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4/27-4/28 Tornado Outbreak Damage Assessment Thread


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Some number that can't be verified.

Yeah, many (if not most events) have discrepancies between surveys and reality. This is one where it's definitely inevitable. What's so staggering is HOW HARD the main outbreak area was effected. To have as many tornadoes as with had with 70mi+ path lengths is astonishing.

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Yeah, many (if not most events) have discrepancies between surveys and reality. This is one where it's definitely inevitable. What's so staggering is HOW HARD the main outbreak area was effected. To have as many tornadoes as with had with 70mi+ path lengths is astonishing.

In addition, didnt like a dozen of those tornadoes have damage paths at least a mile-wide.

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ALABAMA F4/EF4 AND F5/EF5 TORNADOES*:

TIME PERIOD F4 OR EF4 F5 OR EF5

SINCE 1874 64 6

SINCE 1950 32 6

APRIL 27, 2011 7 2 (CORRECTED NUMBER)

*BASED ON MAXIMUM EF RATING ALONG THE ENTIRE TRACK.

---------------

LIST OF ALABAMA F5/EF5 TORNADOES:

MARCH 3, 1966 - VIENNA-BENOVALA (PICKENS, TUSCALOOSA)

APRIL 3, 1974 - MOULTON (LAWRENCE, LIMESTONE, MORGAN, MADISON)

APRIL 3, 1974 - ATHENS-VANNTOWN (LIMESTONE, MADISON, LINCOLN TN)

APRIL 3, 1974 - GUIN (LAMAR, MARION, WINSTON, LAWRENCE, MORGAN)

APRIL 4, 1977 - SMITHFIELD (JEFFERSON) (CORRECTED)

APRIL 8, 1998 - OAK GROVE (TUSCALOOSA, JEFFERSON)

APRIL 27, 2011 - SMITHVILLE, MS - SHOTTSVILLE, AL (MARION, FRANKLIN)

APRIL 27, 2011 - HACKLEBURG (MARION, FRANKLIN, LAWRENCE, MORGAN,

LIMESTONE, MADISON)

Can someone explain how they list 2 F5/EF5 tornadoes when there was only 1 (Hackleburg) EF5 in Alabama? The Shottsville, AL was rated an EF3 but the Smithville EF5 damage was in MS. Two different WFOs but two

different states.

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ALABAMA F4/EF4 AND F5/EF5 TORNADOES*:

TIME PERIOD F4 OR EF4 F5 OR EF5

SINCE 1874 64 6

SINCE 1950 32 6

APRIL 27, 2011 7 2 (CORRECTED NUMBER)

*BASED ON MAXIMUM EF RATING ALONG THE ENTIRE TRACK.

---------------

LIST OF ALABAMA F5/EF5 TORNADOES:

MARCH 3, 1966 - VIENNA-BENOVALA (PICKENS, TUSCALOOSA)

APRIL 3, 1974 - MOULTON (LAWRENCE, LIMESTONE, MORGAN, MADISON)

APRIL 3, 1974 - ATHENS-VANNTOWN (LIMESTONE, MADISON, LINCOLN TN)

APRIL 3, 1974 - GUIN (LAMAR, MARION, WINSTON, LAWRENCE, MORGAN)

APRIL 4, 1977 - SMITHFIELD (JEFFERSON) (CORRECTED)

APRIL 8, 1998 - OAK GROVE (TUSCALOOSA, JEFFERSON)

APRIL 27, 2011 - SMITHVILLE, MS - SHOTTSVILLE, AL (MARION, FRANKLIN)

APRIL 27, 2011 - HACKLEBURG (MARION, FRANKLIN, LAWRENCE, MORGAN,

LIMESTONE, MADISON)

Can someone explain how they list 2 F5/EF5 tornadoes when there was only 1 (Hackleburg) EF5 in Alabama? The Shottsville, AL was rated an EF3 but the Smithville EF5 damage was in MS. Two different WFOs but two

different states.

