Post Storm Discussion & Analysis of Apr. 27 outbreak

[MotoWeatherman]

Another thing I'm interested in finding out, is why was there so little rain in the Atlanta area and surrounding areas ? Gainesville, GA got .03" of rain. I was expecting 1-2 inches out of this.

I'm not that far from Gainesville and got 1.27" so it was just dumb luck that that all that Gainesville received.

[audioguy3107]

The surface and upper level dynamics where lifting to the north into the ohio valley during the day so the best dynamics went with it. Alabama just happened to be in the best spot for all the ingredients to come together. By the time the system moved into GA the dynamics that created all the fireworks in AL where much further north than they were when Alabama was at its worst.

It's all about timing....

That's my thinking as well....if you looked at a water vapor loop or satellite, you could easily see the low pressure area begin to shunt to the north as the day wore on. I suspect that if the area of low pressure continued on a more easterly track and forced storms into the area around 3 PM vs. 11 PM, we may have been in the same situation. I think a more interesting question is why Georgia doesn't see large supercell outbreaks of that magnitude (or even close to that magnitude) over in our state? Alabama sees their fair share, yet very rarely are we under the gun during prime heating and have supercells explode over Georgia. Even the supercell outbreak in March 2008 didn't produce nearly the touchdowns that you would expect from such intense cells. I guess my point is that we're only an hour and a half east of Birmingham yet the severity of their "outbreaks" far surpass what you see over in Georgia. You would think that eventually it would be Georgia's turn. I would think that topography and proximity to CAD has got to have a major effect. If it wasn't for wedge protection during the late February into March, we would most likely have a lot more to deal with.

[SharonA]

The surface and upper level dynamics where lifting to the north into the ohio valley during the day so the best dynamics went with it. Alabama just happened to be in the best spot for all the ingredients to come together. By the time the system moved into GA the dynamics that created all the fireworks in AL where much further north than they were when Alabama was at its worst.

It's all about timing....

Makes sense - thanks. Were the south-of-Atlanta storms later overnight the result of a similar timing issue with a different factor?

[Snowless in Carrollton]

The surface and upper level dynamics where lifting to the north into the ohio valley during the day so the best dynamics went with it. Alabama just happened to be in the best spot for all the ingredients to come together. By the time the system moved into GA the dynamics that created all the fireworks in AL where much further north than they were when Alabama was at its worst.

It's all about timing....

So the dynamics were further north when the storms got to GA, yet areas south of Atlanta were impacted more than Atlanta ? If Atlanta was closer to the dynamics why were areas south of town hit harder ?

[Amped]

I get the feeling that a good number of the people who died in AL lived in mobile homes. 25 people bodies recovered near a trailer park in AL. If you stay in a trailer during a tornado, then you are pretty much committing suicide. Why on earth would you not leave your mobile home ???

Because they have nowhere to go. Their neighbors house is a trailer too. Each trailer park probably needs it's own shelter big enough to house everyone, but that'll never happen. The Leave your mobile home advice is given just so the weatherman can't be sued. They don't actually expect more than 50% of the people to follow the order and work out the logistics on their own.

[Snowless in Carrollton]

Because they have nowhere to go. Their neighbors house is a trailer too. Each trailer park probably needs it's own shelter big enough to house everyone, but that'll never happen. The Leave your mobile home advice is given just so the weatherman can't be sued. They don't actually expect more than 50% of the people to follow the order and work out the logistics on their own.

But even a ditch is safer than a mobile home. Surely people can find a ditch to go to. I do think that every trailer park should have an underground shelter large enough to hold everyone. In fact, I think it should be a law that requires every trailer park to have one, especially for places in the south where tornadoes are more prevalent.

