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. But even the interlude between the two waves produced damage. Video from Ohatchee, AL where multiple fatalities have occurred. The supercell that produced the Tuscaloosa/Birmingham tornado may have had potentially record-breaking longevity as that particular storm traveled more than 280 miles across five states from Mississippi to North Carolina, with damage reported . It was right in my face, he said. The start point is based on aerial survey, while the end location was determined by a ground crew. After the tornado moved through the McDonald Chapel area, it moved into the area of Smithfield Estates, with significant home damage along Cherry Avenue between Daniel Payne Drive and Veterans Memorial Drive. The tornado crossed through the Pine Flat community, damaging more homes, and a manufactured home was rolled and destroyed. A Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) tornado watch has been issued for portions of eastern Mississippi into the northwestern half of Alabama, far northwest Georgia, and far southern Tennessee until 8PM CDT/9PM EDT. Severe storms and flash flooding, somewhat less intense than those earlier in the day, continued Thursday night. Regional Weather Roundup The coverage and intensity of storms, from Alabama and Georgia, into the Tennessee Valley and western Carolinas, should decrease some overnight as the activity gradually shifts eastward, but storms that produce pockets of damaging winds or even additional tornadoes are not out of the question. (2011, May 3). If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. One home on a foundation was swept clean, with only floor joists remaining attached to the foundation. The basics of personal finance, like How to save for a house. Figure out your next step toward financial freedom. The deadliest tornado outbreak since 1974 hit the United States on April 27, 2011. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Some additional EF0 to EF1 damage occurred before the tornado dissipated two miles north of Tarrant. The tornado killed seven people and injured several others and caused widespread damage along its long path. 2:43 p.m. - An EF-4 tornado cut through the heart of downtown Cullman, damaging more than 800 homes and 94 businesses, altering the cityscape before continuing on into Morgan and Marshall counties. The National Weather Service rated this tornado at EF4, with winds around 175 miles per hour, said local news reports. Multiple locations were found. pic.twitter.com/ByAPwZ6JJK, 7:00 p.m.: Risk of tornadoes and severe weather lower but not eliminated into the evening. Light poles were damaged along Interstate 65, and a Days Inn and several other commercial buildings sustained major damage along US 31 before the tornado began to rapidly narrow and weaken. Graphical Forecasts 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. 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. It had top winds of 150 mph in several spots along its long path. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. It was taken from the University Mall parking lot. 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. They need to have a plan in place NOW which includes having multiple ways to get warning information and [knowing] where to take shelter should a tornado warning be issued for their location., The sentiment was echoed by other Weather Service offices and broadcast meteorologists, the Weather Service in Birmingham writing the synoptic pattern checks nearly all the boxes for a Deep South/Tennessee Valley outbreak., Their neighboring office in Huntsville described the air mass as very unstable and downright volatile, while the Storm Prediction Center called the environment for violent, tornadic storms as uncommon, upper echelon.. (Patch.com) TUSCALOOSA, AL The National Weather Service has issued a . [8:05 PM]: An EF-1 tornado was confirmed by @NWSHuntsville meteorologists today across portions of Lawrence, Morgan, And Limestone counties. 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). 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. SPC Stats. It then went on to impact parts of Birmingham at high-end EF4 intensity before dissipating. The South is an area known for systematic vulnerability to severe weather and tornadoes. 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 tornado ripped the steeple from a Marshall County church, destroyed chicken houses near Albertville, and damaged homes and trailers in more than five counties in northeast Alabama. But weather forecasters were already warning of worse to come that afternoon. He checked on his family and is still going forward to help inform viewers. Multiple rounds of intense supercell thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and early evening, with the potential for long-track strong to violent tornadoes, the Storm Prediction Center wrote. The large tornado that passed south of Tuscaloosa is now roaring east into the zone about 40 miles south of Birmingham where a tornado emergency is in effect until 6 p.m. The Storm Prediction Centers language in its forecast discussion is even stronger compared with the high-risk event last week, signaling the significant potential for an extreme event. Along the way, it stripped a school bus down to its chassis. A four-sided brick home in the same areaonly lost a roof and no exterior walls, which is indicative of EF-2 damage. See all of AL.coms April 27, 2011 anniversary coverage here. Here is how the storms developed that day. Thats an ominous atmospheric signal of a violent weather day. He also recommended having multiple ways to receive storm warnings and not to rely on tornado sirens, which often cannot be heard indoors. [1] As a shortwave trough tracked across portions of the Mid-South and southeastern United States, moderate instability and strong wind shear ahead of a trailing cold front was expected to promote the development of supercell thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds. The tornado continued to Holt Lock and Dam Road near its intersection with Recreation Area Road. In April 2011, one of the most devastating tornado outbreaks in the history of Alabama left an unprecedented path of destruction through the City of Tuscaloosa. 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. Here are the longest tornado tracks on record in Alabama. 6 on the list. 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.. Severe Weather Videos The storm is sweeping northeast at 40 mph and is expected to pass very close to Pell City momentarily. Similar devastation to homes and businesses was noted along both sides of CR 45 near 1st St E. and locations to the northeastward. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. 