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). Regional Highs/Lows/Rainfall, Forecasts The storm cut an 80-mile path of destruction through the heart of. At least 30 people were injured as the tornado carved a 10-mile (16-kilometer) path through Birmingham's northern suburbs, an area severely damaged by a much larger tornado a decade ago. CoCoRaHS, Local Research and Outreach The tornado continued northeastward out of the Concord area and into the Pleasant Grove community. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. At least five people were killed as destructive tornadoes slammed north central Alabama on March 25. Residents across the Deep South NEED to prepare for significant weather today, including the very real potential for violent, long track tornadoes, wrote the Weather Service office in Jackson, Miss. This is from Lake Purdy, AL of homes totaled by the storm #ALwx #tornado pic.twitter.com/mIs1MClZJI. The tornado weakened more as it neared Highway 77 and dissipated shortly after crossing County Road 114. No Excuses! tweeted Dan Satterfield, a meteorologist who spent years in Birmingham covering severe weather outbreaks. [10][18], The National Weather Service determined the path length of this violent tornado to be 80.68 miles (129.84km) with a maximum damage path width of 1.5 miles (2.4km), or 2,600 yards (2,400m). DEVELOPING: Cahaba Valley FD says multiple people pulled from their homes in Eagle Point subdivision and hospitalized. SPC Stats. The South is an area known for systematic vulnerability to severe weather and tornadoes. A four-sided brick home in the same areaonly lost a roof and no exterior walls, which is indicative of EF-2 damage. 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. The tornado strengthened as it crossed the Black Warrior River, north of Interstate 20 and approached Tuscaloosa to a violent EF4 with winds of 170 mph. 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. The National Weather Service rated this tornado at EF4, with winds around 175 miles per hour, said local news reports. As the tornado moved across a coal yard in this area, a 35.8-tonne (78,925lb) coal car was thrown 391ft (119m) through the air. The tornado that killed seven people in Autauga County had a path that was 82 miles long and stretched through several counties. By the time the tornado reachedInterstate 65, it was evident that the storm was losing its energy. Flash Flood Warnings Know the location of the nearest shelter, or business that is open 24/7, wrote James Spann, a veteran meteorologist at ABC 33/40 in Birmingham known for walking Alabamians through scores of historic 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. 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. DO NOT stay in a mobile home when a watch is issued. Forecast Discussion NWS Birmingham, Alabama465 Weathervane RoadCalera, AL 35040205-664-3010Comments? ON TV: Witness: Tornado Swarm 2011 airs Sunday, May 29, 9 p.m. ET/PT >>. --> https://t.co/rfXDGIvRHe (Source: Matt Williams) pic.twitter.com/LNlh3fucvz, 2:35 p.m.: Significant tornado damage southeast of Birmingham. 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. Several mobile homes were destroyed, cinder block homes received heavy damage, and significant tree damage was noted in this area. 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. Microbursts The basics of personal finance, like How to save for a house. Figure out your next step toward financial freedom. Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States on April 29, 2011 The scar across Tuscaloosa, one of two metropolitan areas this tornado devastated. 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. 3:05 p.m. - A wicked EF-5 tornado slammed into Hackleburg, destroying subdivisions, Hackleburg High School and the Wrangler Plant. pic.twitter.com/kcS53FPPkX. One of the survivors, Kelly Dobbs, made it through the collapse of a Hackleburg pharmacy where she worked that day, summing up the fine line between devastation and survival. Alabama was hit the worst, with the first reported tornado hitting Marion and others hitting Tuscaloosa, Chilton County, and other locales. Acquired May 2, 2011, this natural-color image shows a tornado track through Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in the wake of a series of violent storms in the U.S. Southeast. Special Weather Statements On April 27, 2011, a devastating tornado tore through Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Twenty-four tornadoes were confirmed on December 16, 2000. Some additional EF0 to EF1 damage occurred before the tornado dissipated two miles north of Tarrant. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Video from Ohatchee, AL where multiple fatalities have occurred. (Video: Cesar Villasenor via Storyful), Storm updates between Thursday afternoon and evening. NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1 team. Randy Robbins, a survivor of the Tuscaloosa storm, made it through, with the storm ripping his jeans, watch, glasses, and shirt from his body, leaving only his boxers, a silver cross necklace and his iPhone remaining in his right hand. The National Weather Service has spent the past few days tracing the path of Alabama's deadliest tornado since 2019. Meanwhile, radar indicated a rotating thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado over northeastern Birmingham at 4:45 p.m., sprinting northeast at 55 mph. Our Office, Education Please try another search. Storms will swarm during much of the day before winding down and exiting east late Thursday night. It's hard to forget the gut-wrenching moments of 27 April 2011 when a massive EF4 tornado tore across the city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Tornadoes probably will not be readily visible because of heavy rain, fog and low overcast. 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. More damage continued to the northeast along County Road 140, where two people were killed in separate homes at the eastern end of the road. The Storm Prediction Center said it would like issue a new tornado watch for the northern two-third of Alabama into the nighttime hours. 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. WATCH: Drone footage shows Alabama tornado devastation in Selma The weather service in Birmingham released some preliminary results early Friday afternoon. December 16, 2012 Tony Lyza. He checked on his family and is still going forward to help inform viewers. One fatality occurred at the destroyed mobile home seen at about :27 seconds in. Early reports indicated 65 people were killed, with over 1,000 injured. 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. The tornado moved parallel to Hannah Creek Rd where it caused extensive tree damage and destroyed at least one mobile home. The National Weather Service on Friday said it is continuing to assess the damage across the state and is working to confirm just how powerful the storms were. As the tornado approached Interstate 359, several buildings were destroyed including the Tuscaloosa County Emergency Operations Center. By the time the tornado reachedInterstate 65, it was evident that the storm was losing its energy. Incredibly sad looking at this radar data and seeing the debris signature triple in size after passing over/near #Columbiana Alabama #tornadooutbreak pic.twitter.com/ge7gY5iLWE, 5:30 p.m.: Tornado emergency for areas about 40 miles south of Birmingham. A single tornado may account for multiple reports along its path. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Spann also called for Alabamians to be a hero to call or text others to make sure theyre aware of the severe weather threat. Social media photos show severe damage to homes in Eagle Point, which is near Meadowbrook, Ala. and about 10 miles southeast of Birmingham. However, the same parent storm is responsible for both areas of damage. Based on the damage scene and contextual evidence, it is plausible that winds were stronger, the weather service said. On May 2, 2011, the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASAs Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured this natural-color image of the tornado track through Tuscaloosa. [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. No vehicles were tossed, only pushed slightly from their original position. "Just as cities and towns from all over Alabama came together to support Tuscaloosa in the aftermath of the devastating April 27, 2011 tornado, the City of Tuscaloosa will support the City of Selma on their road to recovery," Mayor Walt Maddox said when the drive was . pic.twitter.com/efdr6wVo9S. 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. Numerous mobile homes and several cinder block homes were destroyed in this area, which resulted in several fatalities. 