Hail Damage and Tornados (Birmingham, Madison: house, neighborhood, school)

[kscott462]

What is the most common size of hail (pea, golf ball, baseball) and is it large enough to damage cars and roofs. How often do Tornado warnings and hail occur in the Madison area?

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by kscott462

What is the most common size of hail (pea, golf ball, baseball) and is it large enough to damage cars and roofs. How often do Tornado warnings and hail occur in the Madison area?

I've never seen anything larger than small marble sized hail, so 1/2-3/4". Not a biggie. The one time we had damaging hail we were out of town.

I don't recall any tornado warnings this spring, but normally there are several with most being of no consequence. Huge outbreaks have occurred - 1974 and 2011 - so devastation does happen. Usually not in the urban area though.

[kscott462]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I've never seen anything larger than small marble sized hail, so 1/2-3/4". Not a biggie. The one time we had damaging hail we were out of town.

I don't recall any tornado warnings this spring, but normally there are several with most being of no consequence. Huge outbreaks have occurred - 1974 and 2011 - so devastation does happen. Usually not in the urban area though.

Were you around for this one?

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...do-damage.html

Or this one?

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...ado-story.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...do-ground.html

[djmaxwell]

Originally Posted by kscott462

Were you around for this one?

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...do-damage.html

Or this one?

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...ado-story.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...do-ground.html

I've been around for all three of these. I don't recall much about the first one, as it didn't impact us where we are located. The 2011 one is etched on the brain pretty well as it probably is with most everybody who was here for it. That day was a once in a lifetime (hopefully) event. An EF1 formed over my neighborhood around lunch time and knocked out our power. I was at work at the time but navigated my way home at that point. Later in the afternoon, the EF4/5 passed by about 1/2 mile from my house. We were without power for eight days. That day changed my thinking about severe weather. In 2012, I was starting to take my kid to school when the sirens went off. We turned around. A tornado took almost the same path as the previous year's EF5. We were without power for a little over a day, I believe. Overall, it has been pretty quiet since then.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by kscott462

Were you around for this one?

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...do-damage.html

Don't know - but I don't remember it. I lived where I live now, so must have been around. Based on the description, it was several miles away and only 75 yards wide.

Or this one?

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...ado-story.html

Yes, I definitely remember that day. It's the worst outbreak we've had since records started. 1974 was almost as bad, and I remember it as well. There was tremendous damage and loss of life from both systems, but note that they were almost 50 years apart. Those things happen, but rarely. My biggest effect, other than a feeling of loss for the dead and injured, was lack of electrical power for a week. One tornado ripped out the high voltage lines from Brown's Ferry Nuclear Plant that feed the city. Fortunately, weather for the entire week was very nice and cool so no heat or cooling was needed.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...do-ground.html

I don't specifically remember this one either.

Birmingham had a somewhat serious mini-outbreak earlier this year. In fact, it affected the house of one of their broadcast meteorologists while he was on-air keeping folks up to date.

[cooldiver]

Originally Posted by kscott462

Were you around for this one?

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...do-damage.html

Or this one?

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...ado-story.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunt...do-ground.html

Honestly, if this is going to keep you awake at night maybe you should just look elsewhere.

[kscott462]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I've never seen anything larger than small marble sized hail, so 1/2-3/4". Not a biggie. The one time we had damaging hail we were out of town.

I don't recall any tornado warnings this spring, but normally there are several with most being of no consequence. Huge outbreaks have occurred - 1974 and 2011 - so devastation does happen. Usually not in the urban area though.

The hail doesn't sound like it's a problem at all. I have seen the damage done to cars in
the Dallas area and it can be very severe. North Texas has a hail problem every year
but it sounds like North Alabama doesn't most of the time. Dixie alley is calmer than
tornado alley so it makes sense that you haven't seen anything really bad for about 10 years.

[kscott462]

Originally Posted by djmaxwell

I've been around for all three of these. I don't recall much about the first one, as it didn't impact us where we are located. The 2011 one is etched on the brain pretty well as it probably is with most everybody who was here for it. That day was a once in a lifetime (hopefully) event. An EF1 formed over my neighborhood around lunch time and knocked out our power. I was at work at the time but navigated my way home at that point. Later in the afternoon, the EF4/5 passed by about 1/2 mile from my house. We were without power for eight days. That day changed my thinking about severe weather. In 2012, I was starting to take my kid to school when the sirens went off. We turned around. A tornado took almost the same path as the previous year's EF5. We were without power for a little over a day, I believe. Overall, it has been pretty quiet since then.

"That day changed my thinking about severe weather."

I imagine it's very scary when it's happening, did these events make you want to invest in a shelter?

[dwhisent]

Originally Posted by kscott462

"That day changed my thinking about severe weather."

I imagine it's very scary when it's happening, did these events make you want to invest in a shelter?

In my case, yes. During the 2011 tornados, I lived in the Harvest area, close enough that we felt the wind pressure from it (my daughter was struggling to close the door). We had a basement then.

Since then, I moved to east Limestone county, still not far from the path of that one. As I said in another post, I invested in a steel above ground shelter placed in the back of our garage. Also there are public shelters in the area.

As has been said, the local weather guys go nuts when we have warnings, and I feel like it's smart to keep up with where they are moving.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by dwhisent

In my case, yes. During the 2011 tornados, I lived in the Harvest area, close enough that we felt the wind pressure from it (my daughter was struggling to close the door). We had a basement then.

Since then, I moved to east Limestone county, still not far from the path of that one. As I said in another post, I invested in a steel above ground shelter placed in the back of our garage. Also there are public shelters in the area.

As has been said, the local weather guys go nuts when we have warnings, and I feel like it's smart to keep up with where they are moving.

I agree. I wouldn't want to be near any of those weather guys when they go nuts! It has been fun watching the TV station websites the past few days where one weathercaster yammers on about dry upcoming days, and another says that we need to watch out for morning storms (??? really ???). Some days I imagine inviting them all to a bar and serving them free drinks, just to see what would happen.

Tornadoes are no joke, and most do try to do a decent job when one or more happen, but the hyperbole and territorial marking gets old. Most times when there is a weather segment on the news now, I slo-mo through the radar with the sound cut off, look at the 7 day forecast, and move on. I will say, however, that Dan Satterfield has the best fitted suit and LOOKS classy.