The Weather Service had already received reports of 24 twisters, 59 instances of damaging winds, and 49 reports of large hail. An hour later, the city of Newnan tweeted: The city experienced heavy damage in and around the historic downtown area due to tonights weather.. StormReady On April 27, 2011, one of the most devastating tornado outbreaks in the history of Alabama left an unprecedented path of destruction through the City of Tuscaloosa. Farther south and north, severe thunderstorm activity may be a bit more scattered in nature, but some tornadoes, including a few significant ones, are possible in eastern Arkansas and southern Kentucky surrounding the moderate and high-risk areas. Tornado warnings are in effect about 30 miles south of Tuscaloosa, Ala. until 5 p.m. and 15 miles east of Rome until 4:45 p.m. (5:45 p.m. local time). One home on a foundation was swept clean, with only floor joists remaining attached to the foundation. A tornado emergency was issued for Newnan at 12:10 a.m. Friday, about 35 miles southwest of Atlanta, where the Weather Service wrote a confirmed large and destructive tornado was confirmed and radar showed large amounts of debris lofted into the air. By the time the tornado reachedInterstate 65, it was evident that the storm was losing its energy. *Note: This story was updated to reflect the adjusted path of the Autauga tornado, which upon further analysis from the National Weather Service had a path length of 82.31 miles. The South is an area known for systematic vulnerability to severe weather and tornadoes. 6 on the list. [19] The structures that were swept away by this tornado were either improperly anchored, lacked interior walls, or were surrounded by contextual damage not consistent with winds exceeding 200mph (320km/h), and as a result an EF5 rating could not be applied. In all, 299 Alabamians were killed in the outbreak. On May 2, 2011, the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASAs Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured this natural-color image of the tornado track through Tuscaloosa. It was taken from the University Mall parking lot. Non-Precipitation Warnings Elsewhere, only one other tornado warning was active, about 30 miles west of Tuscaloosa, until 2:30 p.m. It was here in McDonald Chapel where evidence of a slight weakening of the tornado became clear. The volume of snapped trees was enough to assign an EF-3 rating for this segment of the tornados path, the weather service said. The weather service said the tornado continued northeast into Chambers County, causing EF-0 to EF-1 damage. Regional Highs/Lows/Rainfall, Forecasts made it through the collapse of a Hackleburg pharmacy. Tornado moving from west of Tuscaloosa, appearing to follow 15th St to the East, and then making its way towards what appeared to be the DCH and University Mall area. All rights reserved (About Us). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 0:38 Nearly a decade has passed since the deadliest tornado in Tuscaloosa's history carved a 5.9-mile path of destruction through the city, though for most people who lived through that storm. Radar suggested the storm crossed Interstate 65 around 1:30 p.m. and was between Meadowbrook and Chelsea at 1:40 p.m. A tornado emergency is issued in the most urgent particularly dangerous situations which the Weather Service deems life-threatening., TORNADO EMERGENCY! There have been reports of downed trees and damaged homes and businesses in Calhoun County and across the state, with some houses reduced to rubble. It is even more at risk from high-end tornadoes than the traditional Great Plains Tornado Alley, with swifter-moving storms that cover more ground. Winter Weather Warnings Here are the longest tornado tracks on record in Alabama. Several vehicles were picked up and thrown, and one pickup truck had its cab separated from the bed. The tornado reached EF4 strength as it approached U.S. 43.As it approached Hackleburg, moving parallel to U.S. 43, the tornado further . Latest update on Tuscaloosa from Mayor Maddox. #alwx pic.twitter.com/0lqKYP5OwS. See all of AL.coms April 27, 2011 anniversary coverage here. 4.1K. It was one of the 360 tornadoes in the 2011 Super Outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak in United States history. Between 7:00 a.m. CDT on April 25 and 7:00 a.m. on April 28, a total of 305 tornadoes struck the southeastern and central United States, according to a preliminary estimate from NOAA released May 4. Images of tornado damage near Tuscaloosa, Ala., seen on May 4, 