Simple, even though the damage rated in separate CWAs is different, it is the same tornado and the path is given the maximum rating found along the entire damage track.

Also, with this event, Alabama now regains the "lead" for the state with most F5 tornadoes.

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Yeah, many (if not most events) have discrepancies between surveys and reality. This is one where it's definitely inevitable. What's so staggering is HOW HARD the main outbreak area was effected. To have as many tornadoes as with had with 70mi+ path lengths is astonishing.

Sure, but it'd be nice to have a number even if we know it's wrong. Is it safe to say that there were more than 148 on April 27?

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Simple, even though the damage rated in separate CWAs is different, it is the same tornado and the path is given the maximum rating found along the entire damage track.

Also, with this event, Alabama now regains the "lead" for the state with most F5 tornadoes.

This makes sense and it is how I would consider things. It is, however, inconsistent with how they have reported the last F5/EF-5 in Mississippi having been in 1966. In 1971, Louisiana's lone F5 crossed into Mississippi. In fact, the vast majority of the path was in Mississippi. The F5 damage was rated in Louisiana, not in Mississippi which is why they deferred to 1966 as having been Mississippi's last F5.
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This makes sense and it is how I would consider things. It is, however, inconsistent with how they have reported the last F5/EF-5 in Mississippi having been in 1966. In 1971, Louisiana's lone F5 crossed into Mississippi. In fact, the vast majority of the path was in Mississippi. The F5 damage was rated in Louisiana, not in Mississippi which is why they deferred to 1966 as having been Mississippi's last F5.

Just like the Winn Parish EF4 tornado on November 29, 2010. NWS in Shreveport listed the last F4/EF4 tornado was tornado in 1999 but I thought the Yazoo City EF4 tornado on April 24, 2010 would be. They told me it was because the Yazoo City tornado did EF4 damage in Mississippi and not in Louisiana. I thought a tornado was rated based on the highest damage point during the entire track.

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Sure, but it'd be nice to have a number even if we know it's wrong. Is it safe to say that there were more than 148 on April 27?

Here's what I have...

April 27th - 12AM-11:59PM (Local Time)

Tornado Count: 177

Tornado Count Per CWA:

MRX: 51

HUN: 31

JAN: 30

BMX: 30

MEG: 12

FFC: 10

OHX: 9

SHV: 4

LWX: 4

AKQ: 3

GSP: 2

LMK: 2

MOB: 1

RNK: 1

RLX: 1

ILN: 1

CTP: 1

BMG: 1

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Here's what I have...

April 27th - 12AM-11:59PM (Local Time)

Tornado Count: 179

Tornado Count Per CWA:

MRX: 51

HUN: 31

JAN: 30

BMX: 29

MEG: 12

FFC: 10

OHX: 9

SHV: 4

LWX: 4

AKQ: 3

GSP: 2

LMK: 2

MOB: 1

RNK: 1

RLX: 1

ILN: 1

CTP: 1

BMG: 1

Where are you getting that LWX had 4? They had 17.

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/lwx/events/svrwx_20110427_28/

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Here's what I have...

April 27th - 12AM-11:59PM (Local Time)

Tornado Count: 179

Tornado Count Per CWA:

.....

April 25th

Tornado Count: 39

Tornado Count Per CWA:

LZK: 15

FDW: 11

SHV: 7

PAH: 5

HGX: 1

April 26th...

Tornado Count: 45

Tornado Count Per CWA:

SHV: 14

FDW: 10

PAH: 8

LZK: 3

LMK: 3

JAN: 2

BMG: 2

MEG: 2

GRR: 1

April 28th...

Tornado Count: 49

Tornado Count Per CWA:

LWX: 13

BGM: 6

FFC: 5

ILM: 5

CTP: 5

GSP: 3

CAE: 3

TAE: 2

MHX: 2

RNK: 2

MRX: 1

ALY: 1

AKQ: 1

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That is one incredible video. The cameraman was crazy, but I'm glad he shot it lol. Just shows how ferocious that thing was when you see it from so close like that. The winds were probably over 100mph right outside his door there. Probably didn't have to go too far from his location to hit some very serious damage.

