Review: What Stands in a Storm: Three Days in the Worst Superstorm to Hit the South’s Tornado Alley by Kim Cross

Across Alabama, people followed the black mass growing on their screen. In solid brick houses and double-wide trailers, in college dorm rooms and government projects, in church basements corporate offices, and living rooms, people watched it unfolding, live. Through the unblinking eye of the rooftop camera, the people of Tuscaloosa saw death come into town.

 

In late April, 2011, over 300 tornadoes tore through twenty-one states.  Over 300 people were killed,  property damaged peaked at over $10 billion.  In What Stands in a Storm, Cross captures the series of events that led up to this superstorm, following the eyewitnesses through the storm into the resulting devastating aftermath.

The lasting impact wasn't the storm damage, although severe enough to be seen from space. Instead, it was the fortitude of those who survived, a group of ordinary people that came together to recover, rebuild and heal following this history breaking storm.

I grew up in the  Midwest. I’m quite familiar with tornadoes and the deafening sounds of the alarms meant to warn citizens of the impending danger. We had hundreds of tornado drills in school, every child familiar with the term “duck and cover.” It was a part of our everyday lives; our instincts would force us into action at the sound of that alarm. Yet fortunately, I never had to face a devastation like the one that ravaged Alabama in 2011.

Cross combines personal testimonies from a variety of individuals, from run of mill citizens to storm chasers and professional meteorologists to craft  a richly detailed, emotional narrative of this tragic day in history.  Her passion and dedication to this story is clear in her writing. I found myself turning page after page, refusing to take a break from this captivating account. Additionally, she provides scientific explanation for the behavior of storms, reaching back decades to trace the history and evolution of storm tracking. While this may seem boring to some, the fact that it is combined with personal, heartwarming experiences makes adds the impact to this truly moving read.

While I was originally dismayed to see that no photographic evidence was included, I soon discovered that Cross’ brilliant writing is so detailed that the images become alive in ones mind as they read through each and every account. This book has done what Twister did for movie-goers: it has provided an experience I won’t soon forget! Highly, highly recommended.