Tornadoes Rip Through Alabama; School Closings and Delays

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2014/04/April_29_2014_Severe_Weather.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:516;s:6:"height";i:400;s:4:"file";s:40:"2014/04/April_29_2014_Severe_Weather.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:6:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"April_29_2014_Severe_Weather-336x260.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:260;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"April_29_2014_Severe_Weather-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:38:"April_29_2014_Severe_Weather-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"April_29_2014_Severe_Weather-401x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:401;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"April_29_2014_Severe_Weather-342x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:342;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"April_29_2014_Severe_Weather-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:424423;s:14:"optimized_size";i:100183;s:7:"percent";d:76.400000000000006;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:68:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/April_29_2014_Severe_Weather.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:424423;s:14:"optimized_size";i:100183;s:7:"percent";d:76.400000000000006;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1669062052 
1398729600

Powerful storms blew through Alabama Monday afternoon and overnight, killing at least three people in the state, overturning cars and destroying homes. Possible tornadoes hit Limestone and Madison counties before plowing through parts of Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties.

Governor Robert Bentley has declared a state of emergency for all Alabama counties. Bentley says 100 national guard members are on standby and ready to help if necessary.

North central Alabama is expecting another round of severe weather Tuesday afternoon. Strong storms will move through bringing the threat of strong winds, hail, heavy rain and more tornadoes. The storms are expected in the Birmingham area after 3 p.m.

School schedule changes on Tuesday include:

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute — Closing at 2pm

Birmingham Public Library — Closing at 3pm

UAB suspending campus operations at 2pm. The Kirklin Clinic closing at 3pm. UAB Hospital remains open. More at uab.edu/emergency

University of Montevallo — Closing at 1pm

Samford University — Closing at 1pm

Alabama School of Fine Arts — Dismissing at 1pm, Tuesday

Bessemer City Schools — Closed Tuesday

Birmingham City Schools — Elementary and Middle, Dismissing at 1pm, High Schools at 1:30pm, Tuesday

Briarwood Christian School – HIgh School will dismiss at 12:00, Jr. High will dismiss at 12:30, K4-TK Normal Carpool, Grades 1 – 6 will dismiss at 1:00 from classrooms, Tuesday

Creative Montessori School — closing at 1pm, Tuesday

Etowah County Schools — Closed Tuesday

Gadsden City Schools — Dismiss at 2pm, Tuesday

Homewood City Schools — Dismissing at 1pm, Tuesday

Hoover City Schools — Dismissing three hours early, Tuesday

Jefferson County Schools — Closed Tuesday

John Carroll Catholic High School – dismiss at 1:30 pm, Tuesday. After School Care and all after school activities have been cancelled

Leeds City Schools — Closing at 2pm, Tuesday

Shelby County Schools — Dismissing at 1pm, Tuesday

Vestavia Hills City Schools — Dismissing 2 hours early, Tuesday

 

You can find additional closing information here.

~ April 29, 2014

 

The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor

The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.

Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering

U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.

Construction on Meta’s largest data center brings 600% crash spike, chaos to rural Louisiana

An investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom found that trucks contracted to work at the Meta facility are causing delays and dangerous roads in Holly Ridge.

Bessemer City Council approves rezoning for a massive data center, dividing a community

After the Bessemer City Council voted 5-2 to rezone nearly 700 acres of agricultural land for the “hyperscale” server farm, a dissenting council member said city officials who signed non-disclosure agreements weren’t being transparent with citizens.

Alabama Public Television meeting draws protesters in Birmingham over discussion of disaffiliating from PBS

Some members of the Alabama Educational Television Commission, which oversees APT, said disaffiliation is needed because the network has to cut costs after the Trump administration eliminated all funding for public media this summer.

Gov. Kay Ivey urges delay on PBS decision by public TV board

The Republican governor sent a letter to the Alabama Educational Television Commission ahead of a Nov. 18 meeting in which commissioners were expected to discuss disaffiliation.

More April 2014 Tornadoes Coverage