2011. Caption by Michon Scott. Overview of the Tuscaloosa-Birmingham EF4 Tornado - April 27, 2011 Published by Jen Narramore-Nelson Tucker-Nick Wilkes on July 18, 2021 I've never seen devastation like this. However, this was revised to 64 deaths and more than 1,500 injuries. Winter Products Description. The tornado strengthened as it crossed the Black Warrior River, north of Interstate 20 and approached Tuscaloosa to a violent EF4 with winds of 170 mph. Severe weather was also occurring outside Alabama with severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings in effect in northwest Georgia, and a line of severe thunderstorms was sweeping east through western Tennessee. The first was an EF-2 tornado that carved a 35.17-mile path through parts of Choctaw and Marengo counties. It touched down near Argo, and cleared at 72-mile path, rolling through Shoal Creek Valley in St. Clair County, packing winds of more than 180 mph and killing 22 people all the way to the Georgia line, obliterating homes along the way. I dont know how.. The storm is sweeping northeast at 40 mph and is expected to pass very close to Pell City momentarily. Long-track, strong to violent tornadoes are possible. That was the F4 tornado that affected areas from Greensboro all the way to Mount Cheaha. A massive tornado tears through the town of Tuscaloosa, destroying everything in its path (from Tornado Rampage 2011) Show more. Along the way, it stripped a school bus down to its chassis. On one road after another, pieces of buildings, furniture, appliances and trees were strewn about and vehicles came to rest in awkward positions . Along 15th St E. and McFarland Blvd E., several small restaurants and stores were destroyed, with only a wall or two still standing. Winding and meandering road networks make it impossible to escape a tornado if youre caught on the roadways, too. By the time the tornado reachedInterstate 65, it was evident that the storm was losing its energy. 6:14 a.m. - The damage reached Odenville in St. Clair County, where an EF-2 tornado damaged several homes, including multi-story brick structures. So, this supercell existed for about 7 hours and 24 minutes, and traveled approximately 380 miles producing several strong to violent tornadoes along the way. The Weather Service reported the storm had recently produced tree damage. At least 30 people were injured as the tornado carved a 10-mile (16-kilometer) path through Birmingham's northern suburbs, an area severely damaged by a much larger tornado a decade ago. Also, to Gene Bussell and his crew with the AlabamaNational Guard for their cooperation with aerial surveys along this track. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Meteorologists have rated the tornado that took seven lives in Autauga County on Jan. 12 an EF-3, with top winds estimated at 150 mph in spots along its path. Entire neighborhoods are leveled. Its the first time in three decades that two top-tier high-risk notices have been issued in the month of March, the category marking the highest tier on a five-step scale. As of 615 pm , there are currently no active warnings in effect in central Alabama. Local Climate Data, Warnings and Other Products Alabama was hit the worst, with the first reported tornado hitting Marion and others hitting Tuscaloosa, Chilton County, and other locales. No Excuses! tweeted Dan Satterfield, a meteorologist who spent years in Birmingham covering severe weather outbreaks. 4:30 p.m.: New tornado warning south of Tuscaloosa and flash flood warnings through Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. The 2 mile wide tornado raced across the landscape at a groundspeed of 82 mph. Acquired May 4, 2011, this false-color image shows a tornado track near Birmingham, Alabama. The tan-toned, debris-filled path passes through the center of town, affecting both commercial and residential properties. Help is needed #ALwx pic.twitter.com/UVRV6lOXRB, 4:50 p.m.: Tornado emergency south of Tuscaloosa due to large twister, while new tornado warning issued for northeast Birmingham, Massive tornado west of Greensboro, AL pic.twitter.com/KjFAG2bJfB. More damage continued to the northeast along County Road 140, where two people were killed in separate homes at the eastern end of the road. Due to the combination of rich low-level moisture, strong shear, and focused large-scale ascent, there was relatively high confidence across the outlined area for strong tornadoes a tornado rated EF2 or higher on the Enhanced Fujita scale and widespread damaging winds. Path of the F4 