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Fayetteville TN (EF-1) Tornado - October 9, 2009	Huntsville (EF-2) Tornado - January 21, 2010

National Weather Service offices across Alabama are conducting a Severe Weather Awareness Day on Wednesday, October 20, 2010. The purpose of this day is to call attention to the secondary peak in severe weather that occurs during the fall season, as well as severe weather that can occur in the winter months across Alabama.  Historically, November has been the most active month during the fall and early winter months for severe weather and tornadoes.

However, severe weather and tornadoes can occur throughout the months of December, January and February as well.  Since 1999, nearly 90 "winter-time" tornadoes have touched down across the state of Alabama, with 2 violent (EF4-EF5) tornadoes ripping across North Alabama during the Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak of February 5-6, 2008.

Lawrence County Damage February 6, 2008	Jackson County Damage February 6, 2008

Recent Fall Season Severe Weather Episodes across the Huntsville NWS Forecast Area

• 2009: Severe thunderstorms produced widespread wind damage across much of North Alabama and Southern Middle Tennessee on October 9th. An EF-1 tornado touched down just south of Fayetteville, Tennessee resulting in extensive damage around the Timber Lake community.
• 2007: Severe thunderstorms caused considerable straight-line wind damage across Northwest Alabama on October 18th. An EF-1 tornado tracked into southern Lawrence County, downing several trees in Bankhead National Forest.
• 2004: Severe weather occurred before the typical November secondary peak. Tornadoes struck Lauderdale and Colbert Counties on October 18th (check out the storm survey here).
• 2003: A significant line of thunderstorms plowed through the Tennessee Valley on November 18th, resulting in significant straight-line wind damage. Damaging wind gusts can be just as destructive as tornadoes.
• 2002: The infamous Veteran's Day Tornado Outbreak produced an F3 tornado in Cullman County, which damaged more than 150 structures (check out the storm survey here).
• 2001: Six of the eight tornadoes that hit Northern Alabama this year occurred with the November 24th outbreak. This event broke a record for the number of tornadoes that occurred during a 24-hour period in the state of Alabama.
• Of course, the infamous 1989 Huntsville tornado occurred in November as well. This F4 tornado (207-260 mph winds) tore through south Huntsville on November 15, 1989, touching down on Redstone Arsenal at 4:30pm. The tornado eventually killed 21 people, injured more than 460 people, and caused more than $250 million in damages.

This the perfect time of the year to check your preparedness plans. Make sure your NOAA Weather Radio has fresh batteries in it. Make sure you have a means of receiving severe weather information. Make sure you know what you should do if threatening weather approaches.

The routine weekly test on NOAA Weather Radio will be conducted on Severe Weather Awareness Day. Media outlets will be working with the National Weather Service to publicize weather safety as well.

Additional Information

• Posters: North Alabama | Southern Middle Tennessee (~200kb JPG files): discusses the Fall Severe Weather Season with photographs, charts, and other information.
• Tennessee Valley Tornado Database - Check out details on the tornadoes that have hit the area since 1874--including those that have struck during the fall months.
• NOAA Weather Radio - Details on transmitters and SAME codes that you can use to set your NOAA Weather Radio.
• Lightning - A locally-developed brochure explaining how lightning works and how dangerous lightning can be.
• Flash Floods and River Floods - While tornadoes are a big threat to the area, flash flooding kills more people per year than any other weather hazard. Find out more through this brochure.