SluggerWx Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Seems like support for another round of VORTEX missions to me. This is really what I hope President Obama is able to identify after his trip to the South today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackjack123 Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 I posted the aerial, we've seen the damage... Smithville deserved the EF5 for sure. The damage from Hackleburg looks almost EF5-ish as well from the aerials (if the homes were well bolted, then for sure... I've never seen such a high concentration of cleaned slabs since Jarrell). No doubt the "panel of experts" will be working their butts off today in multiple locations. Yes, I agree with you. It is just sometimes to hard to believe in the highest rating when at times seem near non existent. I know an EF4 rating is to get let alone EF5. This tornado booked it and still did unbelievable damage. Moving along that fast and doing that type of damage to well-built brick homes it defenitely does deserve the EF5 rating. Did it move faster than the Parkersburg, Iowa tornado? I bet tornadotony is going to be very impressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SluggerWx Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 My estimates for what we'll eventually determine for EF-4 and EF-5 tornado ratings from 4-26/4-27 EF-5: 4 EF-4: 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewxmann Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Yes, I agree with you. It is just sometimes to hard to believe in the highest rating when at times seem near non existent. I know an EF4 rating is to get let alone EF5. This tornado booked it and still did unbelievable damage. Moving along that fast and doing that type of damage to well-built brick homes it defenitely does deserve the EF5 rating. Did it move faster than the Parkersburg, Iowa tornado? I bet tornadotony is going to be very impressed. All the tornadoes in this outbreak moved very fast, 70mph+... the jet dynamics were incredible with 100kt at H5 in TN. Parkersburg has nothing on this. As a side note, Ringgold/the continuation of the storm in TN are both being considered for EF5 ratings (source: PerryW on the Talkweather forums). This looks justified given that the damage photos posted by FFC show houses that are gone, e.g. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/ffc/catoosa088.JPG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWeatherPimp Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 This might sound funny coming from someone that worked on V2 both years, but I'm not all that optimistic that V2 or even a V3 would change anything that went on here all that much. Let's say we know exactly how tornadoes form. Ok, what's changed really? Maybe an extra few minutes lead time on warnings (but probably not since the main observing tool only samples a location every 300 sec)? I don't think warning time was the problem here. Even if you know everything there is to know about tornadoes, they're still chaotic and they still are being affected by small spatial and temporal scale changes in the environment that aren't going to be observed, even if you had a national mesonet. Everyone wants answers when something like this happens, which I totally get, but there's no easy answers here and very little guarantee that this won't happen again in the future. The key here is preparedness, as others have previously stated. As a public official in the Emergency Management field, we need to step up our game and stress how important it is to have weather radios and to have back-up batteries for those radios. The EMA/Media/NWS etc. need to preach that you can't count on having television and you can't count on the tornado sirens activating. We saw what happens when a line of storms rolls through before the main outbreak in Alabama. Personal preparedness is the answer here. Ultimately some fatalities will never be prevented, but hearing that people said they have no warning is discouraging, especially with the lead times that the Alabama and Mississippi NWS office were getting out. The coming weeks and months will be a great time for public education as the pictures from Alabama will be fresh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackjack123 Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 All the tornadoes in this outbreak moved very fast, 70mph+... the jet dynamics were incredible with 100kt at H5 in TN. Parkersburg has nothing on this. As a side note, Ringgold/the continuation of the storm in TN are both being considered for EF5 ratings (source: PerryW on the Talkweather forums). This looks justified given that the damage photos posted by FFC show houses that are gone, e.g. http://www.srh.noaa..../catoosa088.JPG. Then this tornado moved twice as fast as