Author Kelly Kazek is the Managing Editor for the Athens News-Courier in Limestone County, Alabama.
She is putting the finishing touches on a book about the some of the most memorable tornadoes in Alabama history. Titled “A History of Alabama’s Deadliest Tornadoes: Disaster in Dixie,” the book will be in stores by the end of the month. Kelly is also the author of a collection of her humor columns, “Fairly Odd Mother: Musings of a Slightly Off Southern Mom.” Another book by Kazek, “Images of America: Athens and Limestone County,” a pictorial history of the area, is due in fall from Arcadia Publishing. I caught up with Kelly yesterday.
What made you write the book?
As the editor of the paper in Limestone County, I had written about the 1974 tornadoes so often. Then in 1989, I was working for the Decatur Daily when the Huntsville Tornado occurred. I graduated from Grissom High School, so many areas that were familiar to me were devastated. Plus, I had written lot of stories about other tornadoes. Since I was so familiar with tornadoes across North Alabama, I just wanted to tell people’s stories.
How is the book written?
This is not a book about death and destruction. It is about survival, and the spirit of those who survived. The one tat affected me most involved the 1994 Palm Sunday tornado. The Church Pastor Kelly Clem and her husband live in Huntsville now. They lost their four year old that day, and several other children were killed. Although the story is difficult to tell, and difficult to write, the Clems want the story told so that people can be aware of the danger and hopefully future tornado tragedies can be avoided.
Do you have another story to share?
In November 1989, there was a young newlywed couple in Huntsville, Johnny and Kathy Sharpe. She was at home in their apartment when the tornado struck. The storm left her paralyzed but she was determined not to become a statistic, that her marriage would not fail. The couple recently celebrated their twentieth anniversary. That’s a very positive and moving story.
Now, April 3, 1974 is probably the biggest red letter day in Alabama weather history, but March 21, 1932 was the deadliest. What story do you tell from that dreadful day?
I focused on the family of Jackson Lewis Latham. Only four children from that big family in Chilton County survived that horrible storm. Mr. Latham recently passed away, but his granddaughter shared the story and family photos with me. The real tragedy didn’t end with the tornado for Mr. Latham. Thrown into an abusive foster care situation, the tragedy didn’t end with the disaster. It lasted through much of his childhood.
Look for “A History of Alabama’s Deadliest Tornadoes: Disaster in Dixie” from The History Press on your bookstore shelves by the end of the month.
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