Tuscaloosa/B’ham Tornado Rated EF-4

Was on the ground for 80 miles…

TORNADO 8…TUSCALOOSA/BIRMINGHAM (GREENE/TUSCALOOSA/JEFFERSON
COUNTIES)

PRELIMINARY DATA…
EVENT DATE: APRIL 27, 2011
EVENT TYPE: EF-4
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): UP TO 190
INJURIES/FATALITIES: OVER 1000 INJURIES/AT LEAST 65 FATALITIES.
EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 33.0297/-87.935 AT 443 PM
EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 33.6311/-86.7436 AT 614 PM
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): APPROXIMATELY 80.3 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH: 1.5 MILES CROSSING I-65.
NOTE: MORE DETAILS ON THIS SURVEY TO COME.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS HAVE SURVEYED THE MASSIVE
DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LONG TRACK VIOLENT TORNADO…BY GROUND
AND AIR. THE START POINT IS BASED ON AERIAL SURVEY…WHILE THE END
LOCATION WAS DETERMINED BY A GROUND CREW. DETAILED DAMAGE INSPECTION
HAS REVEALED A MAXIMUM OF EF-4 DAMAGE FROM EAST OF HOLT…NEAR
CONCORD…AND THE PLEASANT GROVE AREAS. CASUALTY INFORMATION IS
BASED ON THE LATEST OFFICIAL RELEASES FROM THE ALABAMA EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AGENCY. THIS TORNADO WAS PRODUCED BY A SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORM THAT BEGAN IN NEWTON COUNTY MISSISSIPPI AT 254 PM
CDT…FINALLY DISSIPATING IN MACON COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA AT
APPROXIMATELY 1018 PM CDT. SO…THIS SUPERCELL EXISTED FOR ABOUT 7
HOURS AND 24 MINUTES…TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 380 MILES PRODUCING
SEVERAL STRONG TO VIOLENT TORNADOES ALONG THE WAY. ADDITIONAL
EVALUATION OF THE DAMAGE IN TUSCALOOSA AND JEFFERSON COUNTY WILL
CONTINUE TODAY TO DETERMINE IF THE RATING NEEDS TO BE INCREASED.
MORE DETAIL ON THE SURVEY RESULTS WILL BE UPDATED WHEN THEY BECOME
AVAILABLE.

For the full tornado survey information, go here.

Tags: tornado survey

Category: Severe Weather