the charm. Watching the rest of the country and just guessing but I don't think that tornado deaths are much, if any, greater than snowand ice-related deaths. Not many people are killed in their cars around tornados like those who die skidding on ice.

[Southlander]

There are several threads in the Alabama forum about hurricanes and tornados. Click on the right on "search this forum" and type in "tornados" (or "hurricanes") and then "search for threads."

[NicoleC]

Tornadoes can occur anywhere in the US. Alabama is in "tornado alley," but if you come to visit you'll see the 100 year old trees and houses... obviously tornadoes aren't THAT common. Take reasonable precautions as you would any other disaster, where it be anticipating being snowed in sometime, a long power outage, an earthquake...

[Bravo35223]

Originally Posted by Southlander

There are several threads in the Alabama forum about hurricanes and tornados. Click on the right on "search this forum" and type in "tornados" (or "hurricanes") and then "search for threads."

Thank you Southlander....we've flaggelated this topic to death....and while we are here to serve, the subject has been treated with great depth and quality previously.

b

[jsherman9901]

Originally Posted by NicoleC

Alabama is in "tornado alley,"

Alabama may definitely be smack-dab in the middle of the "bible belt", but technically it is NOT in the legendary "Tornado Alley", according to the NOAA. Their website shows an area within about a 50-mile radius of Birmingham that historically has above-average tornado activity, but Tornado Alley is defined as the north half of Texas northward through South Dakota.

[bungalowbob]

Is all Texas hurricanes and tornados? Is all Florida hurricanes & tornados? Is all South Dakota hurricanes & tornados? These are broad questions.

[Reactionary]

While we're at it, let's talk about snakes, and bugs, and GAR! Has anybody seen a gar - those things are huge... with lots of teeth... and they like shallow water...

[Keeper]

Unfortunately, it seems no matter where you live there is always some type of natural disaster.

Hurricanes on the south and east coast are a fact of life. You can go years without getting hit by one. Many times AL doesn't get a direct hit, but you still get the rain and wind.

Tornados are even a more frequent weather event and can happen anywhere. The TV weather people here make sure everyone is aware if there is the slightest chance of tornados in the area.

I lived in FL with hurricanes and now in N. AL with tornados a possiblitity. In FL, in 30 years there was only 1 time where we had any problems and that was we lost power for a week. Here, been through several warnings and alerts but not one was close to me.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by Reactionary

While we're at it, let's talk about snakes, and bugs, and GAR! Has anybody seen a gar - those things are huge... with lots of teeth... and they like shallow water...

Yeah, but they don't like people. I've swum in the Tennessee River dozens of times and the only time I've seen one in person was at the end of a line. They are scary looking though...they have actual teeth! Of course, a catfish is not a pretty thing...specially the 85-pounders!