National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

National Weather Service offices across Alabama are conducting a Severe Weather Awareness Day on Wednesday, October 19, 2011. The purpose of this day is to call attention to a 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.  Since 1874, 124 tornadoes have occurred across North Alabama and Southern Middle Tennessee during the fall/winter months of October through February. Click here to see a graph of all tornadoes affecting the Huntsville Forecast Area from 1874 to September of 2011.

Nighttime Tornadoes

Nightime tornadoes can be particularly devastating and life-threatening.  31 tornadoes have occurred between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am (in the Huntsville Forecast area) since 1874.  This accounts for roughly 25% of the 124 tornadoes that have occurred in the fall/winter months.

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

• 2010: Numerous severe thunderstorms and a few tornadoes affected the Tennessee Valley during late October. One of these was an EF-2 tornado which affected Jackson and Dekalb counties.
• 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

• NOAA Weather Radio - Details on transmitters and SAME codes that you can use to set your NOAA Weather Radio.
• 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.
• Lightning - Some useful lightning safety tips.
• Flood Safety - 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.