What Stands in a Storm (46 page)

Johnny Parker and,
273
,
274
,
276
–77

Brian Peters and,
77
,
88
,
89

in Pleasant Grove,
206
,
207

popularity of,
22
,
81
,
83

radio as passion of,
60

radio station employment of,
62
–63

Jason Simpson and,
23
–25,
26
,
31

Super Outbreak of April 3, 1974 and,
62
–64,
104
,
112
,
276

surveying tornado damage,
206

on tornado safety,
31
,
94
,
208

tornado warnings and,
52
–53,
55
–56,
72
,
73
,
167
,
171
,
277

Tuscaloosa tornado of April 27, 2011,
94
,
95
,
100
,
102
,
111
–13,
115
,
116
,
119
,
142
,
143

Tuscaloosa tornado of December 16, 2000,
85

visit to father,
205
–6

volunteer work in Cordova,
250
–53

weather classes of,
30
–35,
77

weather forecasting and,
21
–22,
66

Spann, Karen,
10
,
205
,
206
–8

Spann, Ryan,
10
,
205
,
206
,
252

squall line, storm cells in,
20
,
25

Starkville, Mississippi,
53
,
95
,
138
–40,
159
,
203

Stefkovich, Jim,
64
,
166
,
199
–200

Stevens, Darrell:

funeral of Will Stevens and,
213
,
265

identification of Will Stevens's body,
212

loss of contact with Will Stevens,
156
,
158

memorial football game and,
270
,
271

memorial scholarship in honor of Will Stevens and,
266

memories of Will Stevens,
178
–80,
210
–11

search for Will Stevens,
173
–76,
177
,
178

search of Beverly Heights house for Will Stevens's effects,
210
,
211

telling Wayne Stevens of Will Stevens's death,
212
–13

Stevens, Jean:

Loryn Brown dating Will and,
52

funeral of Will Stevens and,
213
,
214
,
265

loss of contact with Will Stevens,
156

memorial football game and,
271

memorial scholarship in honor of Will Stevens and,
266

memories of Will Stevens,
178
–80

phone calls from Will Stevens,
72

search for Will Stevens,
177
–78

telling Wayne Stevens of Will Stevens's death,
212
–13

Stevens, Taylor,
156
,
178
–80,
210
,
211
,
212
,
265
–66

Stevens, Wayne,
212
–13,
263

Stevens, Will:

Loryn Brown and,
51
,
52
,
117
,
121
,
214

career goals of,
51

death of grandmother,
178
–79

dedication of new house at Beverly Heights and,
263

Danielle Downs and,
50
,
51
–52,
68
,
156

fear of tornadoes,
71
–72

funeral of,
212
–14,
247
,
265

identification of body,
211
–12

memorial football game for,
270
–71

memorial scholarship dedicated to,
266

others' lack of contact with,
156
,
173
,
174

phone calls to mother,
72

rescue of body,
174
–75,
178
,
180

texts with Danielle Downs,
70
,
72
–73

truck of,
210
,
211

Tuscaloosa tornado of April 27, 2011 and,
94
,
101
,
115
,
117
,
118
–19,
121

Stewart, Steve,
172
–73

storm chasers:

abilities of,
30

Cordova, Alabama vicinity and,
77
–81,
82
,
87
–89,
91
,
92
,
93
,
95
,
255

history of,
81
–82

live feed from,
69

night chasing and,
162

scientific storm chasing,
82
,
165

James Spann and,
60
,
63

Tuscaloosa, Alabama vicinity and,
83
–87,
89
–91,
92
,
93

Tuscaloosa tornado of April 27, 2011,
112
–14,
115
,
122

Storm Chasers (television show),
82

Storm Link,
23

Storm Prediction Center (NOAA),
8
,
19
,
25

storm spotters:

chat rooms of,
65

in Cullman, Alabama,
53

John Finley's tornado reporters as precursor to,
39

weather classes for,
30
,
31
,
37
,
77
,
255

straight-line winds,
20
,
25

Street, Picabo,
261

Strunk, Dirk,
270

Strunk, Kathy,
270

Strunk, Katie,
270

supercells:

explosion of,
92

formation of,
44
,
45
,
57
,
66

hail and,
87

pairs of,
86

scientific study of,
66
–67

thunderstorms and,
53

tornadoes and,
29
,
62
,
64
,
66
,
69
,
79
,
82
,
87
,
141
,
163
,
166

Super Outbreak of 1974,
10
,
44
,
62
–64,
83
,
104
,
112
,
250
,
276
,
279

surface observation stations,
41

T

Talk of Alabama
(TV show),
27

Tanner, Alabama,
62
–63

Technical Rescue Team,
172
,
209

Temporary Emergency Services (TES),
46
,
48
,
52
–53,
68
,
69
–70,
113
,
196
,
239

