The 10 Most Horrifying Disasters That Ever Happened In Alabama
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Jennifer Young
Author
Unfortunately, Alabama has seen its fair share of natural disasters. Thankfully, here in Alabama we are known for helping each other during difficult times like this. It’s amazing how something so horrific can bring everyone together. Here are 10 horrific natural disasters that occurred in Alabama and will never be forgotten.
On October 18, 1916, the Irondale Earthquake struck north-central Alabama—the largest earthquake in the state's history, registering a 5.1 on the Richter scale.
The Elba Flood of 1929 was one of the worst floods in the state's history. From March 12-15, it rained all across Alabama, and Elba received 30 inches of this rain. The flood eventually left thousands of Elba's residents stranded on rooftops.
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The Super Outbreak of 1974, which occurred April 3-4, was the second-largest tornado outbreak to occur during a 24-hour period. During this outbreak, 148 tornadoes were confirmed in 13 states and resulted in over $600 million worth of damage and 319 fatalities.
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The Storm of the Century, also known as the Great Blizzard of 1993, was a large cyclonic storm that formed over the Gulf of Mexico on March 12 and disappeared into the North Atlantic Ocean on March 15. Some areas in Birmingham received as much as 16 inches of snow, and record cold temperatures were seen across the South following the storm. Sadly, this storm resulted in 318 fatalities.
The 1994 Ice Storm was a major ice storm that affected the Southeastern states during February 9-13. Alabama was one of the hardest hit states. Many homes also lost power. Some places had to go without power for as long as one month. This ice storm resulted in over $3 billion worth of damage.
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Tropical Storm Alberto was the costliest storm of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season and resulted in major flooding - causing $500 million worth of damage and 30 fatalities.
Hurricane Ivan occurred September 2-24, 2004 and was a long-lived, very large hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and U.S. The heaviest damage as Ivan made landfall on the U.S. coastline occurred in Baldwin County, Alabama. The result of Hurricane Ivan was $18 billion worth of damage and 123 fatalities.
Hurricane Katrina occurred August 23-31, 2005 and is the largest hurricane ever recorded to make landfall in the U.S. It's also the costliest hurricane ever in U.S. history, resulting in $108 billion worth of damage. Structural damage was heavy in coastal Alabama, and following the storm, 22 counties in Alabama were declared disaster areas for Federal assistance. Sadly, Hurricane Katrina resulted in 1,833 confirmed fatalities.
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The Tornado Outbreak Sequence of 2007 occurred February 28 - March 1 and spread across the Southern states. Two EF4 tornadoes touched down in Alabama, resulting in 10 fatalities. Enterprise, Alabama was the hardest hit, resulting in $307 million worth of damage.
The 2011 Tornado Outbreak is the largest and one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. This tornado outbreak took place April 25-28, and it affected the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern U.S. The most active day was April 27, with 211 tornadoes touching down. In Alabama, 238 tornado-related fatalities were confirmed and the outbreak resulted in $11 billion worth of damage - making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
This is just a short list of the many natural disasters that have affected Alabama, so please let me know of any I may have forgotten. Also, please feel free to share your experiences with any natural disasters.
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