[MotoWeatherman]

That's my thinking as well....if you looked at a water vapor loop or satellite, you could easily see the low pressure area begin to shunt to the north as the day wore on. I suspect that if the area of low pressure continued on a more easterly track and forced storms into the area around 3 PM vs. 11 PM, we may have been in the same situation. I think a more interesting question is why Georgia doesn't see large supercell outbreaks of that magnitude (or even close to that magnitude) over in our state? Alabama sees their fair share, yet very rarely are we under the gun during prime heating and have supercells explode over Georgia. Even the supercell outbreak in March 2008 didn't produce nearly the touchdowns that you would expect from such intense cells. I guess my point is that we're only an hour and a half east of Birmingham yet the severity of their "outbreaks" far surpass what you see over in Georgia. You would think that eventually it would be Georgia's turn. I would think that topography and proximity to CAD has got to have a major effect. If it wasn't for wedge protection during the late February into March, we would most likely have a lot more to deal with.

I would imagine that the bulk of the reason for this the typical track of the low pressure systems. Lows generally form in the LA/AR area and then cut up thru the Ohio valley or form in the gulf or Atlantic and ride up the coast. The lakes cutter scenario like we just had favors the best dynamics to our west which will target MS and AL more while an east coast track forming in the gulf really doesn't favor any severe here in GA. So often times are are left with these dying squall lines that weaken the further east they get into GA Obviously this isn't always the case but it does happen a lot. And then of course CAD can play a factor but it didn't yesterday.

[ATL_Militarypolice]

But even a ditch is safer than a mobile home. Surely people can find a ditch to go to. I do think that every trailer park should have an underground shelter large enough to hold everyone. In fact, I think it should be a law that requires every trailer park to have one, especially for places in the south where tornadoes are more prevalent.

Agree, and underground shelter at trailer parks would be something that needs to be considered.

[Snowless in Carrollton]

Agree, and underground shelter at trailer parks would be something that needs to be considered.

It should become a law in every state I think, and who cares how much it costs. If it saves lives thats all that matters.

[MotoWeatherman]

Makes sense - thanks. Were the south-of-Atlanta storms later overnight the result of a similar timing issue with a different factor?

So the dynamics were further north when the storms got to GA, yet areas south of Atlanta were impacted more than Atlanta ? If Atlanta was closer to the dynamics why were areas south of town hit harder ?

Everything doesn't always work out perfect but there was more severe weather north of Atlanta. I think the fact Atlanta "missed out" was more due to luck and timing of cells developing and redeveloping more than anything else. There was a tornado near LaGrange that was on a trajectory towards Atlanta but that one just did live long enough while most of the other tornado tracks were much longer.

[MotoWeatherman]

The preliminary report is an EF3 tornado in Mountain City GA which is in extreme NE GA. Pretty sure this was from the same Tuscaloosa supercell.

NOUS42 KGSP 282358 CCA PNSGSP GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-290330- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 724 PM EDT THU APR 28 2011 ...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR MOUNTAIN CITY IN RABUN COUNTY GEORGIA...

LOCATION...MOUNTAIN CITY IN RABUN COUNTY GEORGIA

DATE...APRIL 27 2011 ESTIMATED

TIME...11 PM EDT

MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF3

ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...165 MPH

MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...1/2 MILE

PATH LENGTH...3 1/2 MILES * FATALITIES...1 KNOWN * INJURIES...UNKNOWN * THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA. ...SUMMARY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC HAS CONFIRMED A TORNADO NEAR MOUNTAIN CITY IN RABUN COUNTY GEORGIA ON APRIL 27 2011. THE TORNADO STARTED AT LAKE BURTON CAUSING EF3 DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES (POSSIBLY HIGHER PENDING WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS EVALUATION). IT WEAKENED TO EF1 ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE LAKE... THEN REINTENSIFIED TO DO EF2 DAMAGE FROM BLACK ROCK MOUNTAIN STATE PARK THROUGH MOUNTAIN CITY BEFORE ENDING ABOUT 1/2 MILE ENE OF MOUNTAIN CITY ON OAKEY MOUNTAIN. THERE IS AT LEAST ONE FATALITY AND SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE MISSING. THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/GSP. FOR REFERENCE...THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: EF0...WIND SPEEDS 65 TO 85 MPH. EF1...WIND SPEEDS 86 TO 110 MPH. EF2...WIND SPEEDS 111 TO 135 MPH. EF3...WIND SPEEDS 136 TO 165 MPH. EF4...WIND SPEEDS 166 TO 200 MPH. EF5...WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 200 MPH

[NavarreDon]

The preliminary report is an EF3 tornado in Mountain City GA which is in extreme NE GA. Pretty sure this was from the same Tuscaloosa supercell.

