2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado

2011 EF4 tornado in Alabama, U.S.A the 2011 EF4 tornado other tornadoes that affected Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa tornado (disambiguation)Tuscaloosa tornado May 2025 August 2016 2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado infobox 1/2 300 Tuscaloosa tornado CCTV.jpg Tuscaloosa_peak_Vrot_2219Z.png Tornado damage 2011 Tuscaloosa AL USA.JPG Secretary Shaun Donovan visiting Alabama (to view damage, recovery efforts in the wake of the Tuscaloosa-Birmingham) tornado. (Among officials accompanying Secretary Donovan on tour - DPLA - 519d6b10bffbe7bf4343f8fd34f640c5.jpg Tornado Track in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.jpg Clockwise from top: A CCTV still of the tornado in downtown Tuscaloosa; EF4 damage to a home in Tuscaloosa; trees debarked by the violent tornado; radar reflectivity and velocity images of the tornado as it began to exit Tuscaloosa, with a debris ball and tornadic vortex signature clearly visible. April 27, 2011, 4:43 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) 1 hour, 31 minutes April 27, 2011, 6:14 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) atl 2600 yd mi km 80.68 mi km 190 mph km/h on EF4 2011 64 (+8 indirect) 1,500+ $2.4 billion (2011 USD) Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, Alabama, United States 2011 Super Outbreak and Tornadoes of 2011 During the late afternoon and early evening hours of April 27, 2011, a violent, deadly, and devastating high-end EF4 multi-vortex tornado, commonly known as either the Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado, or more simply the Tuscaloosa tornado, devastated portions of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama, as well as smaller communities and rural areas between the two cities. It is one of the costliest tornadoes on record, and was one of the 367 tornadoes that occurred during the 2011 Super Outbreak: the largest tornado outbreak in United States history. First touching down around 4:43 p.m. CDT in Greene County, Alabama, the tornado rapidly intensified and eventually reached a maximum path width of 1.5 mi km when it crossed I-65 north of Birmingham, and attained estimated wind speeds of 190 mph km/h on shortly after passing through the city. It then went on to impact parts of Birmingham at high-end EF4 intensity, before rapidly weakening and eventually dissipating. In total, the tornado was on the ground for approximately an hour and a half, leaving catastrophic damage in its wake. Multiple television stations captured the tornado live during its track, and it is one of the most documented tornadoes of the entire Super Outbreak due to its proximity to the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa metropolitan areas. In total, the tornado killed 64 people and injured well over 1,500. This was the third tornado to strike the city of Tuscaloosa in the prior decade, and the second in two weeks. The tornado is the second deadliest tornado in Alabama's history, just behind the Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado that occurred on the same day. The tornado caused approximately $2.4 billion (2011 USD), making it the costliest tornado in Alabama history and, at the time, the costliest tornado in the United States, before it was dethroned under a month later by the Joplin EF5 tornado in Missouri. Following the storm, then-President Barack Obama toured the city of Tuscaloosa on April 29 and the wreckage. Meteorological synopsis 2011 Super Outbreak#Meteorological synopsis Setup The environmental conditions leading up to the 2011 Super Outbreak were among the "most conducive to violent tornadoes ever documented".Kevin R. Knupp etal Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society American Meteorological Society July 2014 Meteorological Overview of the Devastating 27 April 2011 Tornado Outbreak 95 7 10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00229.1 1,041–1,062 2014BAMS...95.1041K 22335326 On April 25, a vigorous upper-level shortwave trough moved into the Southern Plains states.Ryan E. Jewell Storm Prediction Center April 25, 2011 May 15, 2016 Apr 25, 2011 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2011/day1otlk_20110425_1200.html Norman, Oklahoma Ample instability, low-level moisture, and wind shear all fueled a significant tornado outbreak from Texas to Tennessee; at least 64 tornadoes touched down on this day. An area of low pressure consolidated over Texas on April 26 and traveled east while the aforementioned shortwave trough traversed the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.Ryan E. Jewell Storm Prediction Center April 26, 2011 May 15, 2016 Apr 26, 2011 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2011/day1otlk_20110426_1200.html Norman, Oklahoma Another 50 tornadoes touched down on this day. The multi-day outbreak culminated on April 27 with the most violent day of tornadic activity since the 1974 Super Outbreak. 