Mark Prater of Birmingham’s WIAT CBS 42 has worked as a meteorologist in Alabama for two decades.

On April 27, 2011, the Prattville native was on air nearly continuously, warning residents about the deadly tornadoes forming from the line of thunderstorms sweeping across northern Alabama. His actions, and those of other meteorologists, reporters and anchors, undoubtedly saved many lives.

Mark Prater on the killer tornado of April 27, 2011 from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

Five years later, Prater reflects on the lessons learned and advances made in forecasting and preparation.

Personal impact

Alabama NewsCenter: First, everyone has a story about that day. Many knew exactly where you were and what you were doing. But did the tornadoes touch you or your family or loved ones directly?

Prater: A number of kids who I had helped coach in Little League from Oak Mountain were going to the University of Alabama. They were there when the tornado hit. I knew where it was headed, and knew they were there. But I wasn’t able to call them because I was on the air live non-stop, from 3:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. This is what we had forecast three days in advance, but we hoped that we were wrong, because everything looked tremendously bad.

Seeing inside tornadoes

The aftermath of April 27, 2011 in Rosedale, Tuscaloosa County. (Phil Free/Alabama NewsCenter)

Alabama NewsCenter: How has the science of storm prediction and public safety progressed in the last few years? What are some of the major advances?

Prater: I think our general public, people who live here now, really understand the importance of taking warnings a little more seriously. It’s been a quiet stretch the past several years. That’s good, but on the other hand it has a tendency to be “out of sight, out of mind.” … It’s easy for a quiet stretch of weather to have a negative impact, as people become complacent.

On the technology side of things, we have dual polarization, or dual pol radar. The National Weather Service has upgraded it since 2011. It allows us to look at a weather system from a whole different perspective. Radar allowed us to scan the horizon horizontally. Now we do it both horizontally and vertically.

The beam goes straight up and down, giving us a 3-D look. Previously we did not know when a tornado touched down; we had to rely on reports from the ground. Now we can see debris in a funnel cloud. We weren’t able to do that with traditional radar.

Training storm spotters

The aftermath of April 27, 2011 in Rosedale, Tuscaloosa County. (Phil Free/Alabama NewsCenter)

Alabama NewsCenter: Do you rely on civilian “tornado hunters” and others to report to you when they spot a funnel cloud?

Prater: I think they’re very important. They have a real passion for it. We had our own people out in the field. We rely on storm spotters trained by the National Weather Service. I train our own staff on storm spotting. We can’t always talk to them directly, but we rely on their trained eyes. I’m afraid we’re going to lose a storm spotter at some point, because they get very close.

Alabama NewsCenter: Tell me about the advances in personal technology that have helped people prepare for violent storms.

Prater: I think the phone apps are huge. Our station has a free downloadable weather app. It shows the radar, and also offers a way for people to watch our live broadcast. When the power is out, at least you have a news source to get the information out.

That morning in 2011, we had a line of storms come through early. That first wave was a surprise; our models didn’t see it either. The 70-80 mph winds knocked out power to a quarter of a million customers throughout state. That was our greatest fear, not being able to get the information out to them.

Preparing for the worst

The aftermath of April 27, 2011 in Rosedale, Tuscaloosa County. (Phil Free/Alabama NewsCenter)

Alabama NewsCenter: We’ve made significant advances in forecasting. What have we done to enable families to be better prepared—to know how to shelter, where to meet, or how to stockpile food and water?

Prater: That’s a great question. A long-track tornado is absolutely terrifying. On the air, it’s like watching a child run out onto the street with a truck coming. I can’t stop it from happening; I can only show everybody that it is happening.

Our society is different than it was 20 years ago. People are locked into cell phones or tablets. Technology has been upgraded to only warn you in your immediate area. In the old days, you would get a flash flood watch from five counties away. That’s too far, and the public would start ignoring it. Now, we help the public program for just their county.

I do think families have become better prepared. It really began in the year or two after the 2011 storms. One thing I have been saying since the mid-90s is to put a helmet on your kids. Most trauma from tornadoes is head trauma. It’s one of those things that really started to catch on, and it saved lives. Also, make sure if you shelter in the bathroom or basement, take an extra pair of shoes with you. Many people couldn’t walk anywhere because of all the debris.

Recovering and rebuilding

The aftermath of April 27, 2011 in Rosedale, Tuscaloosa County. (Phil Free/Alabama NewsCenter)

Alabama NewsCenter: Many small communities were devastated by the 2011 tornadoes. Some are still recovering. What is your opinion about the rebuilding process five years later?

Prater: Some smaller towns were wiped out. It really did change the face of the town. They really understand how devastating it can be. We’ve had people who decided this is not the area I want to live in after going through that. A number of communities now provide shelters. Even towns that were not hit are saying we need a place to take 100-200 people.

Alabama NewsCenter: How did the 2011 tornadoes change the public’s perception of weather events?

Prater: A lot of people have an inherent fear of tornadoes. That’s understandable. But actually, the odds of being hit directly by one are very small. When we start to ramp up a severe weather threat, the first comment we get is usually, Is this another April 27? If it hits your house, it is an April 27 tornado.

Incredible linemen

The aftermath of April 27, 2011 in Rosedale, Tuscaloosa County. (Phil Free/Alabama NewsCenter)

Alabama NewsCenter: Alabama Power relies on weather forecasts and reporting for our work. Tell me your thoughts about our work.

Prater: I’m a very big advocate of what the power companies do. Those people are really out there on the front lines. It’s incredible the job they do and the conditions they go through to get the power back up so quickly.

I always say, if you see somebody out there putting the lines back up, give them a cup of coffee or a sandwich, because they’re going to be away from their families for the next five days.

As a matter of fact, I have several friends on the lines. They text me and tell me they appreciate the severe weather I’m giving them!