NOUS42 KGSP 282358 CCA PNSGSP GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-290330- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 724 PM EDT THU APR 28 2011 ...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR MOUNTAIN CITY IN RABUN COUNTY GEORGIA...

LOCATION...MOUNTAIN CITY IN RABUN COUNTY GEORGIA

DATE...APRIL 27 2011 ESTIMATED

TIME...11 PM EDT

MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF3

ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...165 MPH

MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...1/2 MILE

PATH LENGTH...3 1/2 MILES * FATALITIES...1 KNOWN * INJURIES...UNKNOWN * THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA. ...SUMMARY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC HAS CONFIRMED A TORNADO NEAR MOUNTAIN CITY IN RABUN COUNTY GEORGIA ON APRIL 27 2011. THE TORNADO STARTED AT LAKE BURTON CAUSING EF3 DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES (POSSIBLY HIGHER PENDING WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS EVALUATION). IT WEAKENED TO EF1 ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE LAKE... THEN REINTENSIFIED TO DO EF2 DAMAGE FROM BLACK ROCK MOUNTAIN STATE PARK THROUGH MOUNTAIN CITY BEFORE ENDING ABOUT 1/2 MILE ENE OF MOUNTAIN CITY ON OAKEY MOUNTAIN. THERE IS AT LEAST ONE FATALITY AND SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE MISSING. THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/GSP. FOR REFERENCE...THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: EF0...WIND SPEEDS 65 TO 85 MPH. EF1...WIND SPEEDS 86 TO 110 MPH. EF2...WIND SPEEDS 111 TO 135 MPH. EF3...WIND SPEEDS 136 TO 165 MPH. EF4...WIND SPEEDS 166 TO 200 MPH. EF5...WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 200 MPH

I know this area well from when I lived in Franklin. It really amazes me to think they had a EF3 that was right on the cusp of a EF4 est. wise there. Not the Smokies, Balsams, or Blacks but def. in the mountians. Hope the find the missing and they are ok.

[audioguy3107]

Everything doesn't always work out perfect but there was more severe weather north of Atlanta. I think the fact Atlanta "missed out" was more due to luck and timing of cells developing and redeveloping more than anything else. There was a tornado near LaGrange that was on a trajectory towards Atlanta but that one just did live long enough while most of the other tornado tracks were much longer.

Another thing that fascinates the heck out of me when looking at the Atlanta metro during this outbreak is when you compare what happened last night as the storms pretty much fell apart and failed to redevelop around the city, yet in March 2008 you had one lone supercell drop a major (for downtown Atlanta that is) tornado with nothing else around, no storms no major severe weather system or anything. There was no severe weather watch out at all. Compare that to yesterday when the severe weather parameters were off the charts, yet nothing in Atlanta proper. An amazing and mind boggling comparison.

[Carvers Gap]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCxeN6fvYjg

Glade Spring, Virginia
EF3 Tornado

[Carvers Gap]

Camp Creek / Greeneville, TN
EF2 Tornado

[NEGa]

The preliminary report is an EF3 tornado in Mountain City GA which is in extreme NE GA. Pretty sure this was from the same Tuscaloosa supercell.

i drive through there quite a bit - and its not too far from mby - so a close call. for once i am glad that things didnt work out perfectly for the most extreme wx imby. i think there are now two confirmed (at least everyone in town is saying that now) fatalities in rabun and several people are still missing. most people up here do not really expect this type of wx. i heard the same thing a lot before last night 'we are in the mtns, so tornadoes wont make it here' so i doubt some of those long time residents in mtn city would have ever considered a tornado in their town

[Carvers Gap]

Here is a very preliminary storm report for E TN from the NWS.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mrx/stormreports/

[EmersonGA]

I just saw the damage on the news from lake Burton and Rabun. I can believe it was an EF3.