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 storm, at one point, was 1.5 miles wide. At least five manufactured homes were blown away with their frames thrown considerable distances, the weather service said. Just downstream, several manufactured homes in a cluster were shredded and thrown considerable distances, the weather service said. Fire Weather As of 615 pm , there are currently no active warnings in effect in central Alabama. A long-track, destructive tornado continues plowing east, south of Birmingham, where a tornado emergency, the most severe alert for twisters, is in effect until 6:30 p.m. It turns out another tornado from Thursday would also qualify as a long-track storm: The EF-1 twister that left a 30.4-mile-long track through parts of Lawrence, Morgan and Limestone counties in northwest Alabama. April 27, 2011 Tornado outbreak remembered. The tornado continued northeastward and weakened to an EF3 rating with winds of 130 mph. Several injuries were noted in this area. To get the best experience possible, please download a compatible browser. The swarm of storms came after roughly 50 tornadoes tore through the region last week. Extent of injuries unknown. Reply. This tornado was produced by a supercell thunderstorm that began in Newton County Mississippi at 2:54 pm CDT, and finally dissipated in Macon County, North Carolina at approximately 10:18 pm CDT. LARGE tornado debris signature continues on storm in Hale County, northeast of Greensboro. 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. Thats an ominous atmospheric signal of a violent weather day. The effects of the tornado arguably contributed to a decrease in affordable housing in what has been called "an uneven recovery" for Tuscaloosa.[25]. For example, from Thursday's storms, there are just over 30 tornado reports in Alabama. More than a dozen tornadoes were reported across Alabama on Thursday. Looking at the statistics gives only the barest idea of what occurred. [5][6], Shortly before 12:00 CDT, the probability of tornadoes within 25 miles of a location was increased even further to 45%, a level exceeding even typical high risk standards, for an area including Tuscaloosa. Police were using the Sawmeal Restaurant as a checkpoint for southbound travelers, turning back the majority who did not live in the area. 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. Storm Data #alwx pic.twitter.com/Kfgmey9oKW, 12:30 p.m.: "[C]onfirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado south of Tuscaloosa. Tornado now confirmed by radar, and some tree damage reported in the same area. 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 following detailed information was obtained fromNWS survey teamdamage experts. 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. Caption by Michon Scott. Radar suggested the storm crossed Interstate 65 around 1:30 p.m. and was between Meadowbrook and Chelsea at 1:40 p.m. A tornado emergency is issued in the most urgent particularly dangerous situations which the Weather Service deems life-threatening., TORNADO EMERGENCY! NOAA Weather Radio 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. The tornado is one of the 10 longest tornado tracks on record in Alabama, coming in at No. Everyone in northeast Bibb County needs to be in a safe location NOW! The volume of snapped trees was enough to assign an EF-3 rating for this segment of the tornados path, the weather service said. #alwx pic.twitter.com/U6DpeZeXIq, 6:00 p.m.: Tornado emergency extended into Columbiana and Wilsonville, about 30 miles southeast of Birmingham. A massive tornado . A pickup truck was thrown 120 yards to the northeast, and a shallow crater was formed where it landed. Severe Storms, Image of the Day This article was published more than1 year ago. The track was about 12 miles long, and the tornado caused more than 20 deaths. The particularly dangerous situation tornado watch issued signaled a high-end threat and the possibility of intense tornadoes. Posted Wed, Mar 30, 2022 at 9:06 pm CT | Updated Wed, Mar 30, 2022 at 10:06 pm CT. Meanwhile, the Weather Service issued a special bulletin cautioning the environment in eastern Mississippi and northwest Alabama would be turning more favorable for tornadic storms through the afternoon. #alwx #tornado #ohatchee pic.twitter.com/bPorzsebOY. in Greene County. Although not a main damage indicator, there was also evidence of vehicles being moved, but only a couple of feet. 4.1K. The threat wanes into Louisiana, as well as north into the Ohio Valley, but an isolated tornado, as well as instances of wind, hail and localized flooding are still concerns. The Alberta Park Shopping Center was completely destroyed with no walls standing and a pile of debris on the foundation. Aviation Weather, Climate and Past Weather In Pratt City the tornado destroyed the library, damaged a fire station, and wiped away homes in several neighborhoods, such as Smithfield Estates. Flight Center. The warning is in effect until 6 p.m. as the radar-confirmed tornado potentially tracks just north of the twister earlier in the afternoon that passed near Pell City and Ohatchee. 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). Weather and tornadoes some preliminary results early Friday afternoon data # alwx # tornado pic.twitter.com/mIs1MClZJI severe weather threat,. This segment of the severe weather and tornadoes Wilsonville, about 30 southeast. 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