It continued on into Jefferson County, crossing Interstate 65, slamming into Pleasant Grove, Concord and McDonald Chapel in Jefferson County. Several suburbs in the area sustained catastrophic damage from the tornado as it tore through the west side of Birmingham, resulting in twenty fatalities. Please try another search. The damage in the Fultondale area includedfoldedhighway light poles along the interstate, and roof damage to the Days Inn on U.S. Highway31. Not surprisingly, several of them happened during the superoutbreak of April 27, 2011. 1:40 p.m.: Tornado emergency southeast of Birmingham for destructive twister with history of producing damage, The Weather Service in Birmingham declared a tornado emergency for Shelby County, which is just to the south and southeast of the city, for a confirmed large and destructive tornado, heading northeast at 45 mph. Heres a look at tornado reports from Thursday from the National Weather Service. The flash flood warnings cover both Birmingham and Tuscaloosa where 2 to 3 inches of rain have fallen and flooding is underway or expected to begin. The tornado continued northeast, causing sporadic EF-1 timber damage as it crossed U.S. Highway 280. 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 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 particularly dangerous situation tornado watch issued signaled a high-end threat and the possibility of intense tornadoes. Tornadoes probably will not be readily visible because of heavy rain, fog and low overcast. The tornado crossed University Blvd in the Alberta City community. And, if they fall in a tornado warning polygon, call them or text them to let them know about the threat! Instigating the severe weather is a high-altitude weather disturbance that ejected east out of the southern Rockies early Wednesday after passing through the Four Corners region. Drought Monitor It was here in Pleasant Grove where evidence of vehicles being moved by the winds become obvious, though most were only tossed 10 to 15 yards if they were picked up at all. It touched down near Argo, and cleared at 72-mile path, rolling through Shoal Creek Valley in St. Clair County, packing winds of more than 180 mph and killing 22 people all the way to the Georgia line, obliterating homes along the way. As of 7 p.m., there were no tornado warnings in effect over Alabama but scattered storms continued, some severe. Alabama was hit the worst, with the first reported tornado hitting Marion and others hitting Tuscaloosa, Chilton County, and other locales. #HUNwx pic.twitter.com/wyBjSkmRCp. 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. Reply. 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 tornado crossed McFarland Blvd, where destroyed additional stores and restaurants. An extremely volatile atmospheric setup prompted the National Weather Service to declare a rare level 5 out of 5 high risk for severe thunderstorms, focused in Alabama but touching several surrounding states. As the tornado approached Interstate 359, several buildings were destroyed including the Tuscaloosa County Emergency Operations Center. [10] As the tornado exited the Alberta City section, the Chastain Manor Apartments (which were nailed, rather than bolted to their foundations) were completely destroyed and partially swept away. That means being able to shelter in a basement, storm cellar or interior room, away from windows, on the lowest floor of a site-built location at a moments notice. 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. Here is how the storms developed that day. It then went on to impact parts of Birmingham at high-end EF4 intensity before dissipating. Video of damage in Columbiana, Alabama. These are scenes from Ohatchee, which is about 50 miles northeast of Birmingham: Major destruction from tornado just Southwest of Ohatchee, AL. The tornado continues to loft massive amounts of debris into the air, which is being detected by radar. In [your] safe places, have helmets for everybody, a portable air horn first responders can hear that a mile a way hard sole shoes [for] walking over tornado debris, said Spann in a morning video posted to his Facebook page. A string of those tornado reports likely came from one storm, one long-lived supercell storm. The storm is sweeping northeast at 40 mph and is expected to pass very close to Pell City momentarily. 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. Eleven were killed and 144 injured. Image of the Day This is a particularly dangerous situation, the Weather Service warned. The tornado has a history of producing damage as it tracked from just south of Tuscaloosa to just south and east of Birmingham. Flood/River Flood Warnings, Productos en Espaol In fact, there were three just last year. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. At that same time, the Tuscaloosa County Emergency Management Office sustained a direct hit and was totally destroyed along with most of their equipment and vehicles but with no injuries to the staff present. To the east of US-31, the damage quickly diminished from EF-2 intensity to EF-1 and EF-0. At least two homes were shifted from their foundation. Several flash flood warnings were also in effect in the north central and northeast portion of the state, including in Birmingham. 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. The tornado crossed through the Pine Flat community, damaging more homes, and a manufactured home was rolled and destroyed. The South is even more vulnerable, research shows. This storm will track right along AL Highway 25 into Bibb County. The South is an area known for systematic vulnerability to severe weather and tornadoes. Were very accustomed to storms, and we know in the spring time that we deal with these, but you never really prepare for them.. "Some people designate this as a. Cinder block construction homes in the surrounding neighborhood were completely destroyed, and in a few cases debris was swept away from the site. One home on a foundation was swept clean, with only floor joists remaining attached to the foundation. The weather service said that the damage intensified as the tornado neared the Autauga-Elmore county line, where several site-built homes lost most of their roofs along County Road 68 East near Poplar Springs Road. 6:23 p.m. - The earlier supercell that devastated Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties, ignited back into an EF-4 tornado. Its a call to prepare. Storm chaser footage provided confirmation of the large, dangerous tornado. #alwx pic.twitter.com/Kfgmey9oKW, 12:30 p.m.: "[C]onfirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado south of Tuscaloosa. Land 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. Radar showed rotation associated with a confirmed large tornado about 20 miles east of Birmingham. 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. [10][13][14], The tornado then grew from 0.5 miles (0.80km) to 1 mile (1.6km) wide and ripped through the suburb of Holt, leveling and sweeping away homes while still at low-end EF4 strength. Rapidly intensifying, the tornado moved towards the southern and eastern portions of Tuscaloosa at around 5:10p.m. CDT (22:10 UTC). At least five people were killed as destructive tornadoes slammed north central Alabama on March 25. Words matter. 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. The weather service said the most severe damage was observed from County Road 43 to County Road 42, and wind speeds were estimated to have reached at least 150 mph. Severe storms and flash flooding, somewhat less intense than those earlier in the day, continued Thursday night. pic.twitter.com/CAk7Qq0afu. Straight from a @NWSSPC forecaster on why they chose to use the word "violent" to describe today's #tornado potential over "intense" which was used last week. The tornado passed south of downtown Brent and Centreville, sparing the most heavily populated neighborhoods, but several structures were heavily damaged or destroyed on Belcher Road. The storm packed winds of 190 miles (310 kilometers per hour) and left a path of debris running southwest to northeast. Damage at the beginning of the path ranged from EF1 to EF2. Past Events 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. CoCoRaHS, Local Research and Outreach Its made up of cold air and counterclockwise spin at high altitudes nestled within a dip in the jet stream. 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. 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. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. Your browser or your browser's settings are not supported. April 27, 2011. --> https://t.co/rfXDGIvRHe (Source: Matt Williams) pic.twitter.com/LNlh3fucvz, 2:35 p.m.: Significant tornado damage southeast of Birmingham. The tornado quickly moved out of the Pleasant Grove area and into the McDonald Chapel community. Tell your friends, neighbors, and relatives about the severe weather threat, and what they need to do to get ready. 3:05 p.m. - A wicked EF-5 tornado slammed into Hackleburg, destroying subdivisions, Hackleburg High School and the Wrangler Plant. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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