Snowstorm, think about what your saying. We have trailer parks around here with thousands of people. You want a law mandating an undergrond shelter for all of them. How the hell would that work. Are you going to pay for it? I take responsibility for myself and my family. I have a plan for storms and I dont need a law to dictate it. Its my skin. Your continued rambling about trailer parks is getting real annoying. Yes they are dangerous in storms but you have obviously never been in their shoes. I would venture to say youve never ridden a storm out in a ditch. I have and I can say from experience that its not a real secure feeling.

[ATL_Militarypolice]

Georgia tornado. Same cell from Tuscaloosa, Birmingham.

[Blue Ridge]

What I don't wish for though is more garbage like channel 5 pulled last night, refusing to break away from american idol while ken kook himself was reporting a potentially mile wide tornado moving toward rome. I desperately urge everyone to go to their site to complain and get anyone else they can too. I know I am because I was so disgusted and angered by this (and still am)that it wouldn't serve me well to see whoever the hell was responsible. For them to stick with a meaningless pile of crap like idol while people were in serious danger, property was being destroyed, and it was heading toward a major metro area in their viewing area is beyond vile, disgusting, and irresponsible.

www.myfoxatlanta.com

Not to turn this into an anti-Fox campaign, but...

Atlanta's Fox affiliate is owned by News Corporation/Fox Television Network, and is considered a "flagship" station. Thus, I'm assuming Fox may have been hesitant in allowing an owned-and-operated, flagship station to break away from its calling card. Fox would.

Anyway, that is absolutely pathetic. FOX, CBS, and NBC affiliates in the Tri-Cities remained wall-to-wall throughout (with the exception of a ten minute period in which WCYB, the NBC affiliate, broke away). If the Tri-Cities can get it right, surely Atlanta can get it right.

[Jackstraw]

I would imagine that the bulk of the reason for this the typical track of the low pressure systems. Lows generally form in the LA/AR area and then cut up thru the Ohio valley or form in the gulf or Atlantic and ride up the coast. The lakes cutter scenario like we just had favors the best dynamics to our west which will target MS and AL more while an east coast track forming in the gulf really doesn't favor any severe here in GA. So often times are are left with these dying squall lines that weaken the further east they get into GA Obviously this isn't always the case but it does happen a lot. And then of course CAD can play a factor but it didn't yesterday.

I am by no means schooled on the physics of this stuff, I'm just another facinated and curious viewer of mother nature. I was trying to find an archived WV loop of the Central and SE US because I thought I saw something that stood out differently from a normal trough shortwave senario. It really looked like as the initial shortwave started to wind up there were smaller shortwaves that spun up at the bottom axis of the initial one just as the main axis began to negative tilt. It looked like a boxers upper hook with a fast pitch softball pitch on the end of it. Both of those rotated around the bottom axis of the initial shortwave right at the time that all hell broke loose. As the main shortwave rotated to a negative tilt these things were just flung up to the NE, one on top of the other, spinning so fast they did not have a dry signature in the upper levels. There looked to be an amazing amount of moisture wrapped back into the intial vortex at the upper levels. Could that have enhanced the updrafts over MS and AL? Along with the that, at least to me it would seem, it created a kind of self feeding gigantic super cell that all of the convection along the boundries was feeding off of. I wish I could find a WV loop of Tues. into Wed.. I have never seen those small upperlevel vortices spinning off the larger one like that. Am I off base or is there a scientific, I don't know, history, basis, term for that? I might be off base but the WV imagery of Tues. and Wed. looked like a George Foreman upper cut with Sugar Ray on the end of his glove. I'll crawl back in my cave and appreciate the knowledge I learn here. BTW, I was in your neck of the woods for the DoDah festival last week. Had a blast

[Snowless in Carrollton]

With AL being such a hot spot for tornadoes, I'm surprised more people there don't have underground storm shelters. Aren't those pretty safe even in an EF-5 tornado ?