tornado that ravaged Tuscaloosa and the Birmingham, Alabama areas on April 27, 2011. Flight Center. It's hard to forget the gut-wrenching moments of 27 April 2011 when a massive EF4 tornado tore across the city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The weather service said that radar showed a debris ball in southern Coosa County which matched ground observation of a wide area of snapped pine trees on either side of McKissick Road between the communities of Speed and Equality. Tornado now confirmed by radar, and some tree damage reported in the same area. Storms laid waste to state parks at Guntersville and Bucks Pocket, with an EF-2 tornado crossing the lake, toppling trees and destroying cabins, a chalet, a wing of the lodge, campers, cars and boats. The watch indicates a near certainty (95 percent chance) of at least one strong tornado that produces EF2 or higher damage on the 0 to 5 Enhanced Fujita scale. Thats why meteorologists stress on days such as Thursday that its imperative to stay weather-aware, have a plan and know what to do. While uncertainty exists as to how intense individual storms will become and what specific areas will be hit, an extremely serious outbreak of severe weather is anticipated. A well-anchored clubhouse on the property was mostly swept away and its remains were scattered into a pond, even though the structure had lacked interior walls. An extremely volatile atmospheric setup prompted the National Weather Service to declare a rare level 5 out of 5 high risk for severe thunderstorms, focused in Alabama but touching several surrounding states. On May 2, 2011, the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured this natural-color image of the . The storm that spawned that tornado had an even longer track. The tornado entered Tuscaloosa County just north of CR 60, west northwest of Ralph, and moved northeast causing tree damage and minor structural damage consistent with an EF2 rating and winds of 125 mph. Some additional EF0 to EF1 damage occurred before the tornado dissipated two miles north of Tarrant. #alwx #tornado @spann pic.twitter.com/qTVTJ1kHBe, 3:10 p.m.: Long-track tornado in Alabama nears border with Georgia. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Other Research The track was about 12 miles long, and the tornado caused more than 20 deaths. Residents across the Deep South NEED to prepare for significant weather today, including the very real potential for violent, long track tornadoes, wrote the Weather Service office in Jackson, Miss. Questions? His girlfriend, Ashley Harrison, who was huddle in a closet with him was ripped from his arms. East of Holt, the tornado path width widened from 0.5 mile to around 1 mile. Land NOAA National Weather Service. List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, Bridge Creek, Moore, & Oklahoma City (Metro), OK, "Day 4-8 Severe Weather Outlook Issued on Apr 23, 2011", "Day 4-8 Severe Weather Outlook Issued on Apr 24, 2011", "Apr 25, 2011 0730 UTC Day 3 Severe Thunderstorm Outlook", "Apr 27, 2011 1200 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook", "Apr 27, 2011 1300 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook", "Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Tornado Watch 235", "Storms, Tornadoes Leave Dozens Dead in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee", "Tuscaloosa-Birmingham EF-4 Tornado April 27, 2011", "Tuscaloosa-Birmingham Tornado - April 27, 2011", "Discriminating EF4 and EF5 Tornado Damage", "Damage Survey of the Tuscaloosa-Birmingham Tornado on April 27, 2011", "THE AFTERMATH: Staff accounts of the tornado", "Obama In Tuscaloosa: 'I've Never Seen Devastation Like This', "Six UA students included in list of tornado deaths", Interview with Storm Chaser of April 27 Tuscaloosa Tornado, Full video of this tornado taken by the above storm chaser from Tuscaloosa University Mall parking lot, Full episode of Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers about the Tuscaloosa Tornado, "Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 18901999", 10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2, List of tornadoes in the 2011 Super Outbreak, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2011_TuscaloosaBirmingham_tornado&oldid=1141443200, 2011 natural disasters in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, April 27, 2011, 6:14p.m. CDT (UTC05:00), 64 fatalities (+8 indirect), 1,500+ injuries, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 02:47. 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