Before the storm…
The days leading up to April 27th were extremely busy and also a time filled with an unusual energy that accompanies potential high end severe weather days. I recall that we were at an Easter Egg Hunt the prior Saturday, April 23rd (our daughter was 9 then) when several parents came up to ask me about the weather for the following week. So word was already getting out. In fact, looking back at the forecast discussion and outlooks we were already highlighting significant impact weather for the coming Wednesday.
By Monday, briefings were in full swing and the media was requesting interviews at a rather rapid pace. One interview in particular struck me, especially in hindsight. A reporter asked the Warning Coordination Meteorologist David Nadler on April 26th – the day before – “is this going to be as bad as the April 3rd, 1974 tornado outbreak?” At first, I thought this was a crazy question but the more I thought about it and the more I looked at the data I too began to wonder. But little did we know what the next day would bring.