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Author Archive: David Black

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Christmas in Fairhope

Christmas in Fairhope

| December 20, 2014 @ 5:23 pm

Fairhope, a charming community on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, comes alive with color and decorations during the Christmas season. Enjoy this video montage shot earlier this week, showing what Fairhope looks like at Christmas…

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Farewell, GOES-12…

Farewell, GOES-12…

| August 19, 2013 @ 11:51 am

Farewell to a valuable set of eyes 22,300 miles above us! GOES-12, the weather satellite launched in July, 2001 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is being retired, its operators have announced. Intended to operate for about five years, GOES-12 turned out to be a warrior, instead, wildly surpassing expectations. Going into service April […]

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Helena Market Days

Helena Market Days

| August 10, 2013 @ 2:34 pm

If you’re looking for something fun to do, stop in at Helena Market Days, in its last month of operation for the summer. The annual farmer’s market that runs from June through August off Hwy 261 by Buck Creek in Helena has become a favorite of folks from throughout the Shelby Co. area. You won’t […]

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A Severe Weather Voice Goes Silent

A Severe Weather Voice Goes Silent

| December 12, 2012 @ 11:52 am

No one knows for sure how many tornado or severe thunderstorm watches and warnings he monitored, or how many hours he stayed at his post, but—in the 30-something years of being available around the clock to deal with Alabama weather—one thing is for sure. Birmingham resident Carl Grover was a machine, relentless in his dedication […]

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NWA 2011: A Volunteer’s Perspective

NWA 2011: A Volunteer’s Perspective

| October 20, 2011 @ 5:22 pm | 14 Replies

Trying to select a highlight from this week’s annual meeting of the National Weather Association is sort of like walking into your favorite bakery or doughnut shop and having to pick the treat you want most. Good luck. Pink or chocolate icing? With or without sprinkles? The task may be easier said than done. There […]

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NASA Spacecraft Sees Tornado Tracks

NASA Spacecraft Sees Tornado Tracks

| May 17, 2011 @ 8:39 am | 6 Replies

Even from 438 miles above the Earth, you can tell that something very significant happened around Tuscaloosa and Birmingham April 27th. For the first time, an energy-sensing instrument aboard a NASA spacecraft has been used to identify tracks left by the devastating tornado that tore through central Alabama. Here’s what the damage path looks like […]

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Helpers Amid The Chaos…

Helpers Amid The Chaos…

| May 6, 2011 @ 12:44 pm | 9 Replies

There are so many groups doing great work in the aftermath of Alabama’s April 27th tornado outbreak that it’s hard to single them all out. Many working to help victims recover will get a lot of media exposure; their names and purposes will be known to all. Others helping are working much more silently, almost […]

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How Many Lives Did They Help Save?

How Many Lives Did They Help Save?

| May 2, 2011 @ 11:36 am | 13 Replies

John Oldshue and Ben Greer downplay it the minute you ask, but the question can’t be denied: How many lives did they help save when Alabama was slammed by the killer storms of April 27th? No one knows, but one thing is for sure. Countless people are probably alive right now, because of the live […]

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What ‘Pop-up’ Storms Cost Us

What ‘Pop-up’ Storms Cost Us

| December 9, 2010 @ 10:18 am | 15 Replies

Small doesn’t mean insignificant. The ‘pop up’ thunderstorm we see so often in Alabama is something most of us (as weather geeks) love to watch. We’re accustomed to it, and we seldom think much about it. With Alabama’s current cold snap, pop up storms may not be on our mind at the moment, but they’re […]

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Joe Dirt’s Thanksgiving Present

Joe Dirt’s Thanksgiving Present

| December 1, 2010 @ 7:03 pm | 3 Replies

Rex Free says he couldn’t believe the bloody, bizarre scene in front of him during his Thanksgiving weekend outing to north Alabama’s Sipsey Wilderness. Free, an amateur radio operator and storm spotter from Moulton, had headed into the Bankhead National Forest with two friends to enjoy nature, as they’ve done many times before. But what […]

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ISS To Fly Over Early This Evening

ISS To Fly Over Early This Evening

| April 29, 2010 @ 8:39 am | 132 Replies

The International Space Station makes a pass over Birmingham early this evening, and a combination of factors suggest we’ll have a great chance to see this marvel of technology. The ISS is scheduled to approach from the west-southwest and, at its maximum elevation, will be very high in the sky, at 84 degrees elevation (90 […]

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One Way To Enjoy A Beautiful Alabama Day

One Way To Enjoy A Beautiful Alabama Day

| March 19, 2010 @ 8:27 pm | 1 Reply

Okay, so I’m guilty. I took about half an hour to play hooky while working in Shelby county this afternoon. It all started when I looked up and saw a glider, gracefully and elegantly sailing along, with central Alabama’s gorgeous deep blue sky as the backdrop. I knew that whomever was at the controls of […]

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A Costly Cold Weather Hazard

A Costly Cold Weather Hazard

| January 6, 2010 @ 9:04 pm | 9 Replies

My wife and I are real estate Agents here in Shelby Co. and had an incident happen today that reminds of the problems you can get hit with in the current cold wave if you’re not careful. We were having lunch when I get a call from a lady living near a home we have […]

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JB Elliott Alabama Weather Update (11:20am)

JB Elliott Alabama Weather Update (11:20am)

| February 13, 2008 @ 11:17 am | 23 Replies

Click the player just below for an Alabama Weather Update:

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