the Parkersburg, Iowa tornado and still did EF5 damage. Even though the Smithville, MS tornado was probably not as wide and long-lived as the other tornadoes(Tanner, AL and Tuscaloosa/Birmingham, AL), it may have been the most violent tornado of this outbreak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k*** Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 I was actually agreeing with the original high-end EF4 rating. Talk about a short-lived EF5. It looks like it bombed Smithfield quickly and lifted. The damage looks eerily similar to Parkersburg, Iowa from aerials. Yes, I agree with you. It is just sometimes to hard to believe in the highest rating when at times seem near non existent. I know an EF4 rating is to get let alone EF5. This tornado booked it and still did unbelievable damage. Moving along that fast and doing that type of damage to well-built brick homes it defenitely does deserve the EF5 rating. Did it move faster than the Parkersburg, Iowa tornado? I bet tornadotony is going to be very impressed. Do you have expertise in rating tornadoes and have you personally witnessed the damage on the ground? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackjack123 Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Do you have expertise in rating tornadoes and have you personally witnessed the damage on the ground? No I am just saying if I was I would be very conservative before giving a tornado an EF5 rating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k*** Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 No I am just saying if I was I would be very conservative before giving a tornado an EF5 rating. Is there any evidence that the experts who are actually there instead of looking at pictures on the internet aren't being conservative? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SluggerWx Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 The key here is preparedness, as others have previously stated. As a public official in the Emergency Management field, we need to step up our game and stress how important it is to have weather radios and to have back-up batteries for those radios. The EMA/Media/NWS etc. need to preach that you can't count on having television and you can't count on the tornado sirens activating. We saw what happens when a line of storms rolls through before the main outbreak in Alabama. Personal preparedness is the answer here. Ultimately some fatalities will never be prevented, but hearing that people said they have no warning is discouraging, especially with the lead times that the Alabama and Mississippi NWS office were getting out. The coming weeks and months will be a great time for public education as the pictures from Alabama will be fresh. It may build a case to fund other ways of notifying people: 1)'seismic' surveillance and perimeters around highly populated areas. No doubt a tornado (rain wrapped or not) produces intense seismic activity, correct? If the system is underground, maybe a hindered or hampered power supply could be separated out from the standard grid so we still have Automatic Warnings even with the power going out. 2)Why doesn't the Federal Government fund Wireless Providers to notify all subscribers via text message if a tornado is headed towards the GPS coordinates pinged from their cell phone? My TV gets warnings, and so should my cell phone. WITHOUT my consent - it's the right thing to do. I know GPS causes privacy, etc...so maybe the billing address could be the default 'location' if GPS weather notifications aren't consented by the subscriber. 3)Quadruple the amount of Dopplers in the US. NO REASON Eastern Texas should have as many 'holes' as it does. Let's fix this! As a part of this, all highly populated MAJOR cities should have a perimeter of dopplers in a compass shape surrounding cities. If each radar scans two minutes after the former, we cut down doppler updates from 7 minutes to a 'composite' blend of ZERO minutes. I've outlined a picture of what I'd try to accomplish with the re-work of Doppler Radars surrounding major US cities. Believe it or not, analyzing strategy around games like Android's Robo-Defense (things coming in a set line at a stationary defense object) have trends that could be analyzed to learn the correct coverage if a risk beta is configured within the exact location of the 'Compass Doppler Layout' I'm describing here. SO: Have the West scan first, south scan two minutes later, North scan two minutes after that and then have the East scan two minutes after that... You should then already be half-way through the West radar's next scan. Build an algorithm to get a composite based on all three readings to compile a single, advanced radar system with NO MORE than 2 minutes of lag time. You also have a 'worst case scenario' coverage if three of the