Historic Multi Day Tornado/Flooding Event 4/23-28/2011

[srainhoutx]

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
812 AM CDT FRI APR 29 2011

...PRELIMINARY RARE EF-5 TORNADO IN MONROE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI...

AFTER A REVIEW OF THE DAMAGE PHOTOS TAKEN DURING THURSDAY/S GROUND
SURVEY AND CONSULTATION WITH NATIONAL EXPERTS...THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS UPGRADED THE SMITHVILLE TORNADO
RATING TO EF-5 DAMAGE. THIS IS THE HIGHEST RATING FOR TORNADO
DAMAGE AND THE FIRST EF-5 OR F-5 IN MISSISSIPPI SINCE THE
CANDLESTICK PARK TORNADO NEAR JACKSON ON MARCH 3RD 1966.

* COUNTY/COUNTIES: MONROE

* LOCATION/TIME OF EVENT: SMITHVILLE AT 344 PM EDT

* BEGINNING POINT: 34.0517, -88.4236

* ENDING POINT: 34.0731, -88.3814

* RATING: EF-5

* ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 205 MPH

* PATH LENGTH: 2.82 MILES

* MAXIMUM WIDTH: 1/2 MILE

* FATALITIES: 14

* INJURIES: 40

* SUMMARY OF DAMAGES: 18 HOMES DESTROYED...2 BUSINESSES /POST
OFFICE AND POLICE STATION/ DESTROYED...8 HOMES WITH MAJOR
DAMAGE...7 BUSINESSES WITH MAJOR DAMAGE...44 HOMES WITH MINOR
DAMAGE...AND WATER SYSTEM DESTROYED. MOST TREES EITHER SNAPPED
OR TWISTED AND DEBARKED. MOST THE HOMES DESTROYED WERE WELL
BUILT...TWO STORIES...LESS THAN TEN YEARS OLD AND BOLTED DOWN TO
THEIR FOUNDATIONS. AN 1965 CHEVY PICKUP TRUCK PARKED IN FRONT
ONE OF THE DESTROYED HOMES HAS NOT BEEN FOUND. ALL APPLIANCES
AND PLUMBING FIXTURES IN THE MOST EXTREME DAMAGE PATH SHREDDED
OR MISSING.

$$

OKULSKI/INGRAM

[RL3AO]

Means we will have at least two EF5s assuming the Tuscaloosa tornado is also EF5.

[ravyrn]

One thought: with the Mississippi rising so high, if it maintains itself, could it cause a Katrina-like flood in New Orleans?

Here's an article that talks about the Mississippi River flooding and the potential impacts it would have downstream. Apparently the crest isn't expected to reach New Orleans until May 22nd!

[Dean4Storms]

I was forced to miss getting onto S2K the past day and a half. I lived in TTown and was a Fire Fighter there back in 80's and into the early 90's, met my wife at the Univ. of Alabama and got married there. I was busy trying to contact friends and family and happily can report all survived but some have lost everything. The aerial view shot from the Fox affiliate of the devastation is unreal, I even saw the Townhome at the 3:15 mark in that culdesac up against the RR Tracks that we first moved into after getting married is now obliterated. Going to be a long road to recovery over this one. Thank God that this tornado at least came through in the late afternoon and not the middle of the night, I can't imagine the death toll had it done so!!

[Brent]

[brunota2003]

Wow! You can actually see the tornado tracks...unreal!

[badger70]

Wow! You can actually see the tornado tracks...unreal!

Just logged in to say the same thing. I'd hate to see the devastation in the cities hit.

[Brent]

Wow! You can actually see the tornado tracks...unreal!

Yes it is. I really want to go see it first hand once the dust settles.

Amazingly, as of now anyway, the official toll in Jefferson County where the Tuscaloosa tornado peaked(and likely the worst damage in the state) is under 20. That's nothing short of a miracle if it holds...