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this video alone needs it's own thread. I've watched it over and over, analyzing little details. So fascinating to watch the finer parts of a violent tornado in action at close range.

Agreed. I'm surprised the trees in the foreground were left standing with as strong as those winds got. Someone mentioned what looks like a car door in the power lines towards the end of the video as he pans towards the right. I paused it and it kind of does look like a car door. You can also see the large tower in the distance fall in the first minute of the video.

It's fascinating to see how quickly the winds change direction as the tornado passes. It looks like the edge of the condensation brushes over the building across the street. Very surprised it didn't lose the roof. It had to be close to letting go.

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Agreed. I'm surprised the trees in the foreground were left standing with as strong as those winds got. Someone mentioned what looks like a car door in the power lines towards the end of the video as he pans towards the right. I paused it and it kind of does look like a car door. You can also see the large tower in the distance fall in the first minute of the video.

It's fascinating to see how quickly the winds change direction as the tornado passes. It looks like the edge of the condensation brushes over the building across the street. Very surprised it didn't lose the roof. It had to be close to letting go.

yeah and at 1:23 a large piece of debris begins to get ejected outward and then gets ripped apart by a horizontal vortex in less than a second. Also at 1:08 the 2nd window in the green van gets busted by debris.

The more I watch, the more I notice.

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yeah and at 1:23 a large piece of debris begins to get ejected outward and then gets ripped apart by a horizontal vortex in less than a second. Also at 1:08 the 2nd window in the green van gets busted by debris.

The more I watch, the more I notice.

It looks like there's some small vorticies spinning in the parking lot area starting just after the 1:00 mark. Might just be wind eddies between the buildings, but some of them seem to be spinning pretty quickly. Another thing I've noticed is the very heavy rain that's falling just before and during the passing of the tornado. That means the rain wrapped all the way around the north and northwest side of the tornado. I figured the rain wouldn't wrap around that far, but apparently it did.

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The Duarte video must have been shot very close to the Charleston Square apartments. In the Charleston Square video you can see the same large high flying piece of debris as you see in this video at 0:35. The angle and distance is nearly the same as well. I'm guessing the Charleston Square apartments were probably just south of this location.

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I've pinpointed the Duarte video location. It is on a small cul-de-cas between 25th and 27th Streets directly behind the Nat'l Guard Armory, literally the property adjacent to the NW corner of Charleston Square and across the street to the NE of the Rosedale housing project.

The tower seen taken out at 0:43 seconds is located directly beside the NB lanes of I-359 between 29th and 30th Streets.

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The Duarte video might be one of the best of a violent tornado I've ever seen. Also may be one of the closest videos of a violent tornado ever filmed.

I think the closest video ever filmed in a non chase was the one in Texas back in the 1990's.

Steve

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I think one of the most amazing aspects of the Durate video is the sound of the tornado. When he steps out around the 0:50 mark it's insanely loud. The tornado was still a little ways away at that point too. After that he goes back inside and the roar is still insanely loud as the tornado passes by. Hearing how loud it was when he was outside around the 0:50 mark, and how loud it is from INSIDE after the 1:00 minute mark, I can only imagine what that would have sounded like if he had stayed just outside his door. I think the only sound in nature that comes close to sounding as intimidating as that would maybe be a roar from a lion LOL.

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http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/torn/fataltorn.html

The death toll of the Marion County to Madison County F5 tornado is up to 78. The Tuscaloosa/Birmingham tornado death toll is up to 61. ..still amazing to think about two well-warned (not like Plainfield, IL) tornados causing over 50 deaths on the same day. That Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado did not even pass through a densely populated urban corridor like the Tuscaloosa/Jefferson County one, and with several swaths of F5 damage, it must be considered one of the most fearsome tornados in US history.

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