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. Tornadic activity on April 27 was precipitated by a 995 mbar (hPa; 29.39 inHg) surface low situated over Kentucky and a deep, negatively tilted (aligned northwest to southeast) trough over Arkansas and Louisiana. A strong southwesterly surface jet intersected these systems at a 60° angle, an ageostrophic flow that led to storm-relative helicity values in excess of 500 m2s−2—indicative of extreme wind shear and a very high potential for rotating updrafts within supercells. Ample moisture from the Gulf of Mexico was brought north across the Deep South, leading to daytime high temperatures of 25 to 27 C F on flip and dewpoints of 19 to 22 C F on flip. Furthermore, convective available potential energy (CAPE) values reached 2,500–3,000 J/kg−1. Forecast vertical Day11630UTCOlook.gif The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center's Day 1 Convective Outlook for April 27, showing the Categorical Graphic Day1probotlk 20110427 tornado.png The probability of a tornado within 25 miles of a point (cross-hatched area: 10% or greater probability of EF2+ tornadoes) The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center outlined a high risk area for severe weather over central Alabama on this map. This version of the map shows a 45% probability of a tornado within 25 miles of a given point in the highest risk area, and a 10% chance of a significant tornado. On the morning of April 27, a strong cold front with several areas of embedded low pressure extended from the Texas Hill Country northeastward towards the Arklatex and the Ozarks, and later into the lower Ohio Valley. Warm moist air was in place due to strong southerly flow ahead of the front over Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. An upper level disturbance sparked a broad area of showers and thunderstorms as it moved across the frontal boundary on the previous evening. The eastern edge of the line of showers and storms continued to move eastward, in concert with the upper disturbance, reaching the northwest Alabama border around 2:00 a.m. CDT.US Department of Commerce NOAA Weather Setup: April 27th, 2011 Historic Tornado Outbreak https://www.weather.gov/hun/hunsur_2011-04-27_setup 2024-11-07 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association EN-US This produced the last and most violent round of severe weather, which began around 2:30 p.m. CDT for northern Alabama as supercells began to line up to the southwest of the area. During the early afternoon hours, the potential for destructive tornadoes was highlighted by the Storm Prediction Center's upgrade to a high risk for severe weather around 1:00 p.m. CDT. This prompted a particularly dangerous situation (PDS) tornado watch, which was issued for northern Alabama and portions of southern Tennessee at 1:45 p.m. CDT. The bulletin that accompanied the watch read:Center Storm Prediction Storm Prediction Center Tornado/Severe Thunderstorm Watch Page https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/2011/ww0235.html 2024-11-07 Storm Prediction Center EN-US THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF: MUCH OF ALABAMA, NORTHWEST GEORGIA, SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI, SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE, EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 145 PM UNTIL 1000 PM CDT. ...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION... DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. The potential for tornadoes ramped up from noon through 9:00 p.m. CDT. During this period, much of Alabama experienced numerous supercell thunderstorms that produced violent tornadoes, one being the Tuscaloosa tornado.Morgan Leigh 2022-04-27 18 hours of horror: A look back at the tornadoes of April 27, 2011 https://www.al.com/news/2022/04/18-hours-of-horror-a-look-back-at-the-tornadoes-of-april-27-2011.html 2024-11-07 AL en2015-11-25 Remembering April 27, 2011 in photos https://www.wvtm13.com/article/remembering-april-27-2011-in-photos/3827940 November 7, 2024 WVTM 13 en Shortly thereafter, at 3:09 p.m. CDT (20:09 UTC), the National Weather Service office in Jackson, Mississippi issued the first tornado warning on the supercell that would eventually produce the Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado.Tornado warning https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/vtec/#2011-O-NEW-KJAN-TO-W-0148/USCOMP-N0Q-201104272020 Iowa Environmental Mesonet National Weather Service National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi April 27, 2011 December 7, 2013 Tornado summary yes yes center 300 2011superoutbreakEF3+.map 33.3196 -87.3049 8 Damage survey track of this tornado (centermost red line), as well as the tracks of other EF3+ tornadoes that occurred during 2011 Super Outbreak.