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 29, 2011, 3:00 am
Number of weather related fatalities climbs to 210
COUNTIES REPORTING DEATHS:
Bibb 1
Calhoun 9 (updated from 8 )
Cullman: 2
Dekalb 32 (updated from 36)
Elmore 6 (updated from 5)
Fayette 4 (updated from 2)
Franklin 27 (updated from 18)
Hale 4
Jackson 8
Jefferson 19 (updated from 14)
Lawrence 14 (updated from 12)
Limestone 3
Madison 7
Marion 3
Marshall 5
St. Clair 13
Tallapoosa 3
Tuscaloosa 36
Walker 14

[brunota2003]

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1131 AM CDT FRI APR 29 2011

...TODAY`S STORM SURVEY AND DAMAGE ASSESSMENT PLAN...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WILL CONTINUE THE ASSESSMENT
OF STORM DAMAGE FROM A TRAGICALLY HISTORIC DAY OF TORNADIC ACTIVITY
AND SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA ON WEDNESDAY APRIL 27TH. A
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED STORM DAMAGE EXPERT WILL ASSIST US IN EXAMINING
THE LOCATIONS OF THE MOST EXTREME DAMAGE TO ENSURE WE PROVIDE THE
MOST ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF THIS EVENT AS POSSIBLE. ADDITIONALLY...WE
WILL CONTINUE TO REVIEW THE RESULTS OF YESTERDAYS SURVEYS AND WILL
PUBLISH INFORMATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE SUMTER TO
SHELBY COUNTY SUPERCELL TRACKS.

AT THIS TIME...STORM SURVEYS ARE BEING PLANNED FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES:

TEAM ONE: JEFFERSON COUNTY EAST OF I-65 TO ST. CLAIR...CALHOUN AND
CHEROKEE COUNTIES SUPERCELL TRACK OUTBOUND. REVERSE ORDER
PLUS TUSCALOOSA COUNTY DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FROM THE MORNING
STORMS ON THE RETURN TRACK.

TEAM TWO: ELMORE/TALLAPOOSA/CHAMBERS COUNTY.

TEAM THREE: FOCUS ON EXTREME DAMAGE AREAS TO ASSESS MAGNITUDE...
STARTING IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.

...SURVEY RESULTS TO DATE...

...EVENT OVERVIEW...

THERE WERE TWO WAVES OF WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER. THE FIRST MOVED
THROUGH DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA PRODUCING WIDESPREAD DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS
AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE SECOND WAVE INVOLVED NUMEROUS SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORMS AND PRODUCED LONG LIVED...STRONG TO VIOLENT TORNADOES
ACROSS THE NORTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA...WITH WIDESPREAD
AND CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. AT THIS TIME ALL
RATINGS ARE PRELIMINARY.

TORNADO 1...SHOTTSVILLE TORNADO (MARION COUNTY)

PRELIMINARY DATA...
EVENT DATE: APRIL 27, 2011
EVENT TYPE: EF-3 TORNADO OR POTENTIALLY HIGHER (FURTHER EVALUATION
UNDERWAY)
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): AROUND 140
INJURIES/FATALITIES: AT LEAST 6 FATALITIES, SEVERAL INJURIES.
EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 34.1579/-88.1847 AT 357 PM
EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 34.3129/-87.9231 AT 420 PM
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 19.1 MILES IN MARION COUNTY
DAMAGE WIDTH: 3/4 MILE
NOTE: STARTED IN MISSISSIPPI AND CONTINUED INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED ACROSS MARION
COUNTY IMPACTING THE SHOTTSVILLE AREA. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT
THE DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH A TORNADO. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED
AROUND 140 MPH. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN SOMEWHERE IN MISSISSIPPI
AND WILL NEED TO BE DETERMINED BY THE NWS IN MEMPHIS, TN. THE
TORNADO MOVED INTO MARION COUNTY NEAR COUNTY ROAD 93 AND DRY CREEK
ROAD. A FEW STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED AND NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED
OFF AND UPROOTED IN THIS AREA. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD
AND CROSSED HIGHWAY 78/I-22 WEST OF HAMILTON NEAR THE BEXAR
COMMUNITY. THE TORNADO STRENGTHENED TO EF3 INTENSITY AS IT CROSSED
HIGHWAY 19 AND COUNTY ROAD 20 WHERE SEVERAL HOMES WERE DESTROYED AND
AT LEAST 6 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES. THE TORNADO THEN MOVED ACROSS
HIGHWAY 187 NEAR THE FRANKLIN COUNTY LINE. ALONG THE DAMAGE PATH...
HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE DOWNED...AT LEAST 25 HOMES, MOBILE HOMES AND
OUTBUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. AT LEAST FIVE OF THESE
STRUCTURES WERE COMPLETELY OBLITERATED. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER
EVALUATION DONE ON THE WORST DAMAGE POINTS THE NEXT FEW DAYS TO
DETERMINE IF THE RATING NEEDS TO BE INCREASED. THE DAMAGE PATH IN
MARION COUNTY WAS 19.1 MILES LONG AND WAS 3/4 OF MILE WIDE AT ITS
WIDEST POINT.

