The radar seen isn't NEXRAD (WSR-88D). It's the older WSR-74C, which wasn't upgraded to Doppler until 2 years later. The flashing is a program in the station-owned radar receiver...the flashing indicates the reflectivity is at a pre-set level. It doesn't really mean anything, it just looks good to the viewer. Some stations had receivers with a fake sweep arm, even though the data didn't update during a sweep.
There is a 40-minute delay on the NWS radar footage. 21:56 GMT would have meant that the radar image shown in the background when Garry Dobbs was talking about a tornado on the ground near the Huntsville Municipal Golf Course would have been taken at 3:56 P.M. CST.
wow that Nexrad data is extremely old! The clock at the bottom of the screen says 4:37 but the data on the radar was from 21:56....how is that useful if its that outdated?
It's about 35-40 minutes old -- still pretty old, for a situation like this. Might have had something to do with the enormous dead zone around their radar.
The radar clock shows Greenwich Mean Time (aka Zulu/Z) instead of the local time (U.S. Central, GMT-6).
Im glad NEXRAD data is much faster these days. Ill take the 5-6 minute delay over what they had back then. No wonder many stations used to have their own radar back then.
The station history for NWS-Huntsville notes that Huntsville didn't get proper NEXRAD coverage until late 1997.
What you're seeing in this video seems to be the output from a non-Doppler WSR-74C (which was later upgraded to Doppler capability, and eventually became the UAH ARMOR -- the first dual-polarization radar -- thanks to UAH, WHNT-19, and Baron Services)
I was living in a mobile home in Arab back then. All the power up on Sand mountain went out...I was alone and it was pitch black. Good thing I had a small radio to listen to.
I was on the Parkway that day. It was black as night. My radio wasn't working and the storm came up fast. Suddenly people abandoned their cars on the Parkway and ran for shelter. I followed not knowing what was going on till I got inside a grocery store. I've gone through many tornadoes in Hsv but never have I seen people do that. I thought my children and I would die that day. I found out that just down the road the tornado hit Jones Valley School and South Parkway. Terrifying.
I'll never forget how dark it was when the tornado hit. It was mid-afternoon and just as dark as if it was 9 pm. Jones Valley Elementary was completely leveled, but not one child was hurt. Praise goodness.
This storm went right over my house, I lived less that 2 miles from Airport rd then.Still remember like it was yesterday, Was in 8th grade then and only my bestfriend and I were home alone that day. Scarry stuff. God bless all who lost their lives and were injured, I still think about this and you often.
Yeah, I have actually stayed in one of the rebuit apartments at Waterford Square several times over the past few years. I have attempted to do shots taken at the same angle as the damage photos were taken. Not sure if the angles are 100% correct but i think I have comparisons to a few at least.
Waterford Sq has a small foutain dedicated to those who lost their lives that day, Think that was pretty cool that Sealy and the City of Huntsville did that.
Like many here I'm from Alabama and I was in 9th grade at the time.Me and my older cousin was driving close by when it hit.Lucky for us we were able to get some where safe and covered up.
I was in that tornado and airport and whitesburg rd my stepdad was killed in damn tornado i have seen the monument it is very nice.I layed their and listened to people die and say their last goodbye that day changed me forever
i run cross country at john hunt park on the hsv golf course. if i were running there on that day i would not be alive now. i am very sorry for those were hurt or killed or lost loved ones in this awful event
This scarred Huntsville forever. There's a beautiful monument at the corner of Airport Road and Whitesburg for remembrance of those lost. I will never forget that day.
isn't that the rocket that sits in the corner on the side? Cause I remember see it everytime my father and I went home from where he worked at Airport rd, where that workshop was. this event happened 1 yr before I was born. and my father told me he was the one flipped over in the wrecker in a church parking lot. scared the shit of em, but would believe his coffee didn't spill? lol
my mom was working in the Old downtown Bank when this thing hit Here...She was pregnant with me. My dad was in their apartment in south huntsville and when the power went out he went out to his old 65 chevy paint truck and rolled the windows down to hear the radio...he tells me that thats when he was the most scared because he couldn't make it to my mom...
my friend annette got cought in the tornado turned her car like a toy... she almost got scalped....they had to do skin graft on her fingers.. she is so lucky to be alive
i live at skyline and i remember going to my gmaws that nite, the next day we found pictures and debree on our 78 acre farm. one pic i member was a wedding pics of someones.. so yea it was a BAD storm...