dopplers get taken out... one will still remain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFanatica Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 3)Quadruple the amount of Dopplers in the US. NO REASON Eastern Texas should have as many 'holes' as it does. Let's fix this! As a part of this, all highly populated MAJOR cities should have a perimeter of dopplers in a compass shape surrounding cities. If each radar scans two minutes after the former, we cut down doppler updates from 7 minutes to a 'composite' blend of ZERO minutes. I've outlined a picture of what I'd try to accomplish with the re-work of Doppler Radars surrounding major US cities. Believe it or not, analyzing strategy around games like Android's Robo-Defense (things coming in a set line at a stationary defense object) have trends that could be analyzed to learn the correct coverage if a risk beta is configured within the exact location of the 'Compass Doppler Layout' I'm describing here. SO: Have the West scan first, south scan two minutes later, North scan two minutes after that and then have the East scan two minutes after that... You should then already be half-way through the West radar's next scan. Build an algorithm to get a composite based on all three readings to compile a single, advanced radar system with NO MORE than 2 minutes of lag time. You also have a 'worst case scenario' coverage if three of the dopplers get taken out... one will still remain. This is being looked at, it's called CASA: http://www.casa.umass.edu/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWeatherPimp Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Not that I want to see a disaster occur, but hopefully this incident eliminates any politician proposing cuts to the NWS budget in the future. I do agree the radar holes need looked at, particularly Northeastern Texas and Northeastern Missouri - two absolutely awful ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SluggerWx Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 This is being looked at, it's called CASA: http://www.casa.umass.edu/ I can successfully say I've never heard of that in my life, and I'm glad I identified something that is actively being worked on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackjack123 Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Is there any evidence that the experts who are actually there instead of looking at pictures on the internet aren't being conservative? How rare are EF5 tornadoes? If you were on a survey team would you want to get it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Memphis Weather Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 How rare are EF5 tornadoes? If you were on a survey team would you want to get it right. When you're talking about a dozen or more homes...newly constructed...two-story...fully brick...that were leveled and swept...after being bolted to their foundations...I'm not sure what more you want for EF5... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k*** Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 How rare are EF5 tornadoes? If you were on a survey team would you want to get it right. I would think they have a better shot at being right than you eyeballing it from news footage and declaring that you think it was EF4. I guess my point in this exchange is that it's clear you have no clue what you are talking about and it would be best if you refrained from adding your skeptical 2 cents about whether things are EF4 or EF5...you don't have the expertise or ability to make that call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpeters3 Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 How rare are EF5 tornadoes? If you were on a survey team would you want to get it right. Frankly I'm really sick of the weenies here complaining about EF scale ratings. If there are damage indicators present that correspond to EF-5 damage, then the tornado is EF-5 - no need to sit around and ponder it for a couple days, just because the damage is on the upper end of the scale. TRUST THAT THE PROFESSIONALS ARE DOING THEIR JOBS... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SluggerWx Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Frankly I'm really sick of the weenies here complaining about EF scale ratings. If there are damage indicators present that correspond to EF-5 damage, then the tornado is EF-5 - no need to sit around and ponder it for a couple days, just because the damage is on the upper end of the scale. TRUST THAT THE PROFESSIONALS ARE DOING THEIR JOBS... Yeah, I don't understand this at all. Always trust the pros - it's what they do for a living. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master of Disaster Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 I posted the aerial, we've seen the damage... Smithville deserved the EF5 for sure. The damage from Hackleburg looks almost EF5-ish as well from the aerials (if the homes were well bolted, then for sure... I've never seen such a high concentration of cleaned slabs since Jarrell). No doubt the "panel of experts" will be working their butts off today in multiple locations. Agreed, just saw this pic from Ringgold. Assuming these were secured to the foundations, this may be the most total devastation I have seen yet from this event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SluggerWx Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Agreed, just saw this pic from Ringgold. Assuming these were secured to the foundations, this may be the most total devastation I have seen yet from this event. There are shots like this in Cartersville, GA, too. Look at that row of trees? Snapped at the base, didn't even get pulled out of the ground they just snapped... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Marusak Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Not that I want to see a disaster occur, but hopefully this incident eliminates any politician proposing cuts to the NWS budget in the future. I do agree the radar holes need looked at, particularly Northeastern Texas and Northeastern Missouri - two absolutely awful ones. northeast PA also has a not-so-nice one over the poconos and the wilkes barre-scranton area (90-120 miles from 3 radars, phl, bgm, and ctp). and there's also one in northern MN near and south of International falls, where you actually get better coverage from the EC radar out of Dryden than either the Grand Forks or Duluth radars. and finally, central SD near the pierre area. i'm sure others can come up with other radar gaps. but if they were to put in several of those faa-tdwr radars in those areas, you could probably close some of those gaps without costing a whole bunch. and i know of other proposals to decrease other gaps in coverage. i would be in favor of trying some of all the proposed solutions and see what works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floydbuster Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Question....when they say this was an EF5 twister in Mississippi with 205 mph winds...wouldn't that really mean it was an F3, as an original F5 would have been 261 mph+? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Question....when they say this was an EF5 twister in Mississippi with 205 mph winds...wouldn't that really mean it was an F3, as an original F5 would have been 261 mph+? Nope, the damage is the same, if you will, but the corresponding wind speeds have been lowered to better reflect the estimated wind it takes to cause various types of damage. IOW, this particular tornado might've been rated F5 on the old scale with an estimated wind speed of 270 mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFanatica Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Question....when they say this was an EF5 twister in Mississippi with 205 mph winds...wouldn't that really mean it was an F3, as an original F5 would have been 261 mph+? No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanStWx Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Question....when they say this was an EF5 twister in Mississippi with 205 mph winds...wouldn't that really mean it was an F3, as an original F5 would have been 261 mph+? No, the EF scale was implemented because, for example, the wind speed required to wipe a foundation clean actually only needs to be 200+ mph not 300. Likewise, for the rest of the damage scale we were overestimating the wind speeds required to do certain levels of damage. So F scale tornadoes from history are their EF scale counterparts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floydbuster Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 I see. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SluggerWx Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 There are shots like this in Cartersville, GA, too. Look at that row of trees? Snapped at the base, didn't even get pulled out of the ground they just snapped... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
