One of the four EF5 tornadoes on April 27, 2011, raked through the town of Smithville, Mississippi. The previous EF4 tornado occurred on April 29, 2017 in Canton, Texas. Local AHPS, CLIMATE AND PAST WEATHER CoCoRaHS Mississippi Highway 25 traverses Smithville, connecting the town with Fulton to the north and Amory to the south. More Observations Among the more than 150 tornadoes reported on April 27 and 28, 2011, was a rare EF-5 storm. The stationbroadcasts emergency information on everything from natural disasters to oil spills to public safety concerns, such as AMBER alerts. US Dept of Commerce An earlier starting position determined by treefall analysis combined with radar data gives a start time of 3:40 p.m. CDT. - Dr. Greg Forbes. Hardship happens to you. Mr. Hathcock, 48, and his 24-year-old son, Joshua, were hunched in a bathroom when the tornado arrived. This total path was over 600 miles longer than the April 3-4, 1974, Super Outbreak.". The school previously vied for the title in 1989, losing to a Mt. Weather-Ready Nation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration One-hundred-year-old oak trees toppled in seconds. Here is the map for the entire tornado track: Here is the map for the local portion of the tornado track: Click here to see the portion of the track in the area served by NWS Birmingham, AL. Nine Ways To Tell The Difference. The human impacts were horrific, and the damage inconceivable. View Storm Report Get Prepared "I've looked through my own databases of tornado cases over the past decade, and can't find any tornado environment that even approaches this one," Davies wrote. This bow echo continued its fast eastward movement and exited the Mid-South by 1 am on the 26th. Aerial imagery taken May 4, 2011. Probabilistic Turned soil from a violent EF5 tornado that destroyed portions of Neshoba, Kemper, Winston, and Noxubee counties in Mississippi on April 27, 2011. Become a Patron! More Observations 137 other people were injured. The Cox family lost its father, Jessie, to the tornado, while directly next door his sons house sat untouched, one of the few. A total of 303 tornado warnings were issued by the six most-affected National Weather Service Forecast offices on April 27, 2011, alone. 2 in the definitive April 27 outbreak BAMS paper from Knupp, et al. Estimated $12 Billion In Damage. The individual tornado paths from the April 25-28, 2011, Super Outbreak added up to an almost unfathomable3,200 path miles, by far the greatest of any U.S. outbreak, according to Greg Forbes, former severe weather expert at The Weather Channel. Forecast Discussion 2011 tornado [ edit] On April 27, 2011, at approximately 3:45 p.m. CDT, an EF5 tornado struck the town with winds which were estimated to have peaked at 205 mph (330 km/h). [1] The tornado was a part of the 2011 Super Outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak in United States history. The radar was replaced later in 2011 and the church reopened in a new location. 0-3 km significant tornado parameter (STP) at 10 p.m. EDT on April 27, 2011. The first event started on Monday the 25th across northeast Texas and spread across the Mid-South and into portions of Louisiana. The Knupp et al. The other two touched down during May in Joplin, Missouri, and El Reno/Piedmont, Oklahoma. SKYWARN A protruding anchor bolt from slab with base plate ripped away is shown among the rubble of a destroyed home in Smithville, Mississippi, following an EF5 tornado on April 27, 2011. The site is secure. A photograph from Phil Campbell, Alabama, leveled by an EF5 tornado,landed in Lenoir City, Tennessee, some 220 miles away. Until April 2011, three years had passed without a single EF-5 tornadothe strongest rating on the Enhanced Fujita scale, associated with winds in excess of 200 mph. Customers survived by cowering in the last thing left standing, the walk-in cooler. Click title to go to page! Before photo courtesy of Google Earth and after photo taken April 29, 2011, from NOAAs King Air Aircraft, courtesy of the National Geodetic Survey. Third, a dry line, or a dividing line between moist air and dry air, developed across eastern Arkansas ahead of the cold front. Zooming to the neighborhood level will not show the precise path. Briefing Page [2] Smithville is the birthplace of Rod Brasfield, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. * LOCATION/TIME OF EVENT: SMITHVILLE AT 344 PM CDT ON APRIL 27 2011 * BEGINNING POINT: 34.0455, -88.44497 * ENDING POINT: 34.3129, -87.9231 * RATING: EF-5 * ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 205 MPH * PATH LENGTH: 35.1 MILES /CONTINUES INTO SHOTTSVILLE ALABAMA SEGMENT/ * MAXIMUM WIDTH: 3/4 MILE /WIDENED TO MATCH SHOTTSVILLE TORNADO SEGMENT/ * FATALITIES: 15 Additional storms formed across southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana during the overnight hours and crossed the Mississippi River by midnight. There was no doubt in my mind that we were all going to die, Mr. Hathcock said. He dont make mistakes.. Itclaimed more than 300 lives, injured 2,775 and was responsible for $12 billion in total damage, making it the costliest tornado