(Interactive map, click or tap to view in detail)View mapdata Key #00aac8 EF0 65–85 mph km/h on #5db350 EF1 86–110 mph km/h on #ffbb40 EF2 111–135 mph km/h on #ff7a00 EF3 136–165 mph km/h on #c70000 EF4 166–200 mph km/h on #94008a EF5 ≥201 mph km/h on end Formation, Greene County to Tuscaloosa The supercell produced a large wedge tornado in rural Greene County, Alabama, which tracked towards the adjacent Tuscaloosa County at EF2 intensity, uprooting numerous trees and causing minor damage to structures. Near Union at 4:50 p.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. This was the first video evidence that the tornado had touched the ground; the video, along with NEXRAD evidence of a tornado debris signature, prompted the National Weather Service office in Birmingham to declare a tornado emergency. Rapidly intensifying, the tornado moved towards the southern and eastern portions of Tuscaloosa at around 5:10 p.m. CDT (22:10 UTC).Enjoli Francis Jeremy Hubbard Leezel Tanglao ABC News https://abcnews.go.com/US/massive-tornado-hits-alabama-storms-leave-16-dead/story?id=13465028 Storms, Tornadoes Leave Dozens Dead in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee April 27, 2011 April 28, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110428040702/https://abcnews.go.com/US/massive-tornado-hits-alabama-storms-leave-16-dead/story?id=13465028 April 28, 2011 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/?n=event_04272011tuscbirm Tuscaloosa-Birmingham EF-4 Tornado April 27, 2011 2011 July 15, 2013 Skycams operated by Tuscaloosa-based television station WVUA-CA (channel 7) as well as Birmingham Fox affiliate WBRC (channel 6) and ABC 33/40, and a ground-based camera crew with CBS affiliate WIAT (channel 42) captured video of the tornado as it struck Tuscaloosa. The ABC 33/40 feed was periodically disrupted due to power outages caused by wind damage to electrical transformers. As it entered the city, Skycam footage showed surface condensation in the tornado, outside of a visible debris cloud, had briefly lifted; a discernible wedge-shaped condensation funnel, with occasional horizontal and vertical subvortices, subsequently touched back down at the surface as it began moving into neighborhoods in southern Tuscaloosa.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElZZNvNdhks April 27, 2011 Historic Tornado Outbreak - ABC 33/40 Live Coverage 2:45pm-11:30pm 2016-03-09 ABC 33/40 Weather 2024-11-25 YouTube thumb|The destroyed Chastain Manor apartment complex near Alberta City, Tuscaloosa. The complex was later rebuilt.Chastain Manor|left The tornado entered the southern portion of Tuscaloosa as a low-end EF4 and crossed 35th Street, completely destroying a cell phone tower and several warehouses in an industrial area. It passed within a half mile of the Tuscaloosa Police Department Headquarters, forcing the evacuation of the dispatch personnel from the third floor offices until the storm passed. 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.http://www.weather.gov/bmx/event_04272011tuscbirm Tuscaloosa-Birmingham Tornado - April 27, 2011 The tornado then ripped through the neighborhoods of Rosedale and Forest Lake, leveling and sweeping away numerous poorly anchored homes. Several apartment complexes were entirely destroyed in this area, and a few two-story apartment buildings were completely reduced to rubble. The tornado crossed the intersection of 15th Street and McFarland Boulevard, and numerous businesses and restaurants near the University Mall were completely flattened at low-end EF4 strength, and vehicles were either tossed around or destroyed. The nearby Cedar Crest subdivision was devastated as numerous block-foundation homes were leveled. The tornado maintained its strength as it continued through the neighborhood of Alberta City, leveling and sweeping away numerous block-foundation homes, and completely flattening two more apartment buildings and a shopping center along University Boulevard. 