Friday, May 6, 2011

A Story from the Tornado Zone


Storm clouds approach Huntsville, Alabama, on April 27th. Photo credit: Nancy Vreuls of NASA/MSFC

Editor's Note:On Wednesday, April 27th, Science@NASA writer Dauna Coulter found herself near ground zero as a super-outbreak of tornadoes ripped through North Alabama. This is the story about the science of the event she wrote and submitted from within the disaster zone.

April 27, 2011: Tornado sirens wailed all day long. They'd sound off and then wind down for a little while, only to start up again a few minutes later as forecasters spotted yet another hook echo on their radars and adrenaline-revved storm spotters confirmed the twisters that dropped from seething skies one after another.
We lined our bathroom closet with blankets and pillows for my grandson. My husband kept going outside to look at the sky. If an atmosphere can become sentient, the one out there was a malevolent, living thing. This was not your usual storm. Even our Golden Retriever was pacing the floor. Story here

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