TORNADO 2...HACKLEBURG TORNADO (MARION COUNTY)

PRELIMINARY DATA...
EVENT DATE: APRIL 27, 2011
EVENT TYPE: EF-3 TORNADO OR POTENTIALLY HIGHER (FURTHER EVALUATION
UNDERWAY)
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): AT LEAST 180
INJURIES/FATALITIES: AT LEAST 25 FATALITIES. NUMEROUS INJURIES.
EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 34.0880/-88.1328 AT 305 PM
EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 34.3109/-87.7858 AT 328 PM
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 25.2 MILES IN MARION COUNTY
DAMAGE WIDTH: 3/4 MILE
NOTE: CONTINUED INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED DAMAGE ACROSS MARION
COUNTY IMPACTING THE HACKLEBURG AREA. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE
DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH A VIOLENT TORNADO. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED
AROUND 180 MPH. THE TORNADO APPEARED TO TOUCHDOWN SOUTHWEST OF
HAMILTON NEAR HIGHWAY 19 AND COUNTY ROAD 22. TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED
IN THIS AREA. THE TORNADO WIDENED CONSIDERABLY AND BECAME DEADLY
AS IT MOVED ALONG HIGHWAY 43 SOUTHWEST OF HACKLEBURG. THE
TORNADO MOVED INTO HACKLEBURG WHERE SEVERAL SUBDIVISIONS WERE
DESTROYED. THE HACKLEBURG HIGH SCHOOL AND THE WRANGLER PLANT WERE
DESTROYED. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST AND GENERALLY PARALLELED
HIGHWAY 43 AND MOVED TOWARD PHIL CAMPBELL WHERE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE
CONTINUED. ALONG THE DAMAGE PATH, THOUSANDS OF TREES WERE DOWNED...
SEVERAL HUNDRED STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED, AT LEAST 100 OF THESE
STRUCTURES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED AS MANY HOMES WERE LEVELED.
THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL EVALUATION DONE ON THE WORST DAMAGE POINTS
IN THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS TO DETERMINE IF THE RATING NEEDS TO BE
INCREASED.

TORNADO 3...HALEYVILLE (MARION/WINSTON COUNTIES)