outbreak in U.S. history. Most residents have moved in with relatives and friends in other towns. see Fig. April 27, 2011, likely remains the deadliest day for tornadoes in the last 85 years. [1] You cant question the Lord. A large storage shed flew in on the funnel cloud and landed next door. Jackson, Mississippi234 Weather Service Dr.Flowood, MS 39232601-936-2189Comments? NWS One of the EF-5 tornadoes of the outbreak occurred across northern Mississippi, near Smithville. The bow echo raced across central and eastern Arkansas and crossed the Mississippi River at around 10 pm on the 25th. Furthermore, convective available potential energy (CAPE) values reached 2,5003,000J/kg1. Map of tornado tracks from the April 25-28, 2011 Super Outbreak, color-coded by intensity (EF0: aqua; EF1: light green; EF2: yellow; EF3: orange; EF4: red; EF5: pink). Nineteen states have experienced an EF5/F5 tornado since 1950, as far east as Ohio and as far north as North Dakota. Fire Weather It was the deadliest tornado of the 2011 Super Outbreak . The radar was directly in the path of this wedge tornado as it tracked into Limestone County. Would you like to see more summaries like this one? The frequency has ranged from several tornadoes rated this magnitude in a single year to multi-year periods with none. Some metal storage buildings and 14 mobile homes were obliterated nearby, with metal framing from some of the mobile homes thrown and twisted into pieces. Even during the crisis, amid so many tornadoes, the National Weather Service maintained an average warning lead time of 24 minutes, allowing many peopleto escape or prepare for the disaster. 27, 2011. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males. SMITHVILLE - In the three-day span from April 25 to April 28, 2011, some 350 tornadoes broke out across the southern United States. But, the 1974 system caused fewer deaths and less monetary damage than its more recent counterpart. One focuses on the Smithville, MS side. The winds in the mid levels of the atmosphere increased to 80-100 mph and helped deepen the surface low further which in turn caused the low level winds to become stronger. After extensive personal research, this video provides one of the most comprehensive documentations possible, utilising dozens of photos, video, eyewitness accounts and professional analyses. The April 27, 2011, Smithville, Mississippi, EF5 tornado carried a Ford Explorer roughly one-half mile before colliding it with the town's water tower. The first fatality from the tornado occurred in this area as a bed and breakfast was obliterated and swept from its foundation, with debris from the structure scattered long distances downwind. We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good. This line was very efficient in producing wind damage as it pushed east. An official website of the United States government. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. The racial makeup of the town is 97.62% White, 1.59% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.23% from two or more races. AMORY, Miss. When God sends you hardship, he is not taking something away. About half of the deathsfrom 2000 through 2019 were from tornadoes rated EF4 or EF5. The SPC/NCDC/SDP/NWS Huntsville list 4:23 pm CDT as the end time. Approximately 24 tornadoes, possibly more, caused an estimated 326 fatalities during this tornado outbreak. Heavy rain lingered across the Mid-South through most of the early morning hours. Science/Training Its the only thing at that time I could do.. Incredibly, Marshall County, Alabama, was affected 15 separate times by a tornado on April 27, 2011. Also seen almost one month later in Joplin, Missouri, this tornado crushed cars into almost unrecognizable balls, similar to what you can do with aluminum foil. Since 1950, 59 tornadoes have been rated EF5/F5, an average of less than one per year, according to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. Such a storm has the capacity to collapse a concrete building. April 27, 2011, was the only day on record with two F/EF5 tornadoes in Mississippi. Science/Training Fire The per capita income for the town $14,030. The radome and radar from WAFF-TV was gone from its tower, and the nearby Bethel Church of Christ was destroyed on Apr. The storm sucked her into her den. The National Weather Service classified the Wednesday afternoon twister that hit Smithville as an EF-5, the strongest rating for tornado damage. Values of this parameter were virtually off the chart, compared to a more typical severe weather scenario. The 2011 Tornado Super Outbreak by contrast, had 362 confirmed tornadoes. At this time, roughly 342 people lost their lives, with thousands moreinjured. Please Contact Us. April 27, 2011, likely remains the "deadliest day for tornadoes" in the last 85 years. Preliminary local storm reports for April 26th. From this point on, multiple tornadoes developed from multiple supercell storms. The first tornadoes were produced by this bow echo in Henderson, Carroll, and Weakley counties at around 12 am. Additionally, this marks the first time since statistics have been kept that two EF5 