![]() in the 1970s when I was an electrical engineering student, but with a true passion for weather. The Super Outbreak in 1974 was an enormous task. In fact, for several years it was his responsibility to do storm surveys and determine the “F” rating of a tornado, path length, width, fatalities and injuries for the official NWS publication, Storm Data. was very active in photography and the duty of photographing storm damage sort of defaulted to him. to follow that and gave him an assignment to brief the science class once a week on all of the new developments in weather.ĭuring his NWS career, J.B. At Akron High School, one of his teachers, W.W. He started keeping weather records and was hooked. His parents bought him a 29-cent thermometer and a 5-cent notebook. He ordered a $4 plastic rain gauge from a catalog. Elliott (left) with ABC 33/40 meteorologist James Spann (right). Of course weather was often the main headline. ![]() He also printed a two page weekly newspaper, “Hometown News” by hand and mailed a copy to relatives in Worcester, Massachusetts and charged them five cents. He was responsible for thousands of weather stories, warnings and special feature items over the years.Īs a kid, he built a small radio “studio” in the corner of his bedroom and practiced doing newscasts, and of course weather, with a wooden “microphone.” His main source of news was a day-old Birmingham Age-Herald, The Tuscaloosa News, The Greensboro Watchman and jotting down items he heard on WJRD Radio, Tuscaloosa. He was one of the persons that handled the NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts from the Weather Service. His career in meteorology has included all of that. When growing up in West Alabama’s Hale County (Havana Junction!) he always wanted to be a weatherman, newspaper reporter, radio broadcaster or photographer. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal but also the Silver Medal. During all his years in severe weather work, he was awarded not only a U.S. He was also on duty as part of a team when a powerful F5 tornado ripped across the western section of Birmingham in April, 1977. He worked for 17 hours in a row without a break during the famous tornado Super Outbreak of April 3, 4, 1974. He always was especially interested in severe weather and spent many long hours on duty during adverse weather, including tornadoes, hurricanes, snow events and ice storms. spent his entire NWS career in the Birmingham office and witnessed numerous major Alabama weather events. Weather Bureau when he signed on in the spring of 1957.) Ironically, at the moment he arrived at the office at Birmingham Airport for the very first day on duty, a tornado was on the ground in Walker County causing several fatalities. is a 32-year veteran of the National Weather Service. ![]() I could not ask for a better role model in the field of meteorology, living out the Christian faith, or being a husband and father. Longtime weather pioneer and Trussville resident J.B.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |