The National Weather Service reported at least 19 confirmed tornadoes across the state of Alabama on Apr. 27. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded the largest of the group, the F-5 Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado, with a maximum width of 1.5 miles and a track 80 miles long.
Killing at least 250 people, the Alabama portion of this weather system now holds the record for the most fatalities from a single tornado in the United States. The previous record was set on May 25, 1955, when 80 people were killed in a tornado in southern Kansas. Birmingham’s mayor, William Bell, released a damage estimation statement totaling more than $10 million.
In the midst of its rampage, the tornado blew through Tuscaloosa, the location of the University of Alabama campus.
Langley graduates from the class of 2010 gave eyewitness accounts of the violent storm. Bijan Ghaisar, currently a freshman there, remembers the beginning: “I was in my dorm room with two of my friends from Langley, Connor Greening and Sean McKillips, and a few others, when all of a sudden the weather started getting bad and the power went out.”
They heard the sirens, but felt no cause for alarm. “We didn’t think it was a big deal so we stayed upstairs until we heard a few kids screaming down the hall from us and they said the tornado was right down the street….All of us went to the window peeked our heads out the window and saw the huge tornado with things spinning in it.”
After seeking appropriate shelter, none of the students were harmed, but the storm passed directly by them. Freshman Sean McKillips remembers “We were like 50 yards from it.”
Because of the storm, the University cancelled and/or postponed spring classes and final exams. Pending more severe weather, the fall term will begin on schedule, presenting a resilient spirit in this time of uncertainty.
One Langley senior, Courtney Conklin, will be attending the University of Alabama next year and describes her reaction. “At first I was really sad, but I’m happy to see that everyone has come together after the tornadoes. It just shows how strong of a bond they have.”