tornadoes have been recorded on the same day in Mississippi, with the tornado in Smithville also rated as an EF5. This topped the number of tornadoes witnessed on April 3, 1974 (148), the other Super Outbreak. The 2011 Smithville, Mississippi tornado was an extremely violent EF5 wedge tornado that devastated areas of rural Mississippi, including the town of Smithville, Mississippi during the afternoon of April 27, 2011, resulting in catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities. [11] Tornado Track Maps: Here is the map for the entire tornado track: . The thunderstorm system that created this EF-4 began in Mississippi. A second semi-truck was completely torn apart, with its bumper later found hanging from the struts of the Smithville water tower, located 1.4-mile (2.3km) to the northeast. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. Aerial photo of Long Memorial United Methodist Church in Cordova, Alabama, after a pair of tornadoes tore through the town on April 27, 2011. Memphis, TN7777 Walnut Grove Road, OM1Memphis, TN 38120(901) 544-0399Comments? Beyond connecting the two summaries, this overview page also features track maps and discrepancies. With the storm just 30 seconds away, he yelled for people to come inside and sent them to the sturdiest room. Climate Prediction The other violent tornado to impact the Jackson, MS forecast area occurred across Smith, Jasper, and Clarke Counties. There are two summaries detailing the event. The average lead time for tornado warnings April 27 among those six NWS offices was found to be from 20-22 minutes. Multiple episodes of tornadic activity ensued with two waves of mesoscale convective systems in the morning hours followed by a widespread outbreak of supercells from Mississippi to North Carolina during the afternoon into the evening. The exchange student from Belgium who was living with the family was in the corner. [3], On April 27, 2011, at approximately 3:45 p.m. CDT, an EF5 tornado struck the town with winds which were estimated to have peaked at 205mph (330km/h). The tornado then crossed the county line and weakened to EF2 strength, where it snapped and uprooted numerous large trees, damaged or destroyed several chicken houses, totaled a car, destroyed a mobile home, tore much of the roof off of a two-story house, and caused significant roof damage to several other homes before dissipating near the town of Hodges at 4:23p.m. CDT (2123 UTC). On April 27, 2011, an extremely violent EF5 wedge tornado, with estimated winds of up to 205 mph (330 km/h), struck the town of Smithville, Mississippi at 3:47 p.m. CDT (2047 UTC) on April 27, resulting in . The wind shear that was caused by the increasing winds aloft, and turning of the winds from south to westerly, was at rare levels for late April. Local -A home's concrete slab was pulled out of the ground, with large part missing in the center. [4] In total, 117 structures were destroyed and 50 more sustained major damage from the storm in Monroe County alone, before the tornado continued into Itawamba County. The worst storm moved over Calhoun, Chickasaw, Monroe, and Itawamba counties, producing two tornadoes that killed 22 people. On April 27, another tornado tracked almost fivemiles through Chattanooga, Tennessee, causing eightfatalities and injuring tenothers. Columbus AFB, Climate Finally, the most destructive and deadly supercells roared across Mississippi, Alabama, north Georgia, east Tennessee and far southwest Virginia that afternoon and evening. Please try another search. Smithville is located at 3447N 882344W / 34.06861N 88.39556W / 34.06861; -88.39556 (34.068605, -88.395486). [6][1][5][dead link], The tornado then entered Smithville at maximum intensity, producing EF5 damage as it moved through both commercial and residential areas. Questions? The 2011 Smithville EF5 tornado is one of the strongest tornadoes in recorded history, and this video aims to cover every second of the storm, from genesis t. The average household size 2.42 and the average family size 3.03. Education The term supercellrefers to a rotating thunderstorm that is persistent, on a timescale much longer than a single, ordinary thunderstorm you may see, for instance, in the summer over the Southeast. Twenty-three were killed, and roughly 61 injured. Hydrology Please try another search. She died. Briefing Page Tornado is spotted moving through Smithville, Mississippi on Thursday as sirens wail. This is the longest-streak without an EF5/F5 tornado since records began in 1950. National Weather Service 2014 paper. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Google Earth - April 12 - 28, 2011 KMZ. Here are all of the tornado tracks across the Midsouth for the entire late April 2011 Tornado Outbreak: Here are all of the tornado tracks across the Midsouth for Monday night, April 25th: Here are all of the tornado tracks across the Midsouth for Tuesday evening, April 26th: Here are all of the tornado tracks across the Midsouth for early Wednesday morning, April 27th: Here are all of the tornado tracks across the Midsouth for Wednesday afternoon, April 27th: CURRENT HAZARDS Please Contact Us. WTVA's Coverage of the 2011 Super Outbreak as the EF5 Tornado developed and moved into Smithville, MS. Coverage also includes numerous supercell storms including an EF5 Tornado that mo. It just wasnt my time to go. His mother, just out of the shower, was covered in a quilt. