One lesson from the tornado outbreak and its resulting damage can be applied to the state's argument over compulsory insurance. Alabama tries to require it for driving an automobile, but the same state fights it for healthcare. What about full-cost replacement house insurance for owners and renters?
We are now 3 years post disaster and many homes around Alabama are still not rebuilt or replaced. Why? Did owners of rental property decide to simply pocket the insurance money (if they even had insurance on their rental property) and walk away, perhaps realizing that to rebuild in 2011-2012 would require substantial out-of-pocket money due to inflation of building costs? Many owner-occupied dwellings were either uninsured or partially insured if there was no mortgage on the property. The result is often the same - a vacant lot where a home formally stood. BTW, Alabama state law allows a replacement value insurance requirement on mortgaged property to protect the lender against loss to "his" property - including now requiring adding "sufficient" flood insurance protection.
The insurance requirement is about being assured of someone to hand the bill for medical costs, replacement of automobile or rebuilding a home. Being hit by the auto of an at fault, uninsured, minimum wage earning driver who rents his housing is the worst possible outcome for most drivers if there are no life threatening injuries. Yes, your own policy will pay your bills, but many now carry a four figure deductible which comes out of your pocket.
(This post was last modified: 04-28-2014 05:44 PM by BAMANBLAZERFAN.)
I remember being awake for most of the 72 hour period that occurred. We had forecasted 2 waves of severe to occur. The first on Sunday (I believe) and the more substantial one on the following Tuesday. In my forecast area, the first wave fizzled out - which scared me greatly - since I had been beating the drum on how bad this 2nd wave would be for a week beforehand. I was scared people would let their guard down and ignore the HUGE threat for tornadoes on Tuesday...people are fickle with weather forecasts that way.
The tornadoes in my area started pre-dawn in the SW of my broadcast area and continued until that Tuscaloosa cell about 14 hours later. I was on air talking for 90% of that 14 hours. It was a rough day, but not nearly as rough as for the people of Smithville in my area. Smithville pretty much got leveled to the ground.
I dont think I will again in my life see forecasted severe weather/tornado index as high as they were leading up to that event. The events of that day were as close to a certainty of happening as you can get in weather forecasting. All that horror WAS going to happen, and we knew it would for days and days beforehand.
(04-27-2014 09:24 PM)RobSmith Wrote: I remember being awake for most of the 72 hour period that occurred. We had forecasted 2 waves of severe to occur. The first on Sunday (I believe) and the more substantial one on the following Tuesday. In my forecast area, the first wave fizzled out - which scared me greatly - since I had been beating the drum on how bad this 2nd wave would be for a week beforehand. I was scared people would let their guard down and ignore the HUGE threat for tornadoes on Tuesday...people are fickle with weather forecasts that way.
The tornadoes in my area started pre-dawn in the SW of my broadcast area and continued until that Tuscaloosa cell about 14 hours later. I was on air talking for 90% of that 14 hours. It was a rough day, but not nearly as rough as for the people of Smithville in my area. Smithville pretty much got leveled to the ground.
I dont think I will again in my life see forecasted severe weather/tornado index as high as they were leading up to that event. The events of that day were as close to a certainty of happening as you can get in weather forecasting. All that horror WAS going to happen, and we knew it would for days and days beforehand.
That's the one thing I remember the most about it. We knew! Not only that a general outbreak would be happening and was guaranteed to be violent, but I thought the warning systems worked well that day.
I've since moved to North Carolina and was talking to someone here about that outbreak just the other night. I told them stories of living in the Concord area and how devastating it was. They made the remark that what was so sad about it all was how little warning we had. They were completely floored when I told them that I was watching the tornado that hit near me 35 minutes earlier on TV and knew exactly where it was coming. So many of the storm paths in Walker, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties it seems are easily predictable.
Why is it that we feel the need to constantly re-live traumatic experiences? Everyone talks about how terrible it was and how they never want to go through it again, but for the next week it'll be nothing but everyone talking about it and reliving it?
Just move on. "Don't forget" but move on for crying out loud.
(04-27-2014 09:59 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: Why is it that we feel the need to constantly re-live traumatic experiences? Everyone talks about how terrible it was and how they never want to go through it again, but for the next week it'll be nothing but everyone talking about it and reliving it?
Just move on. "Don't forget" but move on for crying out loud.
