The tornado continued northeastward into Tallapoosa County, where EF-1-caliber damage was observed. The forecast continued to emphasize the risk of strong/violent and very damaging tornadoes, as confidence increased even further regarding the risk for an extreme, high-end tornado outbreak. Even a decade later, it seems hard to believe. This was the first video evidence that the tornado had touched the ground; the video, along with NEXRAD evidence of a tornado debris signature, prompted the National Weather Service office in Birmingham to declare a tornado emergency. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. National Weather Service BUT, the actual count will be far, far less. Severe thunderstorms will break out in multiple zones shortly after lunchtime along the cold front near and east of the Mississippi River, and farther east across eastern Mississippi, northwest Alabama and Middle Tennessee. View annotated composite image. Life It was taken from the University Mall parking lot. The National Weather Service rated this tornado at EF4, with winds around 175 miles per hour, said local news reports. Acquired May 2, 2011, this natural-color image shows a tornado track through Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in the wake of a series of violent storms in the U.S. Southeast. The warnings are in effect until 6 p.m. 3:55 p.m.: Tornado warning in northwest Georgia from same rotating storm that tracked across Alabama. Tornado Database 4:30 p.m.: New tornado warning south of Tuscaloosa and flash flood warnings through Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. Tuscaloosa 2011 Tornado Path Google Earth - Then and now Posted on 1/14/23 at 6:41 pm 16 5 The yellow drawn off area in the second set was Alabama long snapper Carson Tinker's Home. The weather service said the tornado continued northeast into Chambers County, causing EF-0 to EF-1 damage. WATCH: Drone footage shows Alabama tornado devastation in Selma The weather service in Birmingham released some preliminary results early Friday afternoon. The tornado continued northeastward and weakened to an EF3 rating with winds of 130 mph. The warning is in effect until 5:30 p.m. and the storm is racing northeast at 60 mph and headed in the direction of the town of Brent. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. The tornado formed near Moundville, which was also hit by a tornado during the outbreak last week. A total of 20 people were killed throughout Birmingham and its surrounding suburbs. The tornado's damage path appeared to be about a half mile wide as it passed south of the two communities, a vast expanse of downed trees and wires visible. No Excuses! tweeted Dan Satterfield, a meteorologist who spent years in Birmingham covering severe weather outbreaks. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Alabama was hit the worst, with the first reported tornado hitting Marion and others hitting Tuscaloosa, Chilton County, and other locales. Vehicles were also moved, albeit only several feet. Tell your friends, neighbors, and relatives about the severe weather threat, and what they need to do to get ready. (NASA) Recent images of the April 27 storm damage path have been captured by NASA's Terra satellite, part of NASA's Earth Observing Satellite system, or EOS. Another tornado on Feb. 2, a deadly EF-2, had a 25.87-mile path through Greene and Hale counties. Aviation Weather, Climate and Past Weather Alabama was hit the worst, with the first reported tornado hitting Marion and others hitting Tuscaloosa, Chilton County, and other locales. Radar showed rotation associated with a confirmed large tornado about 20 miles east of Birmingham. past few days tracing the path of Alabamas deadliest tornado, was one of 14 tornadoes that hit Alabama on Jan. 12, killed seven people and injured several others, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. An outbreak of severe weather, including several destructive tornadoes, swept across the South Thursday, killing at least five people in Alabama and one in Georgia. Acquired May 4, 2011, this false-color image shows a tornado track near Birmingham, Alabama. Less than a month later, however, this number was surpassed by the Joplin, Missouri EF5 tornado, which caused $2.8 billion in damage. Late Thursday afternoon into early evening, a second long-track, destructive tornado was on the ground for about 100 miles in north central Alabama before it lifted, only about 10 miles south of the first tornadic storm. The deadliest tornado outbreak since 1974 hit the United States on April 27, 2011. The damage in the Fultondale area includedfoldedhighway light poles along the interstate, and roof damage to the Days Inn on U.S. Highway31. The swarm of storms came after roughly 50 tornadoes tore through the region last week. The start point is based on aerial survey, while the end location was determined by a ground crew. The tornado then struck the suburb of Fultondale, damaging homes and businesses in town. NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1 team. A small club house that was anchored to a foundation, but with apparently no interior walls, was completely destroyed and swept from its foundation. 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! Climate change may have fueled Alabama storms, experts say, Selma woman who found children after tornado: It was a 100% God thing. Two waves of deadly storms battered the state over the course of one day, leaving broken cities, twisted wreckage and lost lives. The weather service noted that the damage here, rated high-end EF-2, could be partly due to the interaction of the tornado with the lake surface, as well as the exposed nature of these homes.. Half of those were in the state of Alabama including the strongest of the day. At least three manufactured homes were obliterated, the weather service said, with their frames thrown up to 100 yards along County Road 43. Storm chaser footage provided confirmation of the large, dangerous tornado. Reply. Winter Weather, About Us This is from Lake Purdy, AL of homes totaled by the storm #ALwx #tornado pic.twitter.com/mIs1MClZJI. The storms deadliness recalled an April 2011 tornado that killed 13 in Calhoun County, Brown said. [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. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the tornado was spawned by a supercell thunderstorm that lasted more than seven hours. However, the same parent storm is responsible for both areas of damage. It crossed the highway and rolled a manufactured home along Autauga County Road 40. The supercell started in Newton County, Mississippi, at 2:54 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT), and finally ended in Macon County, North Carolina, at 10:18 p.m. CDT. Numerous trees were completely denuded and debarked as the tornado passed near the rural communities of Searles and Mud Creek, and debris from Tuscaloosa was reported to be falling from the sky across Birmingham over 20 miles (32km) away in Jefferson County. Vehicles were tossed 200 yards. 