12th Anniversary of Tornado that Struck Pratt City Branch Library is Thursday, April 27, 2023

Debra Blackmon, who was branch manager at Pratt City when the tornado struck on April 27, 2011, poses with current Pratt City Branch Manager Saundra Ross.

Pratt City Library sustained tornado damage when struck o April 27, 2011. A new Pratt City Library with storm shelter strong enough to sustain high winds re-opened at 509 Dugan Ave. in February 2014. 

Pratt City Branch Library damage after tornado in April 2011

Birmingham, Ala. - Thursday, April 27, 2023, marks the 12th anniversary of the day a massive tornado struck Birmingham’s Pratt City community, including the Pratt City Branch Library and surrounding neighborhoods. That storm was part of a Super Tornado outbreak that claimed over 240 lives and injured 1,500 across Alabama on April 27, 2011.  

The tornado caused such massive damage that Pratt City Library, located at 509 Dugan Ave., was forced to close until reopening nearly three years later in February 2014. Thankfully, most of Pratt City’s library collection was saved and relocated to temporary storage until it reopened. 

Pratt City Branch Manager Saundra Ross said it is exciting to see Pratt City bounce back, adding Pratt City Branch Library is a true hub of the community. 

"As we reflect on 12th anniversary of the tornado that devastated much of the surrounding community and damaged  Pratt City Branch, we remember those who lost loved ones and property when the storm struck on April 27, 2011," Ross said. "We are appreciative of the city for rebuilding Pratt City Library and for the community for continuing to support our library."

The new Pratt City Library has a totally new design. To protect staff and patrons from future natural disasters, the new Pratt City Branch has a storm shelter, with concrete walls strong enough to withstand tornado-force winds. Today, the Pratt City community devastated by the tornado has a totally new look, highlighted by a beautiful new park outside the Pratt City Library. The city commissioned the the same landscape architecture firm that created Railroad Park to create the park around the rebuilt Pratt City library.

Last week, BPL retiree Deborah Drake Blackmon, who managed Pratt City Library when it was struck by the tornado 12 years ago, gathered with current branch manager Ross to reminiscence about the storm.

In a 15-minute interview, Mrs. Blackmon recalled hearing that the tornado struck Pratt City and the shock upon driving up a day later to see the devastation in the surrounding community as well as the extensive damage inside the Pratt City Branch. Click here to see Blackmon's interview.

Reminding patrons and staff of the importance of libraries and reading, the walls on the new Pratt City Library have inspirational quotes from leaders such as President Barack Obama, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and educator/activist Mary McLeod Bethune. A special quote that stands out is one by American author/historian Studs Terkel, “All you need in life is truth and beauty, and you can find both at the public library.”

The E-F4 tornado that struck Pratt City had 180-plus mile-an-hour winds, and was among 62 that struck large parts of Alabama a decade ago, killing 248 people and injuring over 1,500 statewide. Across the nation, tornados on April 27, 2011 struck six states and killed 348 people, with over two-thirds of the victims from Alabama. Those were the most tornado deaths in the U.S. since March 1925. 

The same tornado that hit the Pratt City Library traveled over 80 miles, slamming into Greene, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties.

Pratt City Library damage after tornado in April 2011

 Al.com did an article February 10, 2014, at Pratt City Library’s reopening ceremony. The headline “Like a phoenix,” pulled from a quote by former Birmingham City Councilman Marcus Lundy, representing the Pratt City district, described how the reconstruction of the area (including the library) as rising from the ashes “like a phoenix.”