I'm a Meteorologist and U.S. Army Veteran from Huntsville, Alabama. I've been forecasting the weather for 30 years and this is my channel. This site is mostly weather but I also feature videos on Home Projects, Vacation Reviews, Fishing Trips and Classic cars including my 1969 Mach 1. #BradTravis
Note: WAFF-TV had already lost its radar when this EF5 touched down. Prior to the Rainsville EF5, the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell EF5 Tornado had ripped through Limestone County, Alabama (where WAFF’s primary radar was). It obliterated the radar dome and sky camera. Hence you can’t see the radar sweep on the screen. WAFF needed to use other radar stations to track the Rainsville EF5. WAFF would install a new radar to replace the destroyed radar in March of 2012.
I remember April 27th 2011 like it was yesterday, I lived in Madison at the time near County Line Rd, I remember when the Hackleburg tornado came up on the tv screen on the Alfa Camera, the siren about two houses down from mine commenced to screaming not 2 seconds after the tornado was shown, I’m 23 now and I still think about that moment almost everyday.
I remember James Spann telling everyone it was going to pass over our town and then we heard yelling from the background and he looked right at the camera and told our town it made a u turn and was heading straight for us, we had no chance of getting out so we all hunkered down however we could. I sounded like a train was driving straight through the house.
Which town/which tornado? Tornadoes don’t reverse course typically, and thanks to incredibly strong low-level jet stream winds these storms moved in very steady, rapid fashion, at 45-60mph to the NE on this day.
I have been looking for coverage of the rainsville EF 5 ever since it happened. My power was twken out by the round of morning storms and never got to to see tv coverage of the event live. Good thing I had my weather radio on hand, was able to get warned. I remember being chilled when hearing "A large and extremely dangerous tornado was located near Albertville, locations in the path of this dangerous storm include: Geraldine, lakeview, Shiloh, Fyffe, Rainsville". The damage it did was terrifying. not to mention the 33 lives it took as it affected DeKalb county....
Hey Brad Travis this is hunter from the weather challenge and what do you use because I want to have the same radar as you and help predict for my family
We recently moved from North Alabama to Pearl River Louisiana… we were definitely spoiled by your coverage in North Alabama! I keep looking for someone around here to go live on Facebook when there is a tornado threat… but it never happens. Thank you for your years of service!
