What Stands in a Storm (45 page)

Huntsville, Alabama,
68
,
141

Hurricane Creek,
162

Hutchinson, Rand,
157
–58,
174
–78,
180
,
211

I

internet communications:

dissemination of weather warnings and,
35
,
38

volunteer spotters and,
30

See also
Facebook; Twitter

interstates, tornadoes following,
164

J

Jackson, Bo,
260
–62

Japan,
238

Jasper, Alabama,
80
,
103
–4

jet stream,
42
,
45
,
62

Joplin, Missouri,
279

Joyner, Al,
261

K

Kryzkowski, Joe,
226
–28

L

Lake Martin, Alabama,
169

Lambert, Miranda,
173

Las Vegas, Nevada,
238

Laws, Kevin,
280

Lee, Andrew,
100
,
120
,
131
,
136
–37,
185

Lenoir City, Tennessee,
233

Lo Down (blog),
49

Louisiana Task Force One,
209

low pressure,
7
–8,
62

M

McDonald Chapel, Alabama,
163

McElroy, Marty,
119
–20,
132
,
133

McNeil, Christian,
137

McShan, Zy'Queria,
137

Maddox, Walt,
142
,
209
–10

Madison, Alabama,
144
,
147

Martin, Chase,
157
–58,
174
–75,
177

mesocyclones,
45
,
92
,
114

meteorologists and meteorology:

ground truth as tool of,
29

history of meteorology,
38
–39

operational meteorologists,
38

research meteorology,
78

as science of probability,
35

Thunderstorm Project and,
40
–41

tornadogenesis and,
8
–9

tornado warnings and,
29
–30

weather radar and,
40
–41

Meyer, Leah,
233
,
240
,
241

microbursts,
43

Miller, Robert C.,
42
–43

Mims, Ashley:

Loryn Brown's funeral and,
244
–45

Loryn Brown's grave and,
267

Loryn Brown's phone calls with,
47
,
50
,
56
–57,
116
,
117
,
121

Terri Downs and,
193

identifying Loryn Brown's body,
188
–90

lack of contact with Loryn Brown,
146
–48,
173

memories of Loryn Brown,
180
–82,
195
,
267
,
268

monitoring Tuscaloosa storm,
94
–95,
144

premonition of death of Loryn Brown,
140
,
180

search of Beverly Heights house for Loryn Brown's clothes,
194
–95

Kathy Strunk and,
270

telling Loryn Brown's sisters and brother of her death,
198
–99

waiting to view Loryn Brown's body,
180
–81,
185
–86

Wetumpka tornado warning and,
171
–72

Mims, DeWayne,
147
,
188
,
190
,
198
–99

Mississippi, tornadoes moving northeast from,
69
,
72
,
77
,
92
,
93
,
233

Mixon, Nicole,
152
,
215
,
218

moisture:

thunderstorm formation and,
8
,
44
–45

weather patterns and,
7
–8,
44
,
62

Moller, Al,
21

Montgomery Heavy Rescue,
209

Moore, Nathan,
127

Morgan, Carrie Lynn,
240
–41

Moseley, Beverly,
104
,
105
–6,
107
,
109

Murray, Bill,
273

N

Nagasaki,
43

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics,
40

National Center for Atmospheric Research,
44

National Guard,
209
,
235
,
236

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
19
,
56
,
78
,
165

National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma,
65

National Weather Service (NWS):

Birmingham office of,
30
,
64
–65,
142
,
166
,
200
,
280

computer models of,
19

false alarm rate of,
30
,
279
,
280

private chat sessions with meteorologists,
20

storm spotter training,
37

tornado warnings of,
21
,
29
,
30
,
34
–35,
77

volunteers for,
78

Warning Coordination Meteorologists,
77

weather balloons and,
33

New York,
238

Northport, Alabama,
93
,
95
,
144

numerical cloud models,
82

O

Obama, Barack,
202
–3

Obama, Michelle,
202
–3

Office of Civil Defense,
60
,
63

Ohatchee, Alabama,
163
,
166
,
239

Oldshue, John, as storm chaser,
83
–87,
89
–91,
92
,
100

Oxford, Mississippi,
3

P

Parker, Chloe,
3
,
4
,
5
,
44
,
74
–75,
76

Parker, Johnny:

