A Little News

My first day back to work from vacation was anything but a quiet transition from leisure to work. It was, in fact, a fairly exciting day. Before I even got into the office the boss was calling to send me to photograph storm damage.

Alabama is in a fairly active tornado belt. I don’t think it rivals the Midwest with all of its monster storms but we do get our fair share. However, it is a bit unusual to have two in one day in our coverage area. Fortunately, neither one of these produced much damage and no one was injured. Both tornadoes formed from a line of storms that moved through North Alabama Friday morning and neither was actually on the ground for very long, if at all.

The first storm struck a rural section of northeastern Limestone County damaging a couple of barns and one house. One of the witnesses saw a funnel cloud dangling beneath the storm as the damage was being done. The second storm struck the city of Cullman and caused an evacuation after debris from a roof blown off an old warehouse punctured a fuel storage tank causing the worst of the trouble.

The most difficult logistical element in covering storms is often gaining access to the scene. I have not had much trouble from law enforcement or emergency responders. They are usually understanding and let you into an area as soon as the immediate threat is passed. It is a good idea to have you media credentials with you and properly displayed so the officer actually knows you are an accredited member of the media. One of their primary jobs is to keep looters away from the damaged area.

The main trouble can be in simply getting to the scene. Have you ever seen the movie Twister? Remember Rabbit, the guy with all the maps. Maps are invaluable, especially if you don’t know the area extremely well. I covered a tornado once and had to navigate by keeping an eye on the lights of the emergency vehicles to get into a scene. So many trees were down that all the main roads were blocked. I kept my eyes on the flashing red lights until I was able to find a back road that took me in the right direction.

I have found it a good idea to park well outside the affected areas and just walk in. You won’t be able to drive much in the damage zone anyway if the storm was a large one. The debris can also be pretty rough on your tires. Being on your feet also has the advantage that it forces you to move more methodically and talk to people. You will be surprised how much excellent information and personal stories you will hear as you walk around talking to people. Most of the time, the folks who survived the storm are more than willing to tell their story.

The other problem is keeping your equipment dry. Tornadoes are generated by a particular style of thunderstorm that can pour a tremendous amount of rain on you. I have covered storms where the rain was being blown sideways and there was no way to keep the camera dry. There are all kind of good rain covers out there. I don’t happen to own any of them. I usually use a plastic garbage bag and a small towel. When the rain stops you can just rip the bag off and throw it away or stuff it into you bag for future use.

Don’t even try to carry an umbrella with you. Can you say lightning rod!? Umbrella’s also have the nasty habit of folding up in high winds. They also make it nearly impossible to shoot since you have to hold the thing with at least one hand. A good rain coat with a hood is far better. There is also no real good solution to writing in a driving rain. The camera’s voice recorder comes in handy in that situation. If you don’t have a camera with a recorder, invest a few bucks in a digital voice recorder. They work well too.

Finally, shoes are really important. I usually don’t have a pair of rubber boots with me which means I end up ruining my shoes. All the rain creates mud and you will already be walking in junk with nails sticking up in it just waiting to puncture both shoe and foot. A pair of rubber mud/rain boots can really save the day.

About the photos: The top and bottom photos are from the Cullman storm. The middle photos are from the Limestone County storm. The gentleman in the first photo had a tree blown down on his house. He and a friend are removing clothing to a dry location. Canon EOS 5D with a 24-70 f2.8 The next photo shows a man leaving his home after the storm ripped a sun room from the back of his house causing roof damage. Same gear is used in the first three photos. The third photo shows a storm victim checking on farm equipment after the metal shelter was collapsed onto it. The final photo shows traffic moving along in front of the next wave of storms approaching Cullman. EOS 5D with a 70-200 f2.8

Photos copyright The Decatur Daily. The opinions expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.