By: John Brasher
May 27, 1973 was a red letter day in the annals of Alabama severe weather events. A number of tornadoes touched down across north and central sections of the state that day. The largest and strongest of these would become known as the Brent Tornado. This storm had its beginning just northeast of Demopolis. It went on to cause damage in Greensboro, Brent, Centreville, Montevallo, Columbiana, Wilsonville, Childersburg, and points between. The monster storm finally dissipated near Anniston, on the slopes of Mt. Cheaha. The tornado was on the ground an incredible 135 miles. It was and remains the longest track tornado in Alabama history. It is the sixth longest track tornado in U.S. history.
By far, the hardest hit area was Brent, where the tornado caused upper level F4 damage, bordering on F5. Brent was almost wiped from the face of the earth.
At that time, a NOAA WSR-57 radar station was located southwest of Brent, just west of Highway 5. The designation of the station was Centreville Radar. NWS staff at the site detected the tornado as it formed in Demopolis which resulted in warnings being issued well in advance. But Centreville Radar itself became a huge part of the story when the tornado struck the facility, ripping away the roof and blowing the radar antenna from its tower.
I was a photographer/reporter for the Centreville Press at the time and was at the radar site when the tornado struck.
This is the story of the Brent Tornado. It is dedicated to the people of Brent, Centreville, and all those affected in other locations along this storm’s long path of destruction.
My thanks to former publisher Jim Oakley, the current management and owners of the Centreville Press, and everyone that has, and continues to contribute to this site.
All photos and writing by John Brasher unless otherwise noted.
About the photo at the top of the pages:
This is the interior of the Brent Baptist Church. Services were being held here when the tornado struck. There was warning of the approaching storm shortly before its arrival. However, one man was killed when the roof collapsed.
I can be reached at:
brenttornado@bellsouth.net
and will welcome all correspondence.
Me and my family were driving back to Tuscaloosa from Opelika on that Sunday afternoon. I had turned 12 years old the day before and I still remember what happened just like it was yesterday. We were traveling down Hwy. 82 coming into Centerville when we saw the blackest cloud we had ever seen. We thought we were going to miss the storm until we turned left by the Cahaba River, passed by Twix and Tween barbeque and about a half a mile later all heck broke loose. We were in a Chevrolet station wagon. It was me, my two brothers, my mom and dad and our dog. When we topped the hill, there was a Texaco station to the left. We looked over and there was a wall of debris coming right at us. The tornado was a mile wide at that point and we had no idea we were driving right into it. Billboards were hitting the ground all around us. We got down as low as we could in the car and held on. You could feel the car trying to turn over but it stayed upright. We were as much in the center of that tornado as we could be. I watched as everything around us was destroyed. Our car was destroyed. Two by fours through the tires and radiator. All the windows on the left side of the car were gone only to have mud, grass, pines needles and other debris about an inch thick on the inside of the windows on the right side of the car. I sit here and still remember the smell in the air. No one was hurt in our car. We had glass and mud and other debris in our clothes and underwear but we were all fine. It truly was a miracle. Shortly after the storm a young man came running by our car and he was crying. He stopped and asked if we were alright. We told him we were fine and ask if he was ok. He looked like he was in shock. He was running to get help because he was at the Brent Baptist Church and he said “the whole roof just fell in on the congregation”. I found out later that people died in that church. He took off running and I still remember him. I have always wondered who he was. We were in our car for at least two hours before the rescue people could dig through the piles of debris to get to us. The National Guard or State Troopers commandeered us a room at what was the Cinderella Motel. We were able to get out of the rain and get ourselves together. There was no power and some minor damage to the motel but it felt safe after what we had been through. My dad stood beside Hwy. 82 and found a man driving through to Tuscaloosa. He gave him a note to call my uncle with my uncles phone number to tell him what happened and to please come get us. That wonderful man called my uncle and he showed up later to pick us up to take us back home. It is hard to believe I turned 47 years old yesterday and I remember every detail of that day.
This email from Chris Golden of Tuscaloosa, used here with his permission.
John Brasher
I was 10 years old at the time. My family lived in Cottondale, but we camped at Lake Payne numerous times. I think I can remember this correctly, but we had been camping since Thursday the week before. I remember strong storms Sunday evening while still at the lake, but not being frightened. I just remember the next morning packing up to go home and my parents talking about a storm in Brent. I think it was Highway 25 that we took once leaving the lake. I remember going through what once was Brent.I remember seeing a gas station made of cinder blocks and it was completely leveled. My dad said the storms path was a mile wide. It truly looked like when folks say “a bomb went off”. I will always have those scenes embedded in my mind and thinking how very close we were camping in tents. It was not until I was in my twenties that I got over the fear of even a tornado watch being issued. Back then we didn’t get much information and it was very general. My parents have since passed on, but remembering all the camping excursions we had,that is one that sticks out and it was so devastating for so many people.
Chris Golden
I remember this event quite well. My dad was the pastor of Centreville Baptist Church. He was preaching a revival in Montgomery for the former pastor of the Brent Baptist church. A year earlier I had been called to preach. My dad asked me to fill the pulpit on this Sunday evening. I had never preached in my Dad’s church nor at this time any church. I was nervous at the prospect to say the least. My wife stayed home in Montgomery that afternoon with a our new baby. Her sister, Sylvia, made the trip with me. Just before the service was to begin my mom suggested I run over to the house and get a flash light in case the power went out. I felt that something bad was about to happen and the deacons suggested we go to the basement for the service. The power did go out and people lit candles. It was hot and I was sweating but completed the message. Brother Grady Chism announced at the benediction that the Bethel Church had been hit by a tornado. A moment or two later it was also announced that the Brent Church had been hit. When we exited the building the air was deathly still and we could hear sirens of the emergency vehicles. A portion of the tornado did some damage at the bottom of the hill from the church. Yes, I remember it well.
Sir, As a child my family would sometimes stay at the Cinderella Motel while enroute to Miami Fl. I assume that this structure doesn’t exist anymore as a result of this storm back in 1973. Does anybody have any picture before and after of this Motel?