PRELIMINARY DATA...
EVENT DATE: APRIL 27, 2011
EVENT TYPE: EF-3 TORNADO OR POTENTIALLY HIGHER (FURTHER EVALUATION
UNDERWAY)
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): AROUND 140
INJURIES/FATALITIES: AT LEAST 10 INJURIES.
EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 34.0289/-87.9421 AT 510 PM
EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 34.3057/-87.4973 AT 551 PM
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 31.8 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH: 3/4 MILE
NOTE: MAY HAVE CONTINUED INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED DAMAGE ACROSS MARION
AND WINSTON COUNTIES IMPACTING THE PEA RIDGE, WHITEHOUSE, THORNHILL
AND HALEYVILLE AREAS. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS
CONSISTENT WITH A TORNADO. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AROUND 140
MPH WITH ADDITIONAL EVALUATION UNDERWAY. THE TORNADO APPEARED TO
TOUCHDOWN SOUTH OF HAMILTON NEAR HIGHWAY 278, COUNTY ROAD 2 AND
PHILADELPHIA ROAD WHERE TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED. THE TORNADO TRACKED
NORTHEASTWARD AND STRENGTHENED NEAR THE PEA RIDGE AND WHITEHOUSE
COMMUNITIES. SEVERAL HOMES WERE DESTROYED AND SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE
INJURED. THE TORNADO PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE INTO THE
THORNHILL COMMUNITY AND SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PARTS OF HALEYVILLE
THE WINSTON FURNITURE COMPANY AND FONTAINE TRAILER COMPANY SUFFERED
EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. MANY HOMES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED OR WERE
DESTROYED. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO PRODUCE TREE DAMAGE AS IT
ENTERED THE FOREST AREA IN NORTHERN WINSTON COUNTY. IT APPEARED THE
TORNADO MAY HAVE CONTINUED INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY.

...ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...

SURVEYS WILL CONDUCTED ONCE AGAIN ON FRIDAY AS WELL SATURDAY. THE
ENTIRE PROCESS MAY TAKE UPWARDS OF TWO WEEKS. ANOTHER PLAN OF THE
DAY WILL ISSUED EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

MEDIA INQUIRIES CAN BE DIRECTED TOWARD WARNING COORDINATION
METEOROLOGIST JOHN DE BLOCK AT 205-664-3010...OR METEOROLOGIST IN
CHARGE JIM STEFKOVICH AT 205-585-8635.

A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
PROGRAM IS THE RECEIPT OF STORM REPORTS FROM ALL OUR CUSTOMERS AND
PARTNERS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. IF YOU WITNESSED OR ARE AWARE OF
ANY STORM DAMAGE DUE TO HIGH WINDS OR TORNADOES...PLEASE CONTACT
YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE...OR CALL OUR STORM REPORTING
HOTLINE AT 1-800-856-0758.

$$

LINHARES

[brunota2003]

"...the Flag was still there..."



Picture from the front page of FoxNews.com...

Photo out of Smithville, Miss., reveals catastrophic aftermath of deadly storms as displaced families across the South struggle to pick up the pieces.

[Brent]

I would not be surprised if Hackleburg is near EF5... the damage there looks just as bad as the west Birmingham area. There is ZERO doubt in my mind that West Birmingham was an EF5. Northern Calhoun looks like an EF4... Walker and Elmore/Tallapoosa at least EF3... it's just incredible how many violent tornadoes there were. Those were all separate tornadoes! Northern Calhoun was spawned by Birmingham though, but it lifted between places.

[Brent]

CBS 8 (Montgomery) and James Spann now both confirm Alabama death toll is now 228......

[srainhoutx]

Sadly, AP reporting death toll has passed the Super Outbreak of 1974.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/ ... TE=DEFAULT

[brunota2003]

Per this image, we had two tri-state tornadoes...though I'm suspicious of the northern one because of the line SE near Madison, Al...

[charlesw]

actually according to that map there is 3 tri-state tornadoes (there is one in NW GA that comes from AL into GA into TN

[brunota2003]

I saw that after posting it

[brunota2003]

There are no words to describe these scenes...quite literally the finger of God. EF5 damage from Smithville, Miss.:

[CrazyC83]

I drove past FOUR tornado scenes today...absolutely surreal. I have never seen anything like that in my life! I ended up donating money that would otherwise have been spent in theme parks for a regional agency in the hard-hit areas. Counting the one I was actually in, that is at least 5 tracks I have gone through.

[CrazyC83]

I wonder what lessons will be learned? I think the NWS Service Assessment will be a great read. I am sure there will be one, probably out in early 2012.

[vbhoutex]

Before and after: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/04/alabama_tornadoes_close-up_sat.html