Checking the headlines this morning, I see that the loss of life from yesterday's tornadoes has been far greater than I thought last night. Far greater: I can't recall anything even approaching this in the past. I lived in Tuscaloosa, where most of the deaths seem to have taken place, for over 10 years (that's where the University of Alabama is). I knew, when I saw news stories that said a tornado had come up McFarland Boulevard, that the physical damage would be great. But for some reason I didn't expect so many casualties.
If you want to see just how devastating these storms can be, look through some of the photos here.
In the mid-70s, when I was living in Tuscaloosa, there was a period of several years that produced a lot of tornadoes in north Alabama. I heard one once. I had the radio on, and heard a warning that one had been sighted near Moundville, a dozen miles or so southwest of Tuscaloosa. Within a minute or two I heard it. Everybody's right: it does sound like a train–but a huge train, a train with a locomotive fifty feet tall. It was passing perhaps half a mile (less than a kilometer) or so from where I was, and fortunately did a relatively small amount of damage. I remember that sound, though.
Light On Dark Water 
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