“There is no tornado in that storm” my English teacher sarcastically told us. “I’m from Kansas, and IF there were a tornado in that storm, there would be hail. There’s no hail.” What prompted the concern of my classmates and I that April day was the skies darkening pea green color and the rapidly increasing wind. Unknown to us, the students on the bottom floor of my school had correctly been told to crouch down in the hallway, while we teenage miscreants on the top floor of the high school were told nothing, except to “hush” and everything was business as usual. We were unaware that the F5 tornado which would become known as the “Smithfield Tornado” was passing us, two miles to the north. The next day the teacher wasn’t particularly interested in discussing her forecasting abilities, even though we were VERY eager to discuss it. “Hush”, she said, free speech being stifled again. April weather in Alabam Continue reading →