Don't derail. This thread is about weather, not about the Callaway years.
(04-27-2014 09:24 PM)RobSmith Wrote: I remember being awake for most of the 72 hour period that occurred. We had forecasted 2 waves of severe to occur. The first on Sunday (I believe) and the more substantial one on the following Tuesday. In my forecast area, the first wave fizzled out - which scared me greatly - since I had been beating the drum on how bad this 2nd wave would be for a week beforehand. I was scared people would let their guard down and ignore the HUGE threat for tornadoes on Tuesday...people are fickle with weather forecasts that way.
The tornadoes in my area started pre-dawn in the SW of my broadcast area and continued until that Tuscaloosa cell about 14 hours later. I was on air talking for 90% of that 14 hours. It was a rough day, but not nearly as rough as for the people of Smithville in my area. Smithville pretty much got leveled to the ground.
I dont think I will again in my life see forecasted severe weather/tornado index as high as they were leading up to that event. The events of that day were as close to a certainty of happening as you can get in weather forecasting. All that horror WAS going to happen, and we knew it would for days and days beforehand.
That's the one thing I remember the most about it. We knew! Not only that a general outbreak would be happening and was guaranteed to be violent, but I thought the warning systems worked well that day.
I've since moved to North Carolina and was talking to someone here about that outbreak just the other night. I told them stories of living in the Concord area and how devastating it was. They made the remark that what was so sad about it all was how little warning we had. They were completely floored when I told them that I was watching the tornado that hit near me 35 minutes earlier on TV and knew exactly where it was coming. So many of the storm paths in Walker, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties it seems are easily predictable.
A lot of people did have warning, but there were a lot of people that did not. The morning line of storms on 4-27-11 were much worse than expected and knocked several folks' power out. Cordova, for example, was hit extremely hard in the morning and evening storms. Many people also relied on the 1940's outdoor siren technology for warning, which is hard to hear indoors.
(04-27-2014 09:59 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: Why is it that we feel the need to constantly re-live traumatic experiences? Everyone talks about how terrible it was and how they never want to go through it again, but for the next week it'll be nothing but everyone talking about it and reliving it?
Just move on. "Don't forget" but move on for crying out loud.
Part of not forgetting is recounting the experience.
What, that you've never talked about, do you remember well?
(04-27-2014 09:59 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: Why is it that we feel the need to constantly re-live traumatic experiences? Everyone talks about how terrible it was and how they never want to go through it again, but for the next week it'll be nothing but everyone talking about it and reliving it?
Just move on. "Don't forget" but move on for crying out loud.
Part of not forgetting is recounting the experience.
What, that you've never talked about, do you remember well?
9/11, April 27, The Bush Years, The Callaway Years, The Brown Years, both of the new Star Trek movies, the three times I've had the misfortune of going to Tuscaloosa
(This post was last modified: 04-28-2014 08:53 AM by mixduptransistor.)
(04-27-2014 09:59 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: Why is it that we feel the need to constantly re-live traumatic experiences? Everyone talks about how terrible it was and how they never want to go through it again, but for the next week it'll be nothing but everyone talking about it and reliving it?
Just move on. "Don't forget" but move on for crying out loud.
Part of not forgetting is recounting the experience.
What, that you've never talked about, do you remember well?
9/11, April 27, The Bush Years, The Calloway Years, The Brown Years, both of the new Star Trek movies, the three times I've had the misfortune of going to Tuscaloosa
Congrats on an amazing memory that allows you to recall details without them ever begin revisited (either by your retelling of events or someone else's). I don't have that. So I talk and read about things to remember.
Pretty sure I've seen you talk about at least of few of those before on this board...but whatever.
You guys stay safe today and keep an eye on the sky!
(04-27-2014 09:59 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: Why is it that we feel the need to constantly re-live traumatic experiences? Everyone talks about how terrible it was and how they never want to go through it again, but for the next week it'll be nothing but everyone talking about it and reliving it?
Just move on. "Don't forget" but move on for crying out loud.
Compassion goes a long way... And, empathy is also an important societal/cultural bonding mechanism. Though "reliving" something may not be important to/for you, the same is not true of others. Are you referring to the press' treatment of the issue in Alabama, or this specifically this thread. In a thread such as this, why not live and let live?
(This post was last modified: 04-28-2014 10:44 AM by USAFBlazerFan.)
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3 years ago today.....
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