Personally, I think its because there are more and more tornadoes. so it not that big. Now, things like the Greensburg tornado will have documentaries and specials because of the magnitude of the tornado. Its things like these that will bring in the documentaries and specials. Thats just my two cents.
The radar seen isn't NEXRAD (WSR-88D). It's the older WSR-74C, which wasn't upgraded to Doppler until 2 years later. The flashing is a program in the station-owned radar receiver...the flashing indicates the reflectivity is at a pre-set level. It doesn't really mean anything, it just looks good to the viewer. Some stations had receivers with a fake sweep arm, even though the data didn't update during a sweep.
78enrique 1 week ago
How did they get the severe to flash? It's radars like this that fascinate me.
talladegajunkie1439 1 year ago
my mom was 4 and a half to 5 months pregnant with me when that thing went through
dancindrumsticks08 1 year ago
my mom was working at Four Seasons Travel in the Village on Whitesburg Shopping Center and she was lucky to have survived this also
122derek 1 year ago
my dad was driving on i 565 and his car got trown to side a little idk how he is still alive
icephionex 1 year ago
There is a 40-minute delay on the NWS radar footage. 21:56 GMT would have meant that the radar image shown in the background when Garry Dobbs was talking about a tornado on the ground near the Huntsville Municipal Golf Course would have been taken at 3:56 P.M. CST.
UsonianAC 1 year ago
ancient
cookiesonsteve 2 years ago
wow that Nexrad data is extremely old! The clock at the bottom of the screen says 4:37 but the data on the radar was from 21:56....how is that useful if its that outdated?
odeswx 2 years ago
It's about 35-40 minutes old -- still pretty old, for a situation like this. Might have had something to do with the enormous dead zone around their radar.
The radar clock shows Greenwich Mean Time (aka Zulu/Z) instead of the local time (U.S. Central, GMT-6).
HaystackCaldoon 2 years ago
Im glad NEXRAD data is much faster these days. Ill take the 5-6 minute delay over what they had back then. No wonder many stations used to have their own radar back then.
odeswx 2 years ago
The station history for NWS-Huntsville notes that Huntsville didn't get proper NEXRAD coverage until late 1997.
What you're seeing in this video seems to be the output from a non-Doppler WSR-74C (which was later upgraded to Doppler capability, and eventually became the UAH ARMOR -- the first dual-polarization radar -- thanks to UAH, WHNT-19, and Baron Services)
HaystackCaldoon 2 years ago
I wasn't born on that day, but I give respect to all those who experienced that tornado.
Aerosmith589 2 years ago
wow i was born in 1989 may 5th i was only 6 months old but i was in florida im in lebanon tennessee now
hisleadinglady89 2 years ago
I was living in a mobile home in Arab back then. All the power up on Sand mountain went out...I was alone and it was pitch black. Good thing I had a small radio to listen to.
Tiderolls67 2 years ago
I was on the Parkway that day. It was black as night. My radio wasn't working and the storm came up fast. Suddenly people abandoned their cars on the Parkway and ran for shelter. I followed not knowing what was going on till I got inside a grocery store. I've gone through many tornadoes in Hsv but never have I seen people do that. I thought my children and I would die that day. I found out that just down the road the tornado hit Jones Valley School and South Parkway. Terrifying.
siszam 2 years ago
I'll never forget how dark it was when the tornado hit. It was mid-afternoon and just as dark as if it was 9 pm. Jones Valley Elementary was completely leveled, but not one child was hurt. Praise goodness.
