Alabama Woman Missing in 2011 Tornado Found in Florida

A 53-year-old Alabama woman reported missing by her family following a series of deadly tornadoes in 2011 has been found safe and sound—in Florida, AL.com reports. And no, she probably wasn't blown there. The tornadoes that hit Tuscaloosa in April 2011 killed dozens of people and damaged many houses and buildings. Afterward, a number of people were reported missing. Laurie Anne MacConnell was one of them, being added to a nationwide database of missing persons. Last Thursday, US Customs and Border Protection notified Tuscaloosa police that MacConnell's name had popped up, likely because she traveled through a port.

“An investigator with the Tuscaloosa Police Department was able to speak with Ms. MacConnell over the phone and verify that she was the person listed as missing, and she was in good health,” WBRC quotes a police press release. Authorities tell AL.com it's possible MacConnell had never actually been missing. They say she may have moved, and her family reported her missing after not having talked to her in a while. "But she couldn't be reached, and we didn't know where she was," a police spokesperson says. It's unclear if MacConnell ever knew she had been reported missing. Three other people are still listed as missing following the 2011 tornadoes. (This waitress listened to her gut and helped find two missing teens.)