The tornados 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. According to the National Weather Service in Birmingham, the Autauga tornado was on the ground for an hour and 20 minutes. In Florence, in the northwest corner of the state, a police officer was struck by lighting while setting up street barricades. He also recommended having multiple ways to receive storm warnings and not to rely on tornado sirens, which often cannot be heard indoors. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Video of damage in Columbiana, Alabama. Less than a month later, however, this number was surpassed by the Joplin, Missouri EF5 tornado, which caused $2.8 billion in damage. Severe Safety w/ ASL That is until about 5 p.m., when a monster tornado emerged in the southwest corner of Tuscaloosa and quickly began a mile-wide path of carnage. Flight Center. The South is even more vulnerable, research shows. Office History [7] Shortly thereafter, at 3:09p.m. CDT (20:09 UTC), the National Weather Service office in Jackson, Mississippi issued the first tornado warning on the supercell that would eventually produce the TuscaloosaBirmingham tornado.[8]. On April 27, 2011, a devastating tornado tore through Tuscaloosa, Alabama. On December 16, 2000, a destructive tornado outbreak hit the Southeastern United States, from Mississippi to North Carolina.The most significant tornado of the outbreak occurred in communities south and east of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.The F4 tornado killed 11 people and injured more than 125 others; it was the strongest tornado to hit the state of Alabama in the month of December since 1950. December 16, 2012 Tony Lyza. The collected donations included toiletries, nonperishable food, bottled water, diapers, clean-up supplies and much more. All rights reserved (About Us). The tornado was radar-indicated with no confirmation as of yet. At 12:30 p.m. the Weather Service issued a particularly dangerous situation tornado warning for a confirmed large and very dangerous tornado about 15 miles southeast of Tuscaloosa. It passed within a half mile of the Tuscaloosa Police Department Headquarters, forcing the evacuation of the dispatch personnel from the third floor offices until the storm passed. Davis ran inside and sheltered with his family until the storm passed. BE A HERO: You can really help us today. By the time that tornado lifted just north of downtown Birmingham, it had covered 80.3 miles, reached up to about 1.5 miles wide, killed 64 people, injured over 1500, and caused . 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. More photos of severe damage are emerging from the long-track tornadic storm which has cut across central Alabama. Initially over West and Southwest Alabama Monday, and statewide Monday night and Tuesday." The National Weather Service in Birmingham issues the following guidelines for our coverage area. 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. Kay Ivey said in a statement that she has received reports of loss of life., Significant and dangerous weather continues to impact portions of Alabama, and I urge all folks in the path of these tornadoes and storm systems to remain on high alert, she said. Meteorologists found at least EF-3 damage in the Kingston area of Autauga County, where seven people have died, and at least EF-2 damage in the Selma area. Alabama was hit the worst, with the first reported tornado hitting Marion and others hitting Tuscaloosa, Chilton County, and other locales. Numerous other homes in the area were destroyed with only a few interior walls left standing. 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. Tree trunks were snapped relatively close to the ground, and the bark was ripped from them. Words simply can't adequately describe what . Share. Police were using the Sawmeal Restaurant as a checkpoint for southbound travelers, turning back the majority who did not live in the area. The tornado continued northeastward out of the Concord area and into the Pleasant Grove community. Winter Weather, About Us Flood Products Description The storm travelled approximately 132 miles through six counties, killing 72 people and inflicting $1.2 billion in damage. The storm was racing off to the northeast at 45 mph, in the general direction of Birminghams southern suburbs, which it may approach in about 45 minutes. The tornado continued northeast to County Road 42, causing massive tree damage along Autauga Creek. 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. 6:25 p.m.: Tornado warning discontinued for twister that tracked south of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. At least five people were killed as destructive tornadoes slammed north central Alabama on March 25. [24] It caused approximately $2.4 billion of property damage, surpassing the 1999 Bridge CreekMoore tornado as the costliest single tornado in United States history at that time. The volume of snapped trees was enough to assign an EF-3 rating for this segment of the tornados path, the weather service said. 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. 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. Posted Wed, Mar 30, 2022 at 9:06 pm CT | Updated Wed, Mar 30, 2022 at 10:06 pm CT. Many stations, including WIAT, the WBMA trimulcast, CBS affiliate WTVY (channel 4) in Dothan and NBC affiliate WSFA (channel 12) in Montgomery, showed television cameras capturing the event as the tornado which appeared wider than its estimated width during that section of the path as the condensation funnel was partially obscured by a debris cloud and a dense rain shaft moved east-northeast across the western and northern suburbs of Birmingham at high-end EF4 strength around 6:00p.m. CDT (23:00 UTC). 