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. On April 27, STP values reached values from 10-12 in eastern Mississippi and Alabama in the afternoon (see Fig. Shottsville Tornado - April 27, 2011. A total of 59 tornadoes have been rated this intensity since 1950. This tornado was rated EF5 and tracked for 29 miles into Noxubee County. (Photo by Carmen K. Sisson/Cloudybright) Sunday morning . Dual Pol Info Tornado Database (WCBI) - It's been almost one week since an EF 4 tornado claimed the lives of 23 people in Lee County, Alabama. Nearby granite tombstones from a cemetery were blown over in the opposite direction of the tornado's passage, and some were broken and thrown. [2], Activity on April27 was precipitated by a 995mbar (hPa; 29.39inHg) surface low situated over Kentucky and a deep, negatively tilted (aligned northwest to southeast) trough over Arkansas and Louisiana. She recalled: I felt it sucking me in, and stuff was hitting me in the back of the head.. It was considered the Wal-Mart of Smithville, she said. The previous record streak without such an intense tornado wasan eight-year period from May 3, 1999(Moore/Bridge Creek, Oklahoma) to May, 4, 2007 (Greensburg, Kansas). SMITHVILLE, Miss. Outlooks Fourteen of the towns other businesses also collapsed; only two survived mostly in one piece, a gas station and an appliance shop. Dozens of large, anchor-bolted, well-built brick homes were completely swept away in town, and many large hardwood trees were completely debarked and denuded. Extremely detailed analysis of treefall patterns indicates a start point 6.12 miles SW of Smithville. This total path was over 600 miles longer than the April 3-4, 1974, Super Outbreak. Probabilistic Tlcharger cette image : In this March 27, 2012 photograph, reinforcement of this levee by the Army Corps of Engineers is almost complete near Buck Chute, northwest of Vicksburg, Miss. This event included multiple reports of large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. One of these two tornadoes was the ef-5 tornado that struck Smithville, Ms. One other supercell thunderstorm developed along the cold front in northeastern Arkansas. Support Tornado Talk on Patreon! Please select one of the following: Local KNQA Standard Radar (low bandwidth), Local KGWX Standard Radar (low bandwidth), This is the Late April Tornado Outbreak Summary. More Satellite, FORECASTS Each red triangle is the location of a tornado that caused EF5 or F5 damage. View Storm Report Of those 21, 11 were rated as strong (EF2, EF3) tornadoes and had fairly long path lengths. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, HWY 44 near Ferguson, AR to Coahoma, MS along Old HWY 61. The combination that resulted was an extremely rare mix of instability and wind shear. According to the National Weather Service assessment, the average path length of the 15 violent tornadoes was 66 miles. The SPC/NCDC lists the starting point as 3 miles WSW of Smithville. Anyone can read what you share. This storm produced 4 tornadoes over Craighead county. Observations A jacket from Hackleburg, Alabama, was found 68 miles away. StormReady The parent supercell spawning the Tuscaloosa and west Birmingham EF4 tornadoes on April 27, 2011, was tracked on radar for over seven hours from its formation in Newton County, Mississippi, to Macon County, North Carolina, after which it finally fizzled. The storms formed into a bow echo, similar to the squall line that moved across the Mid-South on April 4, 2011. Less than 12 hours later, another long-track tornado approached the city. Scientists attribute at least part of the 2011 Super Outbreaks notoriety to chance. StormReady Severe Weather Please select one of the following: Situational Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) Page, Latest Public Information Statement (PNS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The 2011 Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado was an extremely deadly, violent, and long-tracked EF5 wedge tornado that devastated several towns in rural northern Alabama, before tearing through the northern suburbs of Huntsville and causing damage in rural portions of southern Tennessee on the afternoon and early evening of April 27, 2011. Tornado intensity cannot be determined while they are in progress or by their appearance. Another sinister aspect to the 2011 Super Outbreak was the repeated rounds of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Smithville, MS, took a direct hit from an EF5 wedge-shaped tornado on April 27, 2011. All NOAA. He took off his two T-shirts and draped them over their bodies. Dezember 1953, Vicksburg, Mississippi, traf.Insgesamt wurden 38 Menschen gettet, 270 weitere verletzt und der Schaden auf 25 Millionen US-Dollar (1953 USD) geschtzt.Es bleibt der fnfttdlichste Tornado, der den US-Bundesstaat Mississippi betrifft, nach dem