FreeFallin1976 2 years ago
This storm went right over my house, I lived less that 2 miles from Airport rd then.Still remember like it was yesterday, Was in 8th grade then and only my bestfriend and I were home alone that day. Scarry stuff. God bless all who lost their lives and were injured, I still think about this and you often.
auwareagleau 2 years ago
Yeah, I have actually stayed in one of the rebuit apartments at Waterford Square several times over the past few years. I have attempted to do shots taken at the same angle as the damage photos were taken. Not sure if the angles are 100% correct but i think I have comparisons to a few at least.
Bluetailvappy 2 years ago
Waterford Sq has a small foutain dedicated to those who lost their lives that day, Think that was pretty cool that Sealy and the City of Huntsville did that.
auwareagleau 2 years ago
I was there It scared me so bad I never forget that day .
blueyedevlbtch11 3 years ago
this video shows the power of nature
no8do2008 3 years ago
Like many here I'm from Alabama and I was in 9th grade at the time.Me and my older cousin was driving close by when it hit.Lucky for us we were able to get some where safe and covered up.
rtds9fan 3 years ago
I was in that tornado and airport and whitesburg rd my stepdad was killed in damn tornado i have seen the monument it is very nice.I layed their and listened to people die and say their last goodbye that day changed me forever
bloodybeers 3 years ago
i run cross country at john hunt park on the hsv golf course. if i were running there on that day i would not be alive now. i am very sorry for those were hurt or killed or lost loved ones in this awful event
rockobuddy 3 years ago
This scarred Huntsville forever. There's a beautiful monument at the corner of Airport Road and Whitesburg for remembrance of those lost. I will never forget that day.
FreeFallin1976 3 years ago 7
isn't that the rocket that sits in the corner on the side? Cause I remember see it everytime my father and I went home from where he worked at Airport rd, where that workshop was. this event happened 1 yr before I was born. and my father told me he was the one flipped over in the wrecker in a church parking lot. scared the shit of em, but would believe his coffee didn't spill? lol
Acerfan2010 2 years ago
correction, the hot coffee he had went all over his face after he got flipped lol.
Acerfan2010 2 years ago
my mom was working in the Old downtown Bank when this thing hit Here...She was pregnant with me. My dad was in their apartment in south huntsville and when the power went out he went out to his old 65 chevy paint truck and rolled the windows down to hear the radio...he tells me that thats when he was the most scared because he couldn't make it to my mom...
Indyram360 3 years ago
and to think my mom survived this
TornadoWarrior1 3 years ago 5
@TornadoWarrior1 Same.
Orbits20Productions 10 months ago
I lost a friend, Vanessa Hastings-Poole, in this storm. Still miss her.
babeofelvis 3 years ago
That's how bad this GOD-FORSAKEN this decade is. Long live the TV station technology from the 1980's and the 1990's!
MysticArksRevenge 3 years ago 3
my friend annette got cought in the tornado turned her car like a toy... she almost got scalped....they had to do skin graft on her fingers.. she is so lucky to be alive
nenebobb 3 years ago
ow- she is lucky to be alive- that was a deadly storm! my neighbor lost most of his left arm when his car was thrown up in to a pole
rockobuddy 3 years ago
i live at skyline and i remember going to my gmaws that nite, the next day we found pictures and debree on our 78 acre farm. one pic i member was a wedding pics of someones.. so yea it was a BAD storm...
nenebobb 3 years ago
Why don't TV stations nowadays do tornado documentaries very musch?
MysticArksRevenge 3 years ago
Personally, I think its because there are more and more tornadoes. so it not that big. Now, things like the Greensburg tornado will have documentaries and specials because of the magnitude of the tornado. Its things like these that will bring in the documentaries and specials. Thats just my two cents.
iMovieFreak3891 3 years ago