Jim Cantore and,
274
–75,
276

education of,
274

hurricanes and,
37
,
38

interest in meteorology,
4
,
36
,
37
–38,
273

Smithville tornado and,
3
,
36
,
44
,
74
–75,
76
,
274
,
275

WeatherBrains filming and,
273
–74

weather dispatches of,
4
–5,
6
,
36
–38,
275
,
276

Parker, Patti,
3
–6,
73
,
75
,
76
,
273
,
275
,
276

Parker, Randy,
3
,
4
,
5
,
6
,
74
–75,
76

Parker Weather Service,
38
,
276

Peck, Blake,
122

Peters, Brian, as storm chaser,
77
–81,
82
,
87
–89,
91
,
92
,
255

Philadelphia, Mississippi,
53

Phil Campbell, Alabama,
68
,
233
,
238
,
240

Phillips, Brian,
217
,
219

Phillips, Madison,
109

photogrammetric analysis,
43

Piedmont, Alabama,
167

Pippen, Scottie,
261

Pleasant Grove, Alabama,
163
,
206
–8,
237

podcasts,
35

Porterfield, Edna,
58
–59

Priceville, Alabama,
138
,
139
–40,
182

Pruett, Dollie,
236

R

radar:

invention of,
40

See also
weather radar

radiosondes,
33

Rainsville, Alabama,
166

Red Cross,
63
,
183
,
187
,
203
,
238
,
239

Reed, Robert,
234

Rescue
23
,
170

Rescue
27
,
125
,
127
,
128
,
132
,
136
–37,
155

Rice, Dick,
38

Riddle, Derek,
120

Rivers, Sean,
263
,
269

Robbins, Kiki,
135

Robbins, Randy,
134
–36

Rosedale, Tuscaloosa:

rescue efforts of,
122
,
125
–29,
136

tornado of April 27, 2011,
116
,
142

Rumanek, Dianne:

Beverly Heights house and,
144
–46,
161
,
223
,
224
,
246
–47

Loryn Brown's funeral and,
228

concern for daughter's reaction and,
222

contact with Shannon Brown about storm,
144

contact with Ed Downs on damage to Beverly Heights,
160
,
182

contact with Terri Downs on finding Danielle Downs,
190
–91

dedication of new house at Beverly Heights,
263
–64

Danielle Downs's funeral and,
224
–25

Rumanek, Kelli:

anxiety and panic attacks of,
222
,
264

Beverly Heights house and,
15
,
144
–46,
161
,
223
–24

Loryn Brown's funeral and,
228

dedication of new house at Beverly Heights,
263

Danielle Downs's funeral and,
222
,
224
–25

at Gorgas Library during storm,
139

lack of contact with roommates,
161

marriage of,
264
–65

as roommate of Beverly Heights house,
15

Taylor Stevens and,
265

Rumanek, Rob,
161
,
223

Ruth, Alabama,
262

S

St. Louis, Missouri,
9

Salvation Army,
183
,
238

Samaras, Tim,
165

Sand Mountain, Alabama,
141

Sargent, Tracy,
208
–9,
215
–20

Sawyerville, Alabama,
141

Severe Local Storms (SELS) unit,
43

Shoal Creek, Alabama,
163
–64

Sigler, Morgan,
122

Simon, Mike,
107

Simpson, Jason:

Birmingham tornado of April 27, 2011,
142

broadcast meteorologist responsibilities of,
18
–21,
23
,
24
–25,
26
,
27
–28,
56
,
253
,
254

John Oldshue and,
86
,
90
–91

Johnny Parker and,
274

James Spann and,
23
–25,
26
,
31

Tuscaloosa tornado of April 27, 2011,
96
,
101

volunteering for rural areas,
254

Simpson, Lacey,
18
,
26
,
142
,
253
–54

Singleton, Annette,
109

Singleton, Cheryl,
159

SkyCams:

of Cullen, Alabama,
52
–53,
56

live feeds from,
20

storm spotters supplementing information,
30

tornado damage and,
27

of Tuscaloosa tornado of April 27, 2011,
95

of Tuscaloosa tornado of December 16, 2000,
85

Sky Watchers,
20

smartphone apps,
30

Smith, Marcus,
220
–21

Smith, Robert,
216
,
220
,
221

Smithville, Mississippi:

EF5 tornado of April 27, 2011,
3
,
5
–6,
36
,
44
,
74
–76,
235
,
274
,
275

tornado damage and,
275
–76

tornado fatalities of,
275

tornado sirens and,
3
–4

Soul Food Brigade,
237

South:

attitudes toward tornado season in,
4

weather patterns in,
7
,
11
,
17
,
44
,
62

Spann, James:

broadcast meteorologist responsibilities of,
10
–11,
21
–27,
29
,
48
,
52
–53,
55
,
56
,
61
,
64
–65,
68
–69,
71
,
72
,
73
,
207

childhood and youth of,
58
–62,
205

on damage reports,
162

Chuck Doswell and,
65
–66

Facebook page of,
22
,
35
,
65
,
239
,
254

family of,
205
–7

Goshen United Methodist Church and,
168
–69

John Oldshue and,
83
–84,
85
,
91
–92,
93