Texas,
238

Thompson, Karen,
69
–70

Thrash, Chelsea,
149
–51,
153
–54,
155
,
215
,
256
–59

Thrash, Kelle,
151
,
257

Thunderstorm Project,
40
–41

Tinker, Carson,
117
,
193
,
269
–70

Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City,
41
–43

To Heaven after the Storm
(Hallmark),
262

tornado drills,
5
,
34

tornadoes:

appearing like thunderstorm on ground,
20

damage paths of,
43
,
77
–78

damage reports of,
27
,
43
–44

erratic behavior of,
84

folk beliefs about,
164
–65

ground observations,
20

multiple-vortex tornadoes,
55

northeast travel of,
164
–65

rare occurrence of,
280

scientific study of,
43
,
65
,
66
–67

selective damage of,
157
,
166
,
250

smell left by,
63
–64

sounding like train,
122

supercells and,
29
,
62
,
64
,
66
,
69
,
79
,
82
,
87
,
141
,
163
,
166

topography and,
164

unequalized pressure and,
165

weather radar and,
29

wedge tornadoes,
141

tornado forecasting:

amateur weather buffs and,
19
,
20

computer models of,
10
–11,
19

John Finley and,
39
–40

first forecast,
41

first tornado warning and,
42
–43

forecast verification,
40

limitations of,
29
,
35
,
40

scientific study of,
39
–40,
42
,
66

Storm Prediction Center and,
8

strong rotation and,
29

Thunderstorm Project,
40
–41

tornadogenesis,
8
–9,
67

tornado rating scales,
43
–44

tornado season, in April 2011,
9
–10

tornado sirens:

public reaction to,
3
–4,
30
,
34
,
94
,
279

siren mentality,
34
–35

tornado warnings and,
29
,
30
,
34
–35

tornado warnings:

average warning time,
67

first issued,
42
–43

ground truth and,
29
–30

improvement in,
277
,
280

lead time of,
9
,
67
,
254

of National Weather Service,
21
,
29
,
30

public reaction to,
279
,
280

ramifications of overwarning,
30
,
35

for Tuscaloosa tornado of April 27, 2011,
111

weather radios and,
16
,
35

Towles, Sandy,
236

Trauma Symposium,
256
,
259

Trull, Rita,
235

Tupelo, Mississippi,
3

Tuscaloosa, Alabama:

cleanup efforts,
209
–10,
237
–38

damage reports of,
162
,
183
,
184
,
185
,
209

missing-persons list,
183
–84,
209

rescue efforts of,
125
–29,
136
–37,
145
–55,
157
–61,
170
–80,
183
–84,
208
–9

search efforts of,
183
–84,
208
–9

James Spann moving to,
59
–61

storm fatalities,
199
,
209
,
230–31

storms surrounding,
25
–26

tornado of April 27, 2011,
47
–48,
50
,
55
,
56
–57,
68
–73,
83
–87,
89
–91,
92
,
93
,
94
–95,
100
,
101
,
102
,
111
,
112
–21,
122
,
138
,
141
,
142
–43,
163

tornado of December 16, 2000,
84
–85

tornado path,
230–31

volunteers for,
208
–9,
211
–12,
215
–21,
238
–40

See also specific neighborhoods

Twister
(film),
66
,
112

Twitter:

fundraising for tornado victims,
238

James Spann and,
22
,
35
,
65

storm photographs and,
20
,
30

U

University of Alabama:

Auburn University and,
239
,
261
,
262

Danielle Downs attending,
13
–16

national championship of,
269

tornado of April 27, 2011,
93
,
143
,
204

University of Chicago,
41
,
43

U.S. Army Air Forces,
40

U.S. Army Signal Corps,
39

U.S. Navy,
40

U.S. Weather Bureau,
40
,
43
,
81

V

Van Horn, Jackson,
104
,
105
,
107
,
109

Van Horn, Mike,
104
,
106

Van Horn, Taylor,
104
,
106

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tuscaloosa, as morgue,
186
–89,
191
–93,
211
–12

Vilonia, Arkansas,
17
,
236

VORTEX1 (Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment),
66

VORTEX2 (Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment),
66
–67