Mobile has weathered many storms and hurricanes over the centuries, but one in particular left an indelible mark not only on the city, but also on a young Bayou la Batre girl named Alma Bryant.

The MeanMob crew was already producing this episode about the Great Storm of 1906 when Kathy uncovered a truly remarkable short story: "It Was Time to Leave," written by one of the city's most beloved educators, Alma Bryant. Alma was only thirteen years old when the great no-name storm came ashore, devastating the city and the tiny fishing town in which she lived, Bayou la Batre. Years later, Bryant put the story to paper, leaving us with a vivid account of the terror that swept the coast that night in September 1906.

As soon as we read the story, we knew we had to change the episode. We needed a voice to bring the tale to life, and we found that voice in Linda Winn Grill. We couldn't have been more excited to have her join us. Along with stellar production work by our engineer, Dennis Gould, we think you will be sucked into the center of the storm like we were.

Also joining us for this episode is our friend, WKRG-TV meteorologist John Nodar. We have a fun discussion of John's career and Mobile’s fickle weather and climate history.
 
Remember, new episodes drop bi-weekly. Be sure to subscribe to the Meanwhile...Mobile newsletter to receive updates about show schedules, take a behind-the-scenes look at the production of our episodes, and gain access to exclusive photos, contests, and more.

And we would love to hear from you! Please email your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to MEANWHILEMOBILE @ GMAIL.COM. 

Thanks for listening!

Additional Resources:

Online:

National Weather Service: 1906 Hurricane. https://www.weather.gov/mob/1906Hurricane

Recommended Books:

The Bayou Anthology: A Compilation of Essays, Stories and Anecdotes by Frye Gailard. https://archive.oah.org/special-issues/katrina/Gaillard.html

Videos:

WKRG-TV: The Hurricane of 1906. https://www.wkrg.com/news/the-hurricane-of-1906-in-pensacola-and-mobile/ 

The Gulf Coast Hurricane of 1906 by Alan Sealls. https://youtu.be/SKpqG3pb-nU

Copyright 2026 * Soundworks, Inc / Meanwhile...Mobile

Welcome to Meanwhile…Mobile! We are so glad you could join us on our adventure exploring little known and forgotten history of the Port City.

For our first episode, we thought we would keep things lighthearted and introduce you to some of Mobile’s innovators and their inventions.

New episodes of Meanwhile…Mobile drop bi-weekly and we can’t wait for you to hear the incredible forgotten history of the Port City we’ve uncovered with some very special guests.

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get a behind-the-scenes look at how we produce each episode, episode photos & schedules, contests, and much more.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, we’d like to hear from you. Email us at MEANWHILEMOBILE @ GMAIL.COM.

Additional Resources:

 Audio: 

 Hear inventor Miller Reese Hutchison

Recommended Books:

Mobile Aviation by Billy Singleton

Books by Miller Reese Hutchison

Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Baron & Don Tate

 A Streak of Luck: The Life and Times of Thomas Alva Edison by Robert E. Canot

Edison: His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin

Videos:

 Meet the Inventor of the Super Soaker: Lonnie Johnson

Super Soaker XP Commercial

Copyright 2026 * Soundworks, Inc / Meanwhile...Mobile