Most of the roof was removed from the gymnasium at Lepanto High School, and several homes sustained minor roof damage. [4][6][7]. Shortly after this, between 4:20 and 4:30p.m. (21:2021:30 UTC), meteorologists working for NASA on Redstone Arsenal observed a wall cloud and rain-free base with the thunderstorm as it moved across the southern portion of the Arsenal. First responders care for a victim of the November. Nineteen of the twenty-one fatalities occurred in the area between the intersection of Airport Road and Memorial Parkway and the intersection of Airport Road and Whitesburg Drive. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Floyd Smith had been thrown outside the building, uninjured. Thunderstorms caused extensive damage in southern Illinois, where a woman was killed by falling tree, and in Arkansas, Missouri and Ohio. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Hospitalized tornado victims - PubMed Convict in Vinemont mans murder set for parole hearing, Heres who is coming to Nashville to perform in 2023, Aerosmith performing at Bridgestone Arena in January, Community Free Dental Clinic hosts charity golf tournament, Herz, Alabamas only lesbian bar, closes after 4, Mayor encouraging New Yorkers to put AirTags in cars, Coroner IDs employee killed at Mandinas restaurant, BestReviews.com - Top gifts to make everyone happy this spring, Surprise your mom with one of these Mothers Day, Mothers Day inspo: This foot massager has 20,000, Drew Barrymores Walmart collection is perfect for, Best Mothers Day gifts for the budding plant mom, Best Mothers Day Gifts for moms obsessed with books, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "It's like it was yesterday," she said. The Birmingham Forecast Office followed with a Special Weather Statement at 10:50 am with the headline, "MAJOR SEVERE WEATHER THREAT POISED FOR ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA!". It produced at least 40 tornadoes and caused 30 deaths as a result of two deadly tornadoes. The most devastating tornado occurred in Huntsville, Alabama, when an F4 tornado killed 21 people on the afternoon of the 15th. Smith was one of the three police officers at the K-9 range when the tornado hit. Remembering the November 1989 tornado, 25 years later At Least 14 Are Killed In an Alabama Tornado, https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/16/us/at-least-14-are-killed-in-an-alabama-tornado.html. Gov. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Conciencia y Preparacin, Weather Safety The potential impacts of climate variability and change on health impacts of extreme weather events in the United States. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The National Severe Storms Forecast Center (NSSFC) issued a Public Severe Weather Outlook at 9:30 am Wednesday and highlighted the unusually strong potential for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes over the Tennessee Valley. Twelve of the people killed in Huntsville were in cars. "They definitely do now if they're smart.". The deadliest tornado to hit the city of Huntsville in almost 100 years touched down at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 15, 1989.On the afternoon of Wednesday, November 15, 1989, at 4:35 p.m., an F-4 tornado with peak estimated winds of 260 mph struck the southern portion of the city of Huntsville cutting a swath of destruction from southwest toward the northeast through a business section and a heavily populated residential area. There were 31 tornadoes confirmed in the US in September. Rivers and Lakes Witnesses said the downtown Jones Valley Elementary School, the Waterford Square and adjacent Queensbury apartment complexes were reduced to rubble by the tornado. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Frank Broyles said a prayer. Questions? 1992 Jan . Briefs Daily Kent Stater 17 November 1989 Daily Kent Stater Digital The storm developed over Redstone Arsenal and began to travel northeast with winds approaching 250 miles per hour. [10], The disaster received a tremendous amount of national and international media coverage at the time of the tragedy because most major news media outlets were at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, just ten miles away, to cover the awarding of the Sylvanus Thayer Award to former President Ronald Reagan, and accordingly were on site within minutes.[11]. Huntsville Mayor Steve Hettinger said 14 deaths had been confirmed, with 305 people injured and about 500 displaced by the tornadoes, which struck while city streets filled with rush-hour traffic. . 2009 May;40(5):488-92. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2009.01.102. Other buildings, such as those in the White Oaks subdivision were damaged or destroyed. Post your comments below. Flood/River Flood Warnings, Productos en Espaol 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. A funnel cloud was swirling above a clump of pine trees. Public Information Statement The tornado crossed the. Remembering the devastation of the 1989 Huntsville tornado The lead teacher of the daycare program moved the children from the second floor of the school building into a small open area under the stairway on the first floor. Twelve of the 21 deaths (57 percent) occurred in automobiles, a striking similarity to the 1979 tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas. Do you know what the state motto is for Alabama? The storm, an F4 tornado, had such power that it was more than a half-mile wide.