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. A well-anchored clubhouse on the property was mostly swept away and its remains were scattered into a pond, even though the structure had lacked interior walls. A nearby manhole cover was removed from its drain and thrown into a ravine.Jim LaDue Tim Marshall Kevin Scharfenberg National Weather Service Office in Norman, Oklahoma National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2012 June 26, 2013 Discriminating EF4 and EF5 Tornado Damage https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/12309173/discriminating-ef4-and-ef5-tornado-damage PDFhttps://ams.confex.com/ams/26SLS/webprogram/Manuscript/Paper211667/TCLmerged.pdf Archived copy December 25, 2013 December 25, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131225200356/https://ams.confex.com/ams/26SLS/webprogram/Manuscript/Paper211667/TCLmerged.pdf dead Holt The tornado then grew from 0.5 to 1 mi km wide and ripped through the suburb of Holt, leveling and sweeping away homes while still at low-end EF4 strength. Every tree was snapped in this area, including those within deep ravines. As it crossed Hurricane Creek, it tore apart a large metal railroad trestle, and a 34 t lb 5 on metal truss support structure was thrown 100 ft m up on a nearby hill. A marina on Holt Lake was significantly impacted, with numerous boats and a restaurant destroyed; some boats were tossed over 100 m ft flip in this area.https://ams.confex.com/ams/26SLS/webprogram/Manuscript/Paper211667/TCLmerged.pdf Damage Survey of the Tuscaloosa-Birmingham Tornado on April 27, 2011 Marshall Tim AMS AMerican Meteorological Society December 24, 2013 The tornado exited the Tuscaloosa area and weakened to low-end EF3 status while contracting back to .5 mi km wide. It continued through a dense forest towards Birmingham, this time downing thousands of trees and flattening more rural homes. Numerous trees were completely denuded and debarked as the tornado passed near the rural communities of Searles and Mud Creek, and debris from Tuscaloosa was reported to be falling from the sky across Birmingham over 20 mi km away in Jefferson County. A total of 44 people were killed in the Tuscaloosa area.Tuscaloosa News http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20110427/NEWS/110429711?Title=AFTERMATH--Accounts-of-the-Tuscaloosa-tornado THE AFTERMATH: Staff accounts of the tornado April 27, 2011 July 15, 2013 https://ams.confex.com/ams/26SLS/webprogram/Handout/Paper212695/sels12b.pdf Extreme damage incidents in the 27 April 2011 tornado superoutbreak McCaul Eugene W. Knupp Kevin R. Darden Chris Laws Kevin Birmingham to I-65 and dissipation left|thumb|255x255px|A traffic camera still of the tornado as it tracked through northern Birmingham, Alabama. After causing massive timber damage in rural areas, the tornado entered Jefferson County and rapidly intensified to its maximum intensity and width. 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 6:00 p.m. CDT (23:00 UTC). Several suburbs in the area sustained catastrophic damage from the tornado as it tore through the west side of Birmingham, resulting in twenty fatalities. The suburbs of Concord, Pleasant Grove, and McDonald Chapel, along with residential areas in northern Birmingham itself, were devastated. Extensive wind-rowing of debris was noted in Concord and Pleasant Grove, numerous trees were debarked, and some homes were swept away (though much of the debris remained next to the foundations and was not scattered, and most vehicles were not moved more than 15 yd m). As the tornado moved across a coal yard in this area, a 35.8 t lb 5 on coal car was thrown 391 ft m 3 on through the air. Past the coal yard, the tornado weakened to EF2 intensity, but still was able to destroy numerous pier and beam foundations homes and several industrial warehouses in McDonald Chapel. A four-sided brick home in the area also had its roof torn off, but none of its exterior walls collapsed. Numerous homes, apartment buildings, and a large church sustained significant damage as the tornado entered Birmingham's city limits and impacted the neighborhood of Pratt City. Vehicles were also moved, albeit only several feet. The tornado then struck the suburb of Fultondale, damaging homes and businesses in town. 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. Some additional EF0 to EF1 damage occurred before the tornado dissipated 2 mi km in north of Tarrant. A total of 20 people were killed throughout Birmingham and its surrounding suburbs.Tim Ballisty Chris Dolce Jonathan Erdman Weather.com http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/severe-weather-tracker-april22-26_2011-04-22 Severe Weather: Track the Storms April 27, 2011 April 27, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110510131036/http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/severe-weather-tracker-april22-26_2011-04-22 May 10, 2011 Possible EF5 intensity thumb|Cleanup in Tuscaloosa's Cedar Crest neighborhood in May (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo) The National Weather Service determined the path length of this violent tornado to be 80.68 mi km with a maximum damage