Near Union at 4:50p.m. CDT, footage of the wedge tornado was captured by meteorologist John Oldshue during a storm chase for Birmingham ABC affiliate WBMA-LD/WCFT-TV/WJSU-TV (channels 58, 33, and 40 "ABC 33/40"), which broadcast Oldshue's live video of the tornado as he was tracking it outside of town. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. One fatality was reported in Coweta County, home to Newnan, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. 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. The storm injured more than 1,000 people as it tracked through three counties. The damage in the Fultondale area includedfoldedhighway light poles along the interstate, and roof damage to the Days Inn on U.S. Highway31. The emergency includes Montevallo, Wilton, and Calera, Ala. as the confirmed destructive tornado heads east at 50 mph. 11:20 a.m. - An EF-1 tornado touched down in Decatur Industrial Park, damaging roofs and leaving damage. Meanwhile, the wind shear environment became substantially more favorable as an 80100 kn mid-level jet ejected eastward into the region. 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. As it crossed Hurricane Creek, it tore apart a large metal railroad trestle, and a 34-tonne (74,957lb) metal truss support structure was thrown 100ft (30m) up on a nearby hill. The storms deadliness recalled an April 2011 tornado that killed 13 in Calhoun County, Brown said. DEVELOPING: Cahaba Valley FD says multiple people pulled from their homes in Eagle Point subdivision and hospitalized. [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 tally would only mount as the sun rose. The storm packed winds of 190 miles (310 kilometers per hour) and left a path of debris running southwest to northeast. Hurricane Preparedness It continued on into Jefferson County, crossing Interstate 65, slamming into Pleasant Grove, Concord and McDonald Chapel in Jefferson County. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. Thats an ominous atmospheric signal of a violent weather day. The following detailed information was obtained fromNWS survey teamdamage experts. 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. May 16, 2011: NASA has released a unique satellite image tracing the damage of a monster EF-4 tornado that tore through Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on April 27th. 6 on the list. Vehicles were also moved, albeit only several feet. [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]. The weather service said countless trees were snapped and uprooted as the tornado moved northeast toward the Elmore-Coosa county line at U.S. Highway 231. By the time the tornado lifted northeast of Birmingham, it had left behind a path of destruction of 80.7 miles (129.9km) through Greene, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties. The weather service said numerous homes were damaged -- some significantly -- on River Run Road and the adjacent side streets. The tornado is one of the 10 longest tornado tracks on record in Alabama, coming in at No. SPC Stats. Devastating images are coming in from tornado damage in the Birmingham, AL area. The track was about 12 miles long, and the tornado caused more than 20 deaths. Late Thursday evening, a third long-track tornadic storm developed near Wadley, Ala., about 60 miles northwest of Montgomery, and raced east-northeast into north Georgia, south of Atlanta. 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. A tornado warning is in effect until 2 p.m. for the general area. As the tornado approached Interstate 359, several buildings were destroyed including the Tuscaloosa County Emergency Operations Center. Several suburbs in the area sustained catastrophic damage from the tornado as it tore through the west side of Birmingham, resulting in twenty fatalities. [10][13][14][15] The tornado exited the Tuscaloosa area and weakened to low-end EF3 status while contracting back to .5 miles (0.80km) wide. Severe Storms. [10] The nearby Cedar Crest subdivision was devastated as numerous block-foundation homes were leveled. A warning is in effect for the storm until 2:45 p.m. 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. Tuscaloosa-area storm shelters, including those on the University of Alabama campus, will open when a tornado watch is issued, officials said. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Its just destruction in those areas, Brown said. In total, five fatalities occurred along Sandy Ridge Road at three separate homes, the weather service said. The tornado has a history of producing damage as it tracked from just south of Tuscaloosa to just south and east of Birmingham. 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. in Greene County. The volume of snapped trees was enough to assign an EF-3 rating for this segment of the tornados path, the weather service said. 4:43 p.m. - A large supercell beginning in Mississippi dropped an EF-4 tornado packing winds of up to 190 m.p.h. The start point is based on aerial survey, while the end location was determined by a ground crew. He was thrown 100 yards into the field next to his home. Along the same stretch, the bodies of a man and woman were blown almost 100 feet from their mobile home. Then, as the lower atmosphere is heated, the cap will break allowing storms to explosively develop. 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 storm will likely across Interstate 65 south of Birmingham a little before 1:30 p.m. Tornado debris signature has returned, near West Blocton. The mayor of Tuscaloosa estimated the cost of clearing the debris to be between $70 and $100 million. The tornado killed 64 people, including six University of Alabama students. The storm cut an 80-mile path of destruction through the heart of Tuscaloosa, killing 44 people, including six University of Alabama students. Alabama was hit the worst, with the first reported tornado hitting Marion and others hitting Tuscaloosa, Chilton County, and other locales. The tornado continues to loft massive amounts of debris into the air, which is being detected by radar. It also was similar to the path. Yall please stay safe and vigilant!. Acquired May 4, 2011, this false-color image shows a tornado track near Birmingham, Alabama. The tornado crossed McFarland Blvd, where destroyed additional stores and restaurants. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 2:30 p.m.: Tornado warning for Meridian, Miss. The weather service said that radar showed a debris ball in southern Coosa County which matched ground observation of a wide area of snapped pine trees on either side of McKissick Road between the communities of Speed and Equality. 6:14 a.m. - The damage reached Odenville in St. Clair County, where an EF-2 tornado damaged several homes, including multi-story brick structures. Show more Show more. Tornado Database Clarence Davis, 73, was standing outside his house on Closhire Drive after debris was dumped in his yard. Acquired May 7, 2011, this natural-color image shows part of a tornado track near the town of Berry, Alabama. At least one death occurred here. The storms had cut power to over 35,000 customers in Alabama. Special thanks to Sergeant Rocco Renno of the Hoover Police Department and Officer Chad Allinder of the Jefferson County Sherrif's Department for their assistance withground damage surveys in the Birmingham area. Additional twister potential sets up into eastern Mississippi. At least five manufactured homes were blown away with their frames thrown considerable distances, the weather service said. 8:12 p.m. - An EF-4 tornado killed nine along a 44-mile path through Elmore, Tallapoosa and Chambers counties in the Lake Martin area. Linhares added that using that definition, 95 of 2,505 tornadoes, or 3.8 percent, qualify as long-track tornadoes. Not surprisingly, several of them happened during the superoutbreak of April 27, 2011. 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. A total of 20 people were killed throughout Birmingham and its surrounding suburbs. On one road after another, pieces of buildings, furniture, appliances and trees were strewn about and vehicles came to rest in awkward positions . DO NOT stay in a mobile home when a watch is issued. 0:38 Nearly a decade has passed since the deadliest tornado in Tuscaloosa's history carved a 5.9-mile path of destruction through the city, though for most people who lived through that storm. Winter Weather, About Us No one was home thank God. Tornado: Where: highest chances west of I65 When: Monday and Tuesday Wind: What: Winds up to 40 mph Where: highest chances west of I65 Flash Flood Warnings Nine were in central Alabama, one was in north Alabama, one was in southeast Alabama and three were in southwest Alabama. 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). YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. A nearby manhole cover was removed from its drain and thrown into a ravine. Meteorologists have rated the tornado that took seven lives in Autauga County on Jan. 12 an EF-3, with top winds estimated at 150 mph in spots along its path. Air Quality Only piles of debris were left on the foundation. Public Information Statement Twenty-nine of them left storm tracks covering more than 690 miles. 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. 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. (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. The weather service has a list of the longest tracks for tornadoes in Alabama. In all, 299 Alabamians were killed in the outbreak. The effects of the tornado arguably contributed to a decrease in affordable housing in what has been called "an uneven recovery" for Tuscaloosa.[25]. That chilly upper-level air will foster rising motion and widespread storms, while a change of wind speed and/or direction with height imparted by the jet stream will cause them to spin. The tornado warning for Shelby and Talladega Counties has been cancelled. Regional Weather Roundup This is a particularly dangerous situation, the Weather Service warned. Non-Precipitation Warnings Damage at the beginning of the path ranged from EF1 to EF2. The tornado entered Tuscaloosa County just north of CR 60, west northwest of Ralph, and moved northeast causing tree damage and minor structural damage consistent with an EF2 rating and winds of 125 mph. Detailed damage inspection has revealed a maximum of EF-4 damage east of Holt, near Concord, and the Pleasant Grove areas. 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. The same rotating storm that produced numerous tornado touch downs in north central Alabama crossed the border into northwest Georgia, prompting a tornado warning for the area around Rome and just to the south. The Bethel Baptist Church also sustained significant damage to its roof, though the main structure of the building was still intact. Severe Storms. Fire Weather The tornado killed seven people and injured several others and caused widespread damage along its long path. Aviation Weather, Climate and Past Weather Past Events 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. 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. Early reports indicated 65 people were killed, with over 1,000 injured. However, with only manufactured homes in the path, there appear to be no damage indicators that will allow a higher rating.. It had top winds of 150 mph in several spots along its long path. #alwx #tornado #ohatchee pic.twitter.com/bPorzsebOY. Radar indicates a possible tornado developing just west of Meridian, Miss., which is under a tornado warning until 3:30 p.m. 2:15 p.m.: Dangerous long-track tornado racing east of Birmingham; Meteorologist James Spanns house damaged. 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. Several injuries were noted in this area. 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. Massive amounts of debris were left on the University of Alabama tuscaloosa alabama tornado path coming in at No next to home. 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