on_wx Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Tune into CNN or WHNT click here for link NWS BMX will be giving a press conference at 330pm CDT PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 140 PM CDT FRI APR 29 2011 ...NWS BIRMINGHAM METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE TO PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNOR BENTLEY`S DAMAGE SURVEY AND PRESS CONFERENCE AT 330 PM TODAY... THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REQUESTS FOR INDIVIDUAL MEDIA TO FOLLOW NWS TEAMS TO SURVEY DAMAGE. DUE TO THE OVERWHELMING REQUESTS...DAMAGE AREAS THAT ARE STILL RESTRICTED...AND THE NEED FOR OUR SURVEYS TO BE COMPLETED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE...ADDRESSING AS MANY MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AS POSSIBLE IN ONE LOCATION IS THE MOST EFFICIENT MEANS TO MEET YOUR INFORMATION NEEDS AND ALLOWING US TO COMPLETE OUR DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS. METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE JIM STEFKOVICH WILL ACCOMPANY GOVERNOR BENTLEY ON HIS TOUR AT THE SCOTT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN PRATT CITY AT 330 PM. HE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS REGARDING THE LATEST DAMAGE ASSESSMENT RESULTS...THE METEOROLOGY OF THE EVENT... AND THE PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY USED TO ASSESS STORM DAMAGE ACCURATELY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS...CONTACT JIM STEFKOVICH... METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE AT 205 585 8635. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewxmann Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Choctaw Co MS... Europa and vicinity From the morning storms PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 151 PM CDT FRI APR 29 2011 ...PRELIMINARY STORM SURVEY INFORMATION... COUNTY/PARISH: WEBSTER AND CHOCTAW BEGINNING POINT: 2.5 S EUPORA AT 237 AM ENDING POINT: 5.5 N MABEN AT 249 AM RATING: EF-2 MAX ESTIMATED WINDS 125 MPH PATH LENGTH: 14.5 MILES MAXIMUM WIDTH: 0.75 MILE SUMMARY OF DAMAGE: THIS TORNADO CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO NUMEROUS ROOFS OF HOMES AND SEVERE DAMAGE TO SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES. NUMEROUS SHEDS AND BARNS WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED. THOUSANDS OF TREES WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED AND SEVERAL POWER POLES WERE SNAPPED. A GAS STATION WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED IN THE COMMUNITY OF SAPA AND THE CANOPY WAS CARRIED AWAY. THIS TORNADO APPEARS TO BE A PART OF A FAMILY OF TORNADOES THAT HIT THE CHOCTAW/WEBSTER COUNTY AREA IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SAME STORM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewxmann Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Yet another EF4 confirmed... 65 mi path length (Snell, MS and vicinity) 3:21 PM CDT edit: updated PNS indicates an additional fatality, the copy paste below will be the new one. Note also the bold part; this may be an EF5 candidate as well in the coming days. PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED FATALITIES NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 122 PM CDT FRI APR 29 2011 ...PRELIMINARY STORM SURVEY INFORMATION... COUNTY/PARISH: SMITH...JASPER...AND CLARKE BEGINNING POINT: 1 ESE RALEIGH AT 542 PM ENDING POINT: 4.5 NE SNELL AT 713 PM RATING: EF-4 MAX ESTIMATED WINDS 175 MPH PATH LENGTH: 65 MILES MAXIMUM WIDTH: 0.6 MILE FATALITIES: 7 INJURIES: 35 (AT LEAST) SUMMARY OF DAMAGE: THIS TORNADO STARTED BY DOWNING SOME TREES JUST SOUTHEAST OF RALEIGH, NEAR AND ACROSS HIGHWAY 18. AS THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST ALONG BAILEY ROAD AND CROSSED COUNTY ROAD 130, IT INTENSIFIED AND PRODUCED HIGH END EF-1 DAMAGE, SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES, TAKING SHINGLES OFF ROOFS, AND BLOWING SKIRTING OUT FROM MOBILE HOMES. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN AS IT MOVED NORTHEAST, AND ALONG COUNTY ROADS 136, 107, AND 105, IT PRODUCED DAMAGE INDICATIVE OF HIGH END EF-2. A FEW MOBILE HOMES WERE DESTROYED AND SEVERAL HOMES AND BUILDINGS SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE, ALONG WITH EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE. ALONG COUNTY ROAD 105, A MOBILE HOME WAS PICKED UP BY THE TORNADO, BOUNCED ALONG THE GROUND A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND WAS THEN THROWN INTO WOODS ACROSS THE ROAD, WITH DEBRIS SCATTERED FOR AT LEAST A MILE DOWNSTREAM, INCLUDING THE FRAME OF THE MOBILE HOME. THE OCCUPANT OF THE MOBILE HOME WAS THE FIRST FATALITY OF THIS TORNADO. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST, AND REACHED ITS MOST INTENSE AND WIDEST POINT IN THE SMITH COUNTY PORTION OF THE TORNADO JUST BEFORE CROSSING THE COUNTY LINE AT COUNTY ROAD 103. HERE, IN THE CENTRAL CORE OF THE TORNADO THERE WAS AN AREA OF COMPLETELY MOWED DOWN PINE TREES IN WHICH EVERY TREE WAS SNAPPED AND MANY WERE DENUDED, AND TWO FRAME HOMES HAD THE ROOFS AND EXTERIOR WALLS COMPLETELY DESTROYED WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO INTERIOR WALLS. IN ADDITION, MANY POWER POLES WERE SNAPPED, A MOBILE HOME WAS ANNIHILATED, AND A LARGE SHOP BUILDING WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE DAMAGE HERE WAS RATED HIGH END EF-3 WITH MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS OF 160 MPH. THE TORNADO REMAINED INTENSE AS IT