path width of 1.5 mi km, or 2600 yd m. The final rating of this tornado was a source of controversy, as some survey teams concluded EF5 damage, while others did not.http://www.norman.noaa.gov/nsww/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/LaDue_NSWW2012.pdf Archived copy July 22, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130220141245/http://www.norman.noaa.gov/nsww/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/LaDue_NSWW2012.pdf February 20, 2013 dead mdy-all The structures that were swept away by this tornado were either improperly anchored, lacked interior walls, or were surrounded by contextual damage not consistent with winds exceeding 200 mph km/h on, and as a result an EF5 rating could not be applied. Therefore, it was given a final rating of high-end EF4, with winds estimated at 190 mph km/h on. Aftermath section Sobriqueticalthumb|A flattened residence in Concord, Alabama after the EF4 tornado. By the time the tornado lifted northeast of Birmingham, it had left behind a path of destruction of 80.68 mi km through Greene, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties. The tornado killed 64 people, including six University of Alabama students.Wayne Grayson The Tuscaloosa News Six UA students included in list of tornado deaths http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20110504/NEWS/110509880?tc=ar May 4, 2011 June 19, 2013 It caused approximately $2.4 billion of property damage, surpassing the 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado as the costliest single tornado in United States history at that time. Less than a month later, however, this number was surpassed by the Joplin, Missouri tornado, which caused $2.8 billion in damage. Early reports indicated 65 people were killed, with over 1,000 injured. However, this was revised to 64 deaths and more than 1,500 injuries.Event Details https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/314662 National Climatic Data Center December 28, 2013Event Details https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/314663 National Climatic Data Center December 28, 2013https://www.factsjustforkids.com/weather-facts/tornado-facts-for-kids/enhanced-fujita-scale/ef4-tornado.html F4 Tornado - Fujita Scale factsjustforkids.com July 11, 2019 President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama visited Tuscaloosa on April 29, taking a ground tour of some of the affected areas. Obama was quoted as saying that he had "never seen devastation like this." He stated further that he had already declared a federal state of emergency in Alabama.https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/04/29/135842102/obama-in-tuscaloosa-ive-never-seen-devastation-like-this Obama In Tuscaloosa: 'I've Never Seen Devastation Like This' Eyder Peralta April 29, 2011 National Public Radio Corporation for Public Broadcasting April 29, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110502172806/http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/04/29/135842102/obama-in-tuscaloosa-ive-never-seen-devastation-like-this May 2, 2011 The effects of the tornado arguably contributed to a decrease in affordable housing in what has been called "an uneven recovery" for Tuscaloosa.Elliott Debbie 'Day You'll Never Forget': Decade After Deadly Tuscaloosa Tornado, Recovery Is Uneven https://www.npr.org/2021/04/27/991277578/day-youll-never-forget-decade-after-deadly-tuscaloosa-tornado-recovery-is-uneven NPR 2 December 2021 See also United States Weather Weather of 2011 List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks List of F4 and EF4 tornadoes List of F4 and EF4 tornadoes (2010–2019) Disagreements on the intensity of tornadoes Tornado records Tornado outbreak of December 16, 2000 – An outbreak that produced an F4 tornado that also hit Tuscaloosa. 2011 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado – A similarly deadly tornado that was part of the same outbreak. Bridge Creek, Moore, & Oklahoma City (Metro), OK (1999) Costliest U.S. tornadoes on Record April 27, 2011 Joplin, MO (2011) References External links Interview with Storm Chaser of April 27 Tuscaloosa Tornado Full video of this tornado taken by the above storm chaser from Tuscaloosa University Mall parking lot Full episode of Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers about the Tuscaloosa Tornado Category:F4, EF4 and IF4 tornadoes Category:Tornadoes in Alabama 04-27 Category:Tuscaloosa, Alabama Tornado, 2011-04-27, Tuscaloosa-Birmingham Category:2011 in Alabama Tuscaloosa-Birmingham Tornado Category:2011 Super Outbreak es:Tornado de 2011 en Tuscaloosa-Birmingham it:Tornado di Tuscaloosa-Birmingham del 2011 ms:Puting beliung Mei 2011 vi:Bão lốc xoáy tại Tuscaloosa-Birmingham, 2011