A History of Alabama's Deadliest Tornadoes: Disaster in Dixie

by Kelly Kazek

Journey just west of America's infamous Tornado Alley to Alabama, home to some of the deadliest tornadoes of the past century. These twisters remain etched in the collective memory of the people, from the 1908 Dixie Tornado, regarded as one of the most brutal tornadoes in U.S. history, to the 1998 Birmingham Tornado, the most expensive twister in Alabama's history. Discover how the 1932 Deep South Tornadoes resulted in 268 fatalities and millions of dollars in damage, and read the terrifying account of the 1977 Smithfield Tornadoes, which rocked this Birmingham suburb with as many as six twisters in a one-hour span. Join local journalist Kelly Kazek as she shares the tales of these natural disasters and the hardy Alabamians who endured them.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2010

About the author

Kelly Kazek, born in Georgia and raised in Alabama, is an award-winning journalist and author who writes about Southern culture for It’s a Southern Thing. She now writes only books but in her 36-year career in journalism, she was an editor, columnist, and reporter.
She is the author of numerous children’s picture books for It’s a Southern Thing, including "Y is for Y’all: A Book of Southern ABCs." She has also authored "It's a Southern Thing: Life's Different Here Y'all", and numerous other humor books.
In 2022, she received the top award for humor writing by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.
In April 2023, she was honored, along with the illustrators, by the BookFest Awards for her books "Y is for Y'all" and "Southern Thesaurus."
She lives near Huntsville, Alabama.
To invite her to speak or host a book signing, contact her at kkazek@southernthing.com or find more info at kellykazek@kellykazek.com.

Reviews

[Nolan Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a very good book especially for anyone wanting to either A. Learn about some of Alabama’s tornado history or B. Anyone who likes/loves tornadoes. It gives good stories, photos, and information about the outbreaks mentioned. Do I wish it gave a little more insight or that there was a part 2?(this book doesn’t include the 2011 outbreak or anything after that). Yes, but it’s overall a great read. Definitely recommend.

[Carol Fischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a non-native, the statistics that open the book were eye-opening. Why is it not more commonly known how many tornadoes typically hit this area ? I particularly noted the research and care put into chronicling storms that hit early in the 20th century. Knowing of tornadoes hitting the area in recent years helps me understand the general concern strong storms are predicted.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, quick read. I wanted to read this to hopefully find out more information on the 1932 tornado that killed my great-grandfather and possibly find references to places where I could find additional information. There was not much on the 1932 tornado, but I still found the book interesting. Was published before the 2011 Tuscaloosa tornado so that is not included.

[Mat. Anna]

Exactly what the title says. Covers the time period from 1908 starting with the Dixie Super Outbreak in 1908 to 1998 although a few mentions of earlier tornadoes are included as well. Contains an explanation of the peculiar difficulties of tornado forecasting and warning in Alabama. Good for rounding out your collection if you are interested in southeastern storms and for gathering information on less-publicized storms.