Fun Zone Skating Rink and day care center destroyed by an F2 tornado in Montgomery, Ala. (Photo: Courtesy WSFA-TV)

(Nov. 16, 2006) - Cold, wet and frightened but safe and sound -- best describes the 31 pre-school children carried out of the twisted wreckage of what had been the Fun Zone skating rink and learning center in Montgomery, Ala. on November 15th. Alerted to the potential for tornadoes, the center director had them tucked away in the only portion of the building to survive the destructive winds of a powerful F2 tornado.

Directly across the street, approximately 100 people also found safe shelter in a U.S. Post Office after being alerted by NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazard receivers located throughout the facility. In addition to the postal facility and rink, a nearby apartment complex and numerous vehicles were heavily damaged. Reports indicate the tornado struck at 10:30 a.m. (CST) - 37 minutes after the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Birmingham issued a Tornado Warning for Montgomery County (9:53 a.m.). Just prior to issuing that warning, WFO Birmingham also notified emergency management Deputy Director Steve Jones via radio and he ordered 68 warning sirens to be sounded immediately.

Montgomery County is one of 40 NWS StormReady communities in Alabama and Jones says the citizens understand the need to seek shelter when they hear the siren's wail. There was also a heightened sense of awareness as WFO Birmingham had been issuing Hazardous Weather Outlooks (HWO) explicitly highlighting the potential for tornadoes, communicating with emergency managers via an 800 MHz radio network and Instant Messaging core partners and the media for several days prior to the event.

The Montgomery tornado was part of a strong storm system that moved through portions of Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida during November 14th and 15th. The system spawned at least 16 tornadoes -- killing one person and injuring 16 others. The fatality occurred when a tornado destroyed a mobile home in St. Helena Parish, La. Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding across several areas in Arkansas -- resulting in a number of high water rescues.

One notable incident in Jones County, Mississippi involved a family living in a trailer in their front yard while their Hurricane Katrina damaged home was being renovated. WFO Jackson had issued a Tornado Warning for the county 58 minutes before an F2 tornado touched down there. That warning was immediately relayed over Sheriff's Department scanners and picked up by the family. The tornado destroyed their trailer - but not before they had abandoned it for the safety of their home.

WFOs throughout the Southeast issued a total of 134 Tornado Warnings during the outbreak. The average lead time for the warnings was 17.5 minutes - well above the national average.