CROSSED INTO JASPER COUNTY AND MOVED ACROSS COUNTY ROAD 13, CAUSING VERY IMPRESSIVE TREE DAMAGE WITH NEARLY EVERY PINE TREE SNAPPED AND EXTENSIVE EVIDENCE OF DENUDING AND DEBARKING. POWER POLES WERE ALSO SNAPPED. THE TORNADO PRODUCED SIMILAR TYPE DAMAGE AS IT CROSSED COUNTY ROAD 16. THE TORNADO THEN PRODUCED ITS FIRST AREA OF EF-4 DAMAGE JUST NORTHWEST OF LOUIN ALONG COUNTY ROAD 164. HERE, THE TORNADO STRUCK AN AREA WITH SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES AND ONE FRAME HOME. THE FRAME HOME WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED, WITH MOST INTERIOR WALLS DOWN AND SOME OF THE FOUNDATION PUSHED CLEAN. SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES IN THE AREA, INCLUDING TWO DOUBLE WIDES WHICH THE RESIDENTS SAID WERE WELL STRAPPED DOWN, WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED WITH THE DEBRIS AND FRAMES BLOWN GREAT DISTANCES. IN FACT, ALL OF THE DEBRIS WAS SO DISPERSED AND MIXED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE SURVEYORS TO RECONSTRUCT THE POSITIONS OF THE MOBILE HOMES AND HOUSE WITHOUT EXPLANATIONS FROM THE RESIDENTS. TWO PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN A MOBILE HOME AT THIS SPOT; HOWEVER, SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE ABANDONED THEIR MOBILE HOMES AFTER HEARING WARNINGS TO SHELTER IN A NEARBY BRICK HOME, AND WERE CERTAINLY SAVED FROM SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. AFTER CROSSING HIGHWAY 15, THE TORNADO WEAKENED AND NARROWED SOMEWHAT. AS IT CROSSED COUNTY ROAD 23, IT PRODUCED EF-2 DAMAGE, DESTROYING TWO MOBILE HOMES AND CAUSING EXTENSIVE TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE. THE TORNADO THEN PRODUCED A RELATIVELY NARROW PATH OF EF-1 TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE FOR SEVERAL MILES, UNTIL REINTENSIFYING NEAR ROSE HILL. AS THE TORNADO CROSSED HIGHWAY 18 SOUTHEAST OF ROSE HILL, IT REMOVED MOST OF THE ROOF OF A FRAME HOME AND CAUSED HEAVY DAMAGE TO THE EXTERIOR WALLS, TOOK A LARGE SECTION OF ROOF OFF ANOTHER FRAME HOME, COMPLETELY DESTROYED A LARGE TIED DOWN MOBILE HOME, AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE. THIS DAMAGE WAS RATED AT THE LOW END OF EF-3. AFTER CAUSING THIS DAMAGE, THE TORNADO WEAKENED AGAIN, CAUSING MAINLY EF-1 TYPE TREE DAMAGE UNTIL IT REACHED THE CLARKE COUNTY LINE, WITH THE LAST POINT INSIDE THE COUNTY LINE ON COUNTY ROAD 22 RATED AS EF-0, WITH JUST A FEW TREES AND LIMBS DOWN. THE TORNADO THEN CONTINUED INTO CLARKE COUNTY AND REINTENSIFIED SOMEWHAT, CAUSING TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE AS IT CROSSED INTERSTATE 59 AND US HIGHWAY 11. THE TORNADO THEN BECAME MUCH MORE INTENSE AS IT MOVED ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE TOWN OF ENTERPRISE. A NUMBER OF HOMES AND MOBILE HOMES WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED ALONG COUNTY ROAD 320 AND STATE HIGHWAY 513. THIS DAMAGE WAS RATED AS HIGH EF-2 TO LOW END EF-3. AS THE TORNADO PASSED ALONG A TWO MILE STRETCH OF STATE HIGHWAY 519 EAST OF ENTERPRISE, IT HEAVILY DAMAGED SEVERAL FRAME HOMES AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE. ONE SPOT HERE WAS THE OTHER AREA OF EF-4 DAMAGE PRODUCED BY THIS TORNADO. A NEW CONSTRUCTION FRAME HOME WAS COMPLETELY LEVELED WITH THE DEBRIS SWEPT OFF THE FOUNDATION. RESIDENTS IN THE AREA REPORTED THAT THE HOUSE WAS NEARLY COMPLETED. BASED ON THESE REPORTS AND THE EXTENT OF OTHER NEARBY, PRIMARILY TREE, DAMAGE, THIS DAMAGE IS BEING PRELIMINARILY RATED AS EF-4 WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 175 MPH, BUT ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION WILL BE DONE REGARDING THIS AREA. OTHER DAMAGE IN THIS GENERAL AREA WAS RATED AS HIGH END EF-2 OR LOW END EF-3. THE TORNADO WEAKENED SLIGHTLY AGAIN AS IT CROSSED US HIGHWAY 45 AND STATE HIGHWAY 145, AND THEN CAUSED HIGH END EF-2 AND LOW END EF-3 DAMAGE AT COUNTY ROADS 456 AND 457. HERE, SEVERAL STRAPPED DOWN DOUBLE WIDE MOBILE HOMES WERE DESTROYED WITH DEBRIS STREWN OVER LONG DISTANCES. NEARBY RESIDENTS REPORTED THAT ONE OF THE MOBILE HOMES WAS OCCUPIED BY 11 PERSONS AS THE TIME OF THE TORNADO, AND THAT THIS WAS THE LOCATION WHERE 4 PEOPLE WERE KILLED. ANOTHER RESIDENT OF A NEARBY MOBILE HOME WAS CRITICALLY INJURED. FROM HERE, THE TORNADO PASSED EAST NORTHEAST, JUST NORTH OF THE ENERGY AND SNELL COMMUNITIES, CAUSING EF-2 DAMAGE TO A NUMBER OF FRAME HOMES ALONG WITH EXTENSIVE TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE. THE TORNADO CROSSED HIGHWAY 514 NORTHEAST OF SNELL, STILL CAUSING EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE AND SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE TO SEVERAL LARGE FRAME HOMES, BEFORE MOVING ACROSS THE STATE LINE INTO CHOCTAW COUNTY, AL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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