[MotoWeatherman]

Found this amazing satellite pic on another forum.

[MotoWeatherman]

I am by no means schooled on the physics of this stuff, I'm just another facinated and curious viewer of mother nature. I was trying to find an archived WV loop of the Central and SE US because I thought I saw something that stood out differently from a normal trough shortwave senario. It really looked like as the initial shortwave started to wind up there were smaller shortwaves that spun up at the bottom axis of the initial one just as the main axis began to negative tilt. It looked like a boxers upper hook with a fast pitch softball pitch on the end of it. Both of those rotated around the bottom axis of the initial shortwave right at the time that all hell broke loose. As the main shortwave rotated to a negative tilt these things were just flung up to the NE, one on top of the other, spinning so fast they did not have a dry signature in the upper levels. There looked to be an amazing amount of moisture wrapped back into the intial vortex at the upper levels. Could that have enhanced the updrafts over MS and AL? Along with the that, at least to me it would seem, it created a kind of self feeding gigantic super cell that all of the convection along the boundries was feeding off of. I wish I could find a WV loop of Tues. into Wed.. I have never seen those small upperlevel vortices spinning off the larger one like that. Am I off base or is there a scientific, I don't know, history, basis, term for that? I might be off base but the WV imagery of Tues. and Wed. looked like a George Foreman upper cut with Sugar Ray on the end of his glove. I'll crawl back in my cave and appreciate the knowledge I learn here. BTW, I was in your neck of the woods for the DoDah festival last week. Had a blast

I think your observations are very accurate. There were multiple shortwaves rounding the based of the trough and everything just timed out perfect for disaster in Alabama. I think you dissected it pretty well so there is no need to stay in the cave. LOL

I assume by DoDah festival you are talking about the "Bear on the Square" festival that happened 2 weeks ago?? I didn't go to it but I did drive thru the square a few times...big crowd.

[NavarreDon]

Latest PIS from BMX. (Bolded the Damage Path Length)

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL

500 AM CDT FRI APR 29 2011

...CORRECTED FOR MARION/WINSTON TORNADO LAT/LON COORDINATES...

...EVENT OVERVIEW...

THERE WERE TWO WAVES OF WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER. THE FIRST MOVED

THROUGH DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF

CENTRAL ALABAMA PRODUCING WIDESPREAD DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS

AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE SECOND WAVE INVOLVED NUMEROUS SUPERCELL

THUNDERSTORMS AND PRODUCED LONG LIVED...STRONG TO VIOLENT TORNADOES

ACROSS THE NORTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA...WITH WIDESPREAD

AND CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. AT THIS TIME ALL

RATINGS ARE PRELIMINARY.

...MARION AND WINSTON COUNTIES...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED ACROSS MARION AND

WINSTON COUNTIES. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS

CONSISTENT WITH A TORNADO. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 140

MPH. ALONG THE PATH...HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE DOWNED...AT LEAST 45

STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED. AT LEAST 18 OF THESE STRUCTURES WERE

COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THIS TORNADO DAMAGE PATHS LIKELY CONTINUED

INTO FRANKLIN AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES.

TORNADO 1...SHOTSVILLE TORNADO (MARION COUNTY)

PRELIMINARY DATA...

EVENT DATE: APRIL 27, 2011

EVENT TYPE: EF-3 TORNADO OR POTENTIALLY HIGHER

ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): AROUND 140

INJURIES/FATALITIES: AT LEAST 6 FATALITIES.

EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 34.1579/-88.1847 AT 357 PM

EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 34.3129/-87.9231 AT 420 PM

DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 19.1 MILES (CONTINUED INTO HUN WFO)DAMAGE WIDTH: 3/4 MILE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED ACROSS MARION

COUNTY IMPACTING SHOTSVILLE. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE

WAS CONSISTENT WITH A TORNADO. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT LEAST 140

MPH. THE TORNADO POSSIBLY BEGAN IN MISSISSIPPI AND WILL NEED TO

COORDINATE WITH MEMPHIS WFO TO SEE IF THE PATH DID BEGIN FURTHER

WEST. ALONG THE PATH...HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE DOWNED...25 STRUCTURES

WERE DAMAGED. FIVE OF THESE STRUCTURES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

THIS TORNADO DAMAGE PATH CONTINUED INTO FRANKLIN COUNTY. THERE WILL

BE ANOTHER EVALUATION DONE ON THE WORST DAMAGE POINTS ON FRIDAY TO

DETERMINE IF THE RATING NEEDS TO BE INCREASED.

TORNADO 2...HACKLEBURG TORNADO (MARION COUNTY)

PRELIMINARY DATA...

EVENT DATE: APRIL 27, 2011

EVENT TYPE: EF-3 TORNADO OR POTENTIALLY HIGHER (FURTHER EVALUATION

IS NEEDED)

ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): AT LEAST 140

INJURIES/FATALITIES: AT LEAST 25 FATALITIES.

EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 34.0880/-87.1328 AT 305 PM

EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 34.3109/-87.7858 AT 328 PM

DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 25.2 MILES (CONTINUED INTO HUN WFO)DAMAGE WIDTH: 3/4 MILE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED ACROSS MARION

COUNTY IMPACTING HACKLEBURG. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE

WAS CONSISTENT WITH A LARGE TORNADO. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT LEAST

140 MPH. ALONG THE PATH...HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE DOWNED...200

STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED. 100 OF THESE STRUCTURES WERE COMPLETELY

DESTROYED. THIS TORNADO DAMAGE PATH CONTINUED INTO FRANKLIN COUNTY.

THERE WILL BE ANOTHER EVALUATION DONE ON THE WORST DAMAGE POINTS ON

FRIDAY TO DETERMINE IF THE RATING NEEDS TO BE INCREASED.

TORNADO 3...HALEYVILLE (MARION/WINSTON COUNTIES)

PRELIMINARY DATA...

EVENT DATE: APRIL 27, 2011

EVENT TYPE: EF-3

ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): AROUND 140

INJURIES/FATALITIES: 10 INJURIES.

EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 34.0289/-87.9421 AT 510 PM

EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 34.3057/-87.4973 AT 551 PM

DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 31.8 MILES (CONTINUED INTO HUN WFO)DAMAGE WIDTH: 1/2 MILE

...ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...

SURVEYS WILL CONDUCTED ONCE AGAIN ON FRIDAY AS WELL SATURDAY. THE

ENTIRE PROCESS MAY TAKE UPWARDS OF TWO WEEKS. ANOTHER PLAN OF THE

DAY WILL ISSUED EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

MEDIA INQUIRIES CAN BE DIRECTED TOWARD WARNING COORDINATION

METEOROLOGIST JOHN DE BLOCK AT 205-664-3010...OR METEOROLOGIST IN

CHARGE JIM STEFKOVICH AT 205-585-8635.

A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR SEVERE WEATHER WARNING

PROGRAM IS THE RECEIPT OF STORM REPORTS FROM ALL OUR CUSTOMERS AND

PARTNERS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. IF YOU WITNESSED OR ARE AWARE OF

ANY STORM DAMAGE DUE TO HIGH WINDS OR TORNADOES...PLEASE CONTACT

YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE...OR CALL OUR STORM REPORTING

HOTLINE AT 1-800-856-0758.

[VeronicaCorningstone]

From another forum. This is amazing.

Radar montage of the destructive supercell which hit Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, & more...

[DaculaWeather]

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA

844 PM EDT THU APR 28 2011

...PAST EF4/F4 TORNADOES IN GEORGIA...

