1 year ago today...

[CrazyC83]

(Well not really, but it would have been on February 29 if it was a leap year)

One year ago today (or tomorrow, depending on how you see it), we tragically saw eight students at Enterprise High School lose their lives in the worst school tornado disaster in 18 (maybe 40) years. 12 others also lost their lives in six communities from Missouri to Georgia, and damage was well over $500 million (I think the total damage from all severe weather might have been over $1 billion).

A tornado memorial is being held today at Enterprise High School.

[badger70]

(Well not really, but it would have been on February 29 if it was a leap year)

One year ago today (or tomorrow, depending on how you see it), we tragically saw eight students at Enterprise High School lose their lives in the worst school tornado disaster in 18 (maybe 40) years. 12 others also lost their lives in six communities from Missouri to Georgia, and damage was well over $500 million (I think the total damage from all severe weather might have been over $1 billion).

A tornado memorial is being held today at Enterprise High School.

Tragic.




20 fatalities that day, including the one from Enterprise:

1910 ENTERPRISE COFFEE AL 3131 8585 *** 9 FATAL *** 8 KILLED IN SCHOOL WHEN CONCRETE WALL COLLAPSED IN HALLWAY. TORNADO PATH APPROX. 200 YARDS WIDE AND 10 MILES LONG. INFO BASED ON STORM SURVEY BY WCM ON (TAE)

0450 11 N MITCHELL CO AIRPOR BAKER GA 3137 8424 *** 6 FATAL *** MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED JUST NORTH OF NEWTON IN BAKER COUNTY. ESTIMATED TIME OF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN IS 1150 PM EST. REPORT OF 6 FATALITIES AT THE MOBILE HOME (TAE)

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/070301_rpts.html

[HarlequinBoy]

RIP to the victims.

[MiamiensisWx]

It is important to note that Enterprise wasn't the only area that was affected. There was the EF4 near Miller's Ferry, AL and the first violent tornado (EF4) on the Enhanced Fujita Scale in Lynn County, KS. There was also another deadly EF3 tornado in Caulfield, Missouri. Don't forget the EF3 events in Georgia such as Americus. The Enterprise deaths were unfortunate, but it was part of several states and cities that were hit with consequences. It was an impressive, large-scale deadly outbreak that took place over multiple rounds and days. It certainly feels like it occurred yesterday.

[CrazyC83]

It is important to note that Enterprise wasn't the only area that was affected. There was the EF4 near Miller's Ferry, AL and the first violent tornado (EF4) on the Enhanced Fujita Scale in Lynn County, KS. There was also another deadly EF3 tornado in Caulfield, Missouri. Don't forget the EF3 events in Georgia such as Americus. The Enterprise deaths were unfortunate, but it was part of several states and cities that were hit with consequences. It was an impressive, large-scale deadly outbreak that took place over multiple rounds and days. It certainly feels like it occurred yesterday.

I know, there were six communities that saw fatalities:

1 in Caulfield, MO (EF3)
1 in Millers Ferry, AL (EF4)
9 in Enterprise, AL (EF4)
6 in Newton, GA (EF2)
1 in Potterville, GA (EF2)
2 in Americus, GA (EF3)

That first EF4 (from what I heard, almost EF5) was also quite something - it is really fortunate that it happened in a very rural area with only a few houses impacted (no one was injured there). Unfortunately, we weren't so lucky the next day...20 souls were taken by nature

[CrazyC83]

It was also a rather unusual outbreak in that it didn't really break at all...there were tornadic supercells somewhere almost continuously from the night of the 28th until the morning of the 2nd - one of the deaths was in the early morning, 10 in the early afternoon, one in the late afternoon and eight in the evening.

[Category 5]

One of many horrific tornadoes last year.

[CrazyC83]

One of many horrific tornadoes last year.

This year is shaping up to be even worse at this rate...