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. The supercell produced a large wedge tornado in rural Greene County, Alabama, which tracked towards the adjacent Tuscaloosa County at EF2 intensity, uprooting numerous trees and causing minor damage to structures. Drought Monitor Special Weather Statements Running roughly parallel to the tornado track is a contrail from a plane. Theyll probably clear Mississippi by sunset and plow through Alabama and eastern Tennessee after dark while diminishing in intensity, although at least some isolated severe weather risk will remain. The large tornado that was on the ground about 30 to 40 miles south of both Tuscaloosa and Birmingham lifted and the warning for the storm discontinued around 6:15 p.m. And just like that -- it's gone! 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. Alabama was hit the worst, with the first reported tornado hitting Marion and others hitting Tuscaloosa, Chilton County, and other locales. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Tornado Alley in the Plains is an outdated concept. The tornado occurred between 8:09 AM to 8:45 AM this morning and had a path length of just over 30 miles! No Excuses! tweeted Dan Satterfield, a meteorologist who spent years in Birmingham covering severe weather outbreaks. Specific threats will depend on where one is in relation to the overarching storm system, but storms are expected to be both unusually widespread and intense across a large swath of area. His girlfriend, Ashley Harrison, who was huddle in a closet with him was ripped from his arms. A tornado killed at least five people in Calhoun County, Ala., located between Birmingham and the Georgia border. And, if they fall in a tornado warning polygon, call them or text them to let them know about the threat! Winter Weather Warnings It was here in McDonald Chapel where evidence of a slight weakening of the tornado became clear. That was certainly the same parent storm that produced what is likely to be more than one tornado along its trek across our area, weather service meteorologist Gerald Satterwhite said Friday via email. They call this tornado alley, you know? Brown said. 4:30 a.m.- Tornadoes begin crossing over from Mississippi and firing along a line stretching from Pickens County to Fayette County, causing damage to homes, power lines and felling trees. Radar showed rotation associated with a confirmed large tornado about 20 miles east of Birmingham. 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. Everyone in northeast Bibb County needs to be in a safe location NOW! April 27, 2011 Tornado outbreak remembered. On the street corners and in the neighborhoods, thousands of citizens transformed into heroes by aiding the injured, searching for the missing, clearing debris, and volunteering from dawn to dusk. It had a track of 139.10 miles, according to weather service data. through north central Alabama to just northeast of Rome, Ga. (see 3:55 p.m. update) has generated several areas of rotation, prompting both tornado and flash flood warnings. The frame of a manufactured home was thrown 250 yards and into a field. (The National Weather Service in Birmingham issued an update on Jan. 18, saying damage near the Independence community in Autauga County led to the path length being extended from the previous 76 miles.). The suburbs of Concord, Pleasant Grove, and McDonald Chapel, along with residential areas in northern Birmingham itself, were devastated. Its a call to prepare. Thats an ominous atmospheric signal of a violent weather day. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Severe Storms, Image of the Day in Greene County. Half of those were in the state of Alabama including the strongest of the day. Rivers and Lakes 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 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. Tornado Warnings Video from Ohatchee, AL where multiple fatalities have occurred. CoCoRaHS, Local Research and Outreach The path was a familiar one to Tuscaloosa County residents, as it followed closely to that of a tornado that had struck in March 2000 and killed one person. #HUNwx pic.twitter.com/wyBjSkmRCp. The tornado killed 64 people, including six University of Alabama students. The tornado crossed the intersection of 15th Street and McFarland Boulevard, and numerous businesses and restaurants near the University Mall were completely flattened at low-end EF4 strength, and vehicles were either tossed around or destroyed. Two happened on March 30, 2022. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Winding and meandering road networks make it impossible to escape a tornado if youre caught on the roadways, too. US Dept of Commerce (Video: Cesar Villasenor via Storyful), Storm updates between Thursday afternoon and evening. Coverage of the April 27, 2011 Tuscaloosa, Alabama tornado. The watch, reserved for the most serious severe weather situations, calls for numerous tornadoes and several intense tornadoes, widespread damaging wind gusts up to 80 mph, and widespread large hail. Winter Weather, Special Programs He checked on his family and is still going forward to help inform viewers. But even the interlude between the two waves produced damage. Tornado damage in Old Kingston and Marbury,AL. The Old Kingston-Lake Martin tornado was one of 14 tornadoes that hit Alabama on Jan. 12. In all, 240 people died and more than 2,000 people were injured. If you cant do that in just three or four minutes, relocate to somewhere you can high-risk days are when you want to be close to a shelter at all times. The storms deadliness recalled an April 2011 tornado that killed 13 in Calhoun County, Brown said. Acquired May 4, 2011, this false-color image shows a tornado track near Birmingham, Alabama. Here is how the storms developed that day. It spawned a few tornadoes in Texas on Wednesday and is set to unleash vicious weather across the South. 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. Only piles of debris were left on the foundation. I dont know how.. 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tuscaloosa alabama tornado path