http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wual/local-wual-1014194.mp3
Tuscaloosa, Alabama –
When an EF-4 tornado hit Tuscaloosa in April of 2011, Alabama Public Radio distinguished itself with minute-by-minute disaster updates, in-depth reports, as well as network coverage on the BBC, MSNBC, CBC in Canada, and Australia Broadcasting Corporation.
The night of the storm, APR teamed with meteorologists from WVUA-TV in our studios to provide continuous coverage. In the days that followed, as the rescue effort turned to recovery, the radio news team widened the scope of its work to include investigating the push to redesign and rebuild shattered portions of the State. APR also examined long term issues like the mental health impact and the influence that incoming insurance dollars would have on Alabama's economy.
The culmination of this work is documentary "Winds of Change," where the APR news team caught up with the people we spoke with in the hours following the storm to see how they were getting on with their lives. We looked at efforts to rebuild Tuscaloosa and the town of Phil Campbell, including a visit to Greensburg, Kansas, which was nearly destroyed by an EF-5 in 2007. It was here that much of the state-of-the-art or "green" post disaster city planning for Tuscaloosa was pioneered.