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY DETERMINED THAT AN EF4

TORNADO WITH WINDS OF 175 MPH OCCURRED IN CATOOSA COUNTY AS PART

OF THE HISTORIC APRIL 27-28 2011 OUTBREAK. EF4 TORNADOES ARE VERY

RARE IN GEORGIA. INCLUDING THIS EVENT...ONLY EIGHT EF4/F4

TORNADOES HAVE OCCURRED IN GEORGIA SINCE 1950.

DATE COUNTIES AFFECTED FATALITIES INJURIES

04/27/2011 CATOOSA 7 30

05/11/2008 MCINTOSH 0 9

03/27/1994 FLOYD/BARTOW/ 3 UNKNOWN

CHEROKEE/PICKENS

11/22/1992 CHEROKEE/COBB 0 46

11/22/1992 PUTNAM/GREENE 5 86

04/03/1974 GORDON/WHITFIELD/ 9 67

MURRAY

04/03/1974 PICKENS/DAWSON/ 6 30

LUMPKIN

04/03/1974 FANNIN 0 0

04/30/1953 HOUSTON 18 300

[MotoWeatherman]

I know this area well from when I lived in Franklin. It really amazes me to think they had a EF3 that was right on the cusp of a EF4 est. wise there. Not the Smokies, Balsams, or Blacks but def. in the mountians. Hope the find the missing and they are ok.

Just goes to show how powerful that supercell was. It survives a 50 mile trek across the spine of the Apps in GA from Dawson county to Rabun county (3000-4000 ft peaks) and then dumps and EF3 in northern Rabun county. Wow.

[MotoWeatherman]

From another forum. This is amazing.

Now that is a great screen shot. Tweaked it a bit....

[bingcrosbyb]

First EF5 rating out. And it's NOT for the storm that tracked from Tuscaloosa -> Birmingham.

..PRELIMINARY RARE EF-5 TORNADO IN MONROE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI

AFTER A REVIEW OF THE DAMAGE PHOTOS TAKEN DURING THURSDAY/S GROUND

SURVEY AND CONSULTATION WITH NATIONAL EXPERTS...THE NATIONAL

WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS UPGRADED THE SMITHVILLE TORNADO

RATING TO EF-5 DAMAGE. THIS IS THE HIGHEST RATING FOR TORNADO

DAMAGE AND THE FIRST EF-5 OR F-5 IN MISSISSIPPI SINCE THE

CANDLESTICK PARK TORNADO NEAR JACKSON ON MARCH 3RD 1966.

* COUNTY/COUNTIES: MONROE

* LOCATION/TIME OF EVENT: SMITHVILLE AT 344 PM EDT

* BEGINNING POINT: 34.0517, -88.4236

* ENDING POINT: 34.0731, -88.3814

* RATING: EF-5

* ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 205 MPH

* PATH LENGTH: 2.82 MILES

* MAXIMUM WIDTH: 1/2 MILE

* FATALITIES: 14

* INJURIES: 40

* SUMMARY OF DAMAGES: 18 HOMES DESTROYED...2 BUSINESSES /POST

OFFICE AND POLICE STATION/ DESTROYED...8 HOMES WITH MAJOR

DAMAGE...7 BUSINESSES WITH MAJOR DAMAGE...44 HOMES WITH MINOR

DAMAGE...AND WATER SYSTEM DESTROYED. MOST TREES EITHER SNAPPED

OR TWISTED AND DEBARKED. MOST THE HOMES DESTROYED WERE WELL

BUILT...TWO STORIES...LESS THAN TEN YEARS OLD AND BOLTED DOWN TO

THEIR FOUNDATIONS. AN 1965 CHEVY PICKUP TRUCK PARKED IN FRONT

ONE OF THE DESTROYED HOMES HAS NOT BEEN FOUND. ALL APPLIANCES

AND PLUMBING FIXTURES IN THE MOST EXTREME DAMAGE PATH SHREDDED

OR MISSING.