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. Winding and meandering road networks make it impossible to escape a tornado if youre caught on the roadways, too. One of the cities hit hardest was Tuscaloosa, Ala. A nearly mile wide tornado cut a path though the town, killing 53 people, and injuring 1200 more. [10][20][21][22] President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama visited Tuscaloosa on April 29, taking a ground tour of some of the affected areas. 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. 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. Twenty-nine of them left storm tracks covering more than 690 miles. This was the third tornado to strike the city of Tuscaloosa in the past decade, and the second in two weeks. Tuscaloosa, AL F4 Tornado - February 23, 1975 Published by Jen Narramore on February 23, 2019 Stats Path length: 14.4 miles Width: 500 yards Fatalities: 1 Injuries: 49 Rating: F4 County: Tuscaloosa Tornado Path Click Map To Enlarge SPC coordinates: Start: 33.08 / -87.60 End: 33.25 / -87.45 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. The tornado crossed Holt Peterson Rd just northwest of Clinker Rd, where two homes were completely destroyed. NOAA National Weather Service. Entire neighborhoods are leveled. Based on the damage scene and contextual evidence, it is plausible that winds were stronger, the weather service said. Then they went outside to see home after home, destroyed. Noon: Particularly dangerous situation tornado watch issued. National Weather Service meteorologists have surveyed the massive damage associated with this long track violent tornado, by ground and air. In the Concord area, the tornado became violent once again with total destruction noted to a few small retail shops along County Road 46. After three hours of peril, the first wave of storms begin dissipating around 7:30 a.m., with barns, homes and structures reporting damage as far east at DeKalb County. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. This is a particularly dangerous situation, the Weather Service warned. Flood/River Flood Warnings, Productos en Espaol 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. 869K views 9 years ago. It continued on into Jefferson County, crossing Interstate 65, slamming into Pleasant Grove, Concord and McDonald Chapel in Jefferson County. 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. 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. Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States on April 29, 2011 The scar across Tuscaloosa, one of two metropolitan areas this tornado devastated. 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. Forecast Discussion Running roughly parallel to the tornado track is a contrail from a plane. Police were using the Sawmeal Restaurant as a checkpoint for southbound travelers, turning back the majority who did not live in the area. Public Information Statement Share. Devastating images are coming in from tornado damage in the Birmingham, AL area. To the east of US-31, the damage quickly diminished from EF-2 intensity to EF-1 and EF-0. It is one of the costliest tornadoes on record. The effects of the tornado arguably contributed to a decrease in affordable housing in what has been called "an uneven recovery" for Tuscaloosa.[25]. Less than a month later, however, this number was surpassed by the Joplin, Missouri EF5 tornado, which caused $2.8 billion in damage. PLEASE TAKE COVER if you are in the path of this storm! Flood Products Description The tornado continued northeast, causing sporadic EF-1 timber damage as it crossed U.S. Highway 280. Words simply can't adequately describe what . Winter Weather Warnings The Weather Service had already received reports of 24 twisters, 59 instances of damaging winds, and 49 reports of large hail. We dug out, Dobbs said. Winter Products Description. 3:06 p.m. - An EF-4 tornado struck in Pickensville and Cordova, killing 10 people and destroying homes and vehicles along a 123-mile path. April 27, 2011 Tornado outbreak remembered. Current Hazards (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.). DEVELOPING: Cahaba Valley FD says multiple people pulled from their homes in Eagle Point subdivision and hospitalized. The storms had cut power to over 35,000 customers in Alabama. LARGE tornado debris signature continues on storm in Hale County, northeast of Greensboro. Daily Rainfall Plots 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. [5] At 1:45p.m. CDT (18:45 UTC), a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) tornado watch was issued for much of Alabama, northwest Georgia, southeast Mississippi, and southern middle Tennessee, with a >95% probability of at least two tornadoes and one or more strong tornadoes. As the tornado approached Interstate 359, several buildings were destroyed including the Tuscaloosa County Emergency Operations Center. The tan-toned, debris-filled path passes through the center of town, affecting both commercial and residential properties. Along 15th St E. and McFarland Blvd E., several small restaurants and stores were destroyed, with only a wall or two still standing. 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. 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. Heres a look at tornado reports from Thursday from the National Weather Service. University of Alabama Tuscaloosa 301 ROSE ADMIN BLDG TUSCALOOSA AL US 35487-0001 (205)348-5152: Sponsor Congressional District: 07: Primary Place of Performance: University of Alabama Tuscaloosa 801 University Blvd. In all, 299 Alabamians were killed in the outbreak. Severe Storms. 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. The tornado lifted just to the west of Alabama Highway 79, about 2 miles north of the city of Tarrant, though the storm was not done. Tornado Alley in the Plains is an outdated concept. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The tornado warning for Shelby and Talladega Counties has been cancelled. Climate change may have fueled Alabama storms, experts say, Selma woman who found children after tornado: It was a 100% God thing. It continued on, with wind speeds reaching 210 mph, leaving a trail of devastation in Phil Campbell and Tanner. 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. Dramatic video has emerged of the twister as it passed southeast of Birmingham near Eagle Point about 90 minutes ago: This terrifying video was taken at Griffin Park at Eagle Point near Lee Branch and US-280. Yet to be added to the list is the Jan. 12, 2023, Old Kingston-Lake Martin tornado, with an updated track length of 82.31 miles. The tornado crossed Highway 63 South and neared the Wind Creek State Park area. Winter Weather, About Us The National Weather Service has spent the past few days tracing the path of Alabama's deadliest tornado since 2019. #HUNwx pic.twitter.com/wyBjSkmRCp. As its path narrowed to 0.5 mile, the tornado passed north of Brookwood, near the intersection of Hannah Creek Rd and CR 59. Storms will swarm during much of the day before winding down and exiting east late Thursday night. Probably the closest video to the storm your going to see.. 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