[TootsieWootsie]

What is the safest area to live in in Alabama--one that has a lack of tornadoes and hurricane activity? Or does that not exist in Alabama?

[PortCity]

That does not exist in Alabama. I am more afraid of Tornados than Hurricans .Becasue when I was living in Huntsville(Northern Alabama) a tornado could be happening right that moment and you would know nothing about it. Hurricans alow us the benifit in a advanced 2 week warning. I was in the Walmart in Madison,Al (Northe Alabama) and there were customers coming in warning us that there was a tornado in the Wall of Triana area and was headed our way.i was like no way and it was and sunny out. Hurricans do more damage economicaly becasue they can hit 3 to 4 states at once. When a hurrican hit the Gulf Coast the results is tornados in areas away from the coast.Such as when Hurrican Katrina hit the Mobile area tornados where popping up in Huntsville .

[Southlander]

Actually, Hurricane Katrina caused no tornados in North Alabama. Normally hurricanes bring a lot of rain to that area, but there was very little with Katrina.

Port City is correct in saying the entire state is vulnerable to tornadoes. But tornadoes generally affect a very small area. They also spin off from a front. Once the front has passed - and tornado-spawning fronts usually pass swiftly - the danger is over.

There are exceptions to every rule, though. In 1974, a series of fronts spawned tornados over some 6 hours.

I suggest you go to the Huntsville-Madison-Decatur section at the top of the general Alabama forum and read the thread that is second from the top. It includes lots of information about tornadoes and the likelihood of their occurance.

[TootsieWootsie]

Thank you so much.
Yes, I was in a tornado some 50 years ago when I was a young girl; and I remember coming out of the house I was staying in, looking across the street at the 3 wood frame houses that "were" there and nothing was there but sticks.
Needless to say, this has made me really nervous about Mother Nature.
Of course, tornados can hit anywhere. We had one at the Iowa-Illinois border this year called a derecho that did some bad damage (no electricity for 10 days was the mildest complaint), so they can be hard to dodge.
Looks like West of the Rockies never gets tornadoes, tho, do they?

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by Southlander

Actually, Hurricane Katrina caused no tornados in North Alabama. Normally hurricanes bring a lot of rain to that area, but there was very little with Katrina.

Port City is correct in saying the entire state is vulnerable to tornadoes. But tornadoes generally affect a very small area. They also spin off from a front. Once the front has passed - and tornado-spawning fronts usually pass swiftly - the danger is over.

There are exceptions to every rule, though. In 1974, a series of fronts spawned tornados over some 6 hours.

I suggest you go to the Huntsville-Madison-Decatur section at the top of the general Alabama forum and read the thread that is second from the top. It includes lots of information about tornadoes and the likelihood of their occurance.

When Katrina hit I was in my Freshmen year up there I remember the mentioning of tornados from that storm.When a hurricane is out in the gulf or near the carribean we are able to feel the wind and some times the out linning of the storm on the coast so I know if one hits the coast Huntsville will feel some effects may not be directly but indirectly oh yeah ! The 07/ 08 fiscal school year there were a few tornado watches up there in Huntsville I remeber one being in South Huntsville at one time another one on the other side of the mountain . Also like I mentioned before there were 2 watches a week before the the day there was one in the Wall of Triana area and I was in the Madison Wal-Mart. There were people still coming in the store I was working in that wla-mart and I was wondering why would these peleple be out going in a store shopping with a tornado out. The answer came to mind that they might be use to threats like that. My friends from my area we are not the storms we are use to come with a 3 week warning and on the coast we are use to Cat 1 hurricanes not to say we will be out shopping in it but people are not realy in panic mode as if there was a cat 3,4 or 5 out.

[southernnaturelover]

I live 50 miles inland and I think hurricane Ivan spawned some tornadoes here. There was a wooded area about a half mile up the road that was completely leveled. I think it happened sometime around 4:30 am because I remember hearing the wind really get strong and popping sounds coming from the top of my walls like my roof was getting ready to blow off. Hurricanes aren't so bad during the day, but at night it's pitch black with no power and you can't see anything. I remember shining a huge 1,000,000 candle power spotlight out of my window and the sideways rain was so thick I still couldn't see anything.

[Southlander]

North Alabama gets a few tornado watches every year, usually in spring and summer. That's the norm. A watch means weather conditions are favorable for producing tornadoes. A warning is more serious - it means funnel clouds have been spotted somewhere - maybe 50 miles away, but that's close enough. That's when you start thinking about where the nearest shelter is, or looking around for the nearest ditch.

Anybody who goes to a big box store for tornado protection is an idiot.

[3am green coffee]

Originally Posted by Southlander

A warning is more serious - it means funnel clouds have been spotted somewhere - maybe 50 miles away, but that's close enough.

I believe the NWS now issues tornado warnings if radar indicates an area of rotation capable of producing a tornado. They no longer wait until a tornado is actually spotted before issuing a warning.

[Southlander]

I think you're correct 3 a.m. I have noticed they issue warnings a little more frequently now. Used to be it wasn't a tornado until it touched ground. I think they've changed that definition, too.

[Keeper]

Living on FL Gulf Coast for 30 years I can tell you tornadoes do hit FL in hurricanes and w/o hurricanes. I have mixed feelings about both. A big tornado hit central FL a couple of years ago destroying a lot of homes in The Villages.

Hurricanes you normally get several days warning. Hurricanes affect a larger area. You can evacuate but there is a chance that the hurricane will change directions and head where you evacuated too.

Tornadoes now a days in N. AL you normally get warnings pretty quick on TV, Radio, Cell phone and sirens. They have gotten pretty good at detecting where one might pop up.

Neither are very much fun but I would rather face a tornado in N. AL than in FL.

If you are looking at S. AL I would just be sure I wasn't in a low lying area. Fairhope IIRC had some damage from hurricanes but nothing really bad.