Two Additional April 27 Tornadoes

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
602 PM CDT TUE JUN 7 2011

…TWO ADDITIONAL TORNADOES CONFIRMED IN DEKALB COUNTY FROM APRIL 27TH EVENT…

A PRELIMINARY STORM SURVEY OF ADDITIONAL DAMAGE INCURRED ACROSS
DEKALB COUNTY FROM APRIL 27TH HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL. INITIAL FINDINGS
FOR THE TWO ADDITIONAL TORNADO EVENTS ARE INCLUDED BELOW:

* EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
* EVENT DATE: 04/27/11
* EVENT TIME: 905 PM TO 910 PM /ESTIMATED BASED ON EYEWITNESS
ACCOUNTS AND RADAR/

* ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 120.0 MPH
* PRELIMINARY RATING: EF-2

* PATH LENGTH: 6.5 MILES
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH: 250.0 YARDS

* BEGINNING POINT: 34.4059 / -85.7294
* ENDING POINT: 34.4427 / -85.6250

* SUMMARY: THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN ALONG DOGTOWN ROAD/COUNTY
ROAD 89 JUST SOUTH OF JENNINGS ROAD WHERE TWO SMALL BARNS WERE
COLLAPSED. THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED JENNINGS ROAD AND SNAPPED AND
UPROOTED TREES ALONG BEAR CREEK ROAD AND ADAMSBURG ROAD. A LARGE
NUMBER OF TREES WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED ALONG KELLY ROAD AND A
BARN SUSTAINED DAMAGE ALONG MCCURDY DRIVE.

THE TORNADO BEGAN TO STRENGTHEN RAPIDLY AS IT APPROACHED WALLACE
AVENUE/HIGHWAY 35. A LARGE METAL FARM BUILDING WAS LEVELED TO THE
GROUND HERE AND FOUR POWER POLES WERE SNAPPED OFF COMPLETELY. IN
THIS AREA…THE TREE DAMAGE WAS SUBSTANTIAL. THE DAMAGE WAS DEEMED
TO BE EF-2 INTENSITY IN THIS LOCATION. A HOME ON THE NORTH SIDE OF
HIGHWAY 35 SUSTAINED DAMAGE AND TREES WERE ALSO DOWNED ALONG
PATRICIA DRIVE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTHEAST UPROOTING
AND SNAPPING A LARGE NUMBER OF TREES ALONG PUMPKIN CENTER ROAD.
TREES FELL ON SEVERAL HOMES JUST WEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF PUMPKIN
CENTER ROAD AND FISCHER ROAD. MINOR DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO HOMES ON THE
EAST SIDE OF FISCHER ROAD AS THE TORNADO BEGAN TO LIFT.

* EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
* EVENT DATE: 04/27/11
* EVENT TIME: 718 AM TO 722 AM /ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR/

* ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100.0 MPH
* PRELIMINARY RATING: EF-1

* PATH LENGTH: 4 MILES
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH: 50.0 YARDS

* BEGINNING POINT: 34.6004 / -85.5835
* ENDING POINT: 34.6519 / -85.5496

* SUMMARY: DURING THE MORNING HOURS…A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST
WEST OF COUNTY ROAD 89/SCENIC HIGHWAY NORTH OF DOWNTOWN MENTONE.
THE TORNADO APPEARED TO RIDE ALONG THE RIDGELINE UPROOTING MANY
SOFT AND HARDWOOD TREES AND SNAPPING TREES SPORADICALLY. THE
TORNADO EVENTUALLY STRADDLED THE ROAD FURTHER NORTH PARTIALLY
REMOVING A ROOF TO A RESIDENCE AND SNAPPING NUMEROUS TREES IN THIS
AREA. THIS TORNADO APPEARED TO LIFT ABOUT A MILE SHY OF THE GEORGIA
LINE.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE SURVEYOR ALSO FOUND SPORADIC TREE
DAMAGE FURTHER SOUTH ALONG COUNTY ROAD 89 NEAR AND SOUTH OF
DOWNTOWN MENTONE. HOWEVER…THE CONTINUITY OF THE DAMAGE WAS TOO
INCONSISTENT TO EXTEND THE TRACK FURTHER SOUTH.

THESE FINDINGS ARE PRELIMINARY AND ARE SUBJECT TO ADJUSTMENT.
PICTURES AND SUMMARY MATERIALS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB PAGE
AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE /ALL LOWER CASE/.

SURVEYED BY: DARDEN

Category: Alabama's Weather, Severe Weather