Great Natchez Tornado . The recovery of the Delta is slowly coming about, but a vast variety of problems still affect businesses, private properties and those who work and reside there. View all tornado tracks across the Midsouth for this outbreak. About Us. Satellite County: Monroe, Itawamba (MS)/ Marion, Franklin (AL), SPC Coordinates: Start: 34.0455/-88.4450 End: 34.3226/-87.8924. All NOAA. Both the radar and radome encasing the radar were blown off and destroyed, leaving just the tower standing. The population density 602.1 people per square mile (233.2/km2). Numerous people died due to this tornado, with 137 people injured. Not on April 27. Severe, Forecasts Storm account from an Itawamba county resident on April 27th, 2011. Smithville High School won two 1A football state championships in 1993 and 1998. Twenty-three people were killed by the tornado that went . For more information on how you can prepare yourself, your family, and your friends for tornadoes and severe weather, visit Ready.gov. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990", "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Monroe County, MS", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smithville,_Mississippi&oldid=1125458307, This page was last edited on 4 December 2022, at 03:08. Meteorologists from the National Weather Servicesurvey areas where tornado damage has occurred. There were 404 housing units at an average density of 275.8 per square mile (106.8/km2). An SUV was thrown a .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}12-mile (0.80km) into the top of the Smithville water tower, then bounced off of it, and was hurled an additional 14-mile (400m) before impacting the ground and eventually coming to rest on the opposite side of the city, where it was later found crushed into a tiny ball. The total of 362 tornadoes that spawned during this four-day period not only surpassed the previous record for all of April by nearly 100, but also accounted for almost half of the 751 confirmed tornadoes during the month. The NWS-Huntsville, Alabama office issued 90 tornado warnings, alone that day. This marks the first EF5 tornado in Mississippi since the Candlestick Park tornado on May 3, 1966. At its peak, this EF-4 was 1.5 milesmore than 26 football fieldswide, and its winds reached 190 mph. Scientists attribute at least part of the 2011 Super Outbreak's notoriety to chance. All NOAA. Local Several other vehicles in town were thrown hundreds of yards, torn into multiple pieces, stripped down to their frames, or wrapped around trees as well. Here are the original stats from the SPC. [7] The town is situated along the east bank of Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in northern Monroe County. A clip from an ABC 33/40 broadcast on April 27, 2011, showed a live cam of a large tornado tearing through Tuscaloosa, Alabama (lower left), while meteorologist James Spann showed the tornado on radar (upper right). The Town of Smithville is served by the Monroe County School District.[10]. The same EF5 tornado that scoured the ground near Philadelphia, Mississippi, claimed its three lives in an unfathomable way. But just paces away, neighbors could not hold on. [4] A total of 16 people were killed,[5] and 40 people were injured. The atmosphere reloaded quickly Wednesday morning and became increasingly favorable for more severe storms. The most EF5/F5 tornadoes in a single year werein1974 when theApril 3 super outbreakspawned seven in a 24-hour period. This scale is an upgraded version of the original Fujita Scale developed in 1971 by Dr. Ted Fujita, a University of Chicago severe storms research scientist. The tornado stripped a few people of their clothes and covered them in mud. Tornadoes assigned an EF5/F5rating have historically been rare, but when they do strike, the damage in the affected communities is devastating. A protruding anchor bolt from slab with base plate ripped away is shown among the rubble of a destroyed home in Smithville, Mississippi, following an EF5 tornado on April 27, 2011. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Then it was gone., I have been through cancer four times, she said. Before (left) and after in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, representing damage from April 2011 supertornado outbreak. Despite the deadly toll, we'll never truly know how many lives were saved by timely National Weather Service warnings, and the considerable effort of the media to communicate those warnings. The mangled remains of the SUV that impacted the water tower was found in a ditch at the edge of this wooded area. The super tornado outbreak from April 25-28, 2011, resulted in two EF5 tornadoes in Mississippi (Smithville and Philadelphia), 358 tornadoes across the South and 324 deaths. (Weather Geeks (The Weather Channel), James Spann (ABC 33/40)), (Mississippi Emergency Management Agency/NWS-Memphis, Tennessee), Northern Lights Dance Over National Park In Alaska, New York City Sees First Inch-Plus Snowfall Of The Season, Cold Or Flu? Nationwide Notice the two water towers in the right image. CURRENT HAZARDS Nine Ways To Tell The Difference.