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. It was here in Pleasant Grove where evidence of vehicles being moved by the winds become obvious, though most were only tossed 10 to 15 yards if they were picked up at all. Land The tornado initially touched down in Marion County, Alabama about 5 miles (8.0 km) west-southwest of Hamilton around 3:05 pm CDT and tracked to the northeast, causing significant tree and roof damage. A confirmed tornado, about 30 miles southwest of Birmingham, was sweeping to the northeast at 40 mph and headed in the direction of Birminghams southern suburbs. Elsewhere, only one other tornado warning was active, about 30 miles west of Tuscaloosa, until 2:30 p.m. A tornado killed at least five people in Calhoun County, Ala., located between Birmingham and the Georgia border. 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. @NWSBirmingham @spann #alwx pic.twitter.com/0QhnzMfgRZ. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). ON TV: Witness: Tornado Swarm 2011 airs Sunday, May 29, 9 p.m. ET/PT >>. Our Office, Education Graphical Forecasts The Alberta Park Shopping Center was completely destroyed with no walls standing and a pile of debris on the foundation. #HUNwx pic.twitter.com/wyBjSkmRCp. Alabama was hit the worst, with the first reported tornado hitting Marion and others hitting Tuscaloosa, Chilton County, and other locales. Numerous homes, apartment buildings, and a large church sustained significant damage as the tornado entered Birmingham's city limits and impacted the neighborhood of Pratt City. According to the National Weather Service in Birmingham, the Autauga tornado was on the ground for an hour and 20 minutes. Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States on April 29, 2011 The scar across Tuscaloosa, one of two metropolitan areas this tornado devastated. The tornado that killed seven people in Autauga County had a path that was 82 miles long and stretched through several counties. State highways 45, 20 and 72 in Mississippi, as well as the Natchez Trace Parkway, Highways 43 and 72 in Alabama, and Highways 64, 43 and 412 in Tennessee are among the major routes that could be impacted by especially dangerous weather. A violent, high-end EF4 multiple-vortex tornado destroyed portions of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama, as well as smaller communities and rural areas between the two cities, during the late afternoon and early evening of April 27, 2011. If a tornado warning is issued, that means a rotating storm has been detected or a tornado spotted on the ground, and that action should be taken immediately. Posted Wed, Mar 30, 2022 at 9:06 pm CT | Updated Wed, Mar 30, 2022 at 10:06 pm CT. Running roughly parallel to the tornado track is a contrail from a plane. All NOAA, Tuscaloosa-BirminghamEF-4 Tornado Straight from a @NWSSPC forecaster on why they chose to use the word "violent" to describe today's #tornado potential over "intense" which was used last week. The tornado crossed Holt Peterson Rd just northwest of Clinker Rd, where two homes were completely destroyed. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011 cemented itself in the consciousness of every Alabamian who experienced it. At least two homes were shifted from their foundation. Other Research The Storm Prediction Center said it would like issue a new tornado watch for the northern two-third of Alabama into the nighttime hours. It had top winds of 150 mph in several spots along its long path. Tornado: Where: highest chances west of I65 When: Monday and Tuesday Wind: What: Winds up to 40 mph Where: highest chances west of I65 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. Video of damage in Columbiana, Alabama. The tornado has a history of producing damage as it tracked from just south of Tuscaloosa to just south and east of Birmingham. Dont let paying for a funeral add to your grief, Beware of these pitfalls when planning your own funeral, 401(k) balances are up, but the number of millionaires is down, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Weather Service had already received reports. Similar damage was seen in northwest Elmore County as the tornado neared the Coosa River. Storms will increase in areal coverage and intensity into early evening while shifting northeastward. 4:43 p.m. - A large supercell beginning in Mississippi dropped an EF-4 tornado packing winds of up to 190 m.p.h. However, the longest tornado track on record in Alabama happened on May 27, 1973. It combines visible and infrared data to reveal damage unseen in conventional photographs. WATCH: Drone footage shows Alabama tornado devastation in Selma. An hour later, the city of Newnan tweeted: The city experienced heavy damage in and around the historic downtown area due to tonights weather.. At 5:15, The tornado Entered Alabama, the tornado turned slightly to the north hitting double springs, the tornado ground scoured up to 6 feet, suggesting the windspeed to be 297 mph, Bare slabs were left with slightly cracked roads and slabs. Along the way, it stripped a school bus down to its chassis. DEVELOPING: Cahaba Valley FD says multiple people pulled from their homes in Eagle Point subdivision and hospitalized. #alwx pic.twitter.com/0lqKYP5OwS. The tornado reached a maximum path width of 1.5 miles (2.4km) during its track through Tuscaloosa, and once again when it crossed Interstate 65 north of Birmingham, and attained estimated winds of 190mph (310km/h) shortly after passing through the city. We dug out, Dobbs said. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The weather service said the most severe damage was observed from County Road 43 to County Road 42, and wind speeds were estimated to have reached at least 150 mph. This tornado was produced by a supercell thunderstorm that began in Newton County Mississippi at 2:54 pm CDT, and finally dissipated in Macon County, North Carolina at approximately 10:18 pm CDT. Know how to get there quickly.. The warning for the tornado south of Tuscaloosa, Ala. (see 4:30 p.m. update below) was upgraded to a tornado emergency, the most serious alert, due to a confirmed large and destructive tornado about 8 miles southwest of Mertz or 25 miles southeast of Tuscaloosa, shown in the image above. The same tornadic thunderstorm which caused damage southeast of Birmingham had charged into northeast Alabama, near the border with Georgia where a tornado warning is in effect until 4 p.m. Flood/River Flood Warnings, Productos en Espaol Birmingham and its surrounding suburbs combines visible and infrared data to reveal damage unseen in conventional photographs data courtesy! 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