A study by the Centers for Disease Control and the Red Cross found 89.5 percent of the deaths in this outbreak were from these violent tornadoes. Submit a Storm Report * LOCATION/TIME OF EVENT: SMITHVILLE AT 344 PM CDT ON APRIL 27 2011 * BEGINNING POINT: 34.0455, -88.44497 * ENDING POINT: 34.3129, -87.9231 * RATING: EF-5 * ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 205 MPH * PATH LENGTH: 35.1 MILES /CONTINUES INTO SHOTTSVILLE ALABAMA SEGMENT/ * MAXIMUM WIDTH: 3/4 MILE /WIDENED TO MATCH SHOTTSVILLE TORNADO SEGMENT/ * FATALITIES: 15 To make use of these warnings yourself, pay attention to the severe weather alerts issued over your radio, television, weather radio, and cellular devices. Boasting wind speeds of approximately 205 mph, this tornado destroyed 18 homes and resulted in over a dozen deaths. Dual Pol Info The number of F/EF5 tornadoes in the U.S. by year from 1950-2020. Mayor Gregg Kennedy said one person remained missing Saturday in the town of 900, which was mostly flattened. Storm Reports Among the more than 150 tornadoes reported on April 27 and 28, 2011, was a rare EF-5 storm. Tornado Talk, LLC 2022, All Rights Reserved, Hazel Noe, 80 (died of injuries 6 days later), Carla Jones, 37 (died protecting her niece, nephew and son), Maxine Chism, 79 (died of injures 22 days later), RoyEstes, 63 (died of injures the next day), Allan Wideman, 49 (died of injuries 9 days later). The radar was directly in the path of this wedge tornado as it tracked into Limestone County. The April 27, 2011, Smithville, Mississippi, EF5 tornado carried a Ford Explorer roughly one-half mile before colliding it with the town's water tower. An earlier starting position determined by treefall analysis combined with radar data gives a start time of 3:40 p.m. CDT. We gathered information for this event from the SPC and NCDC Databases, the April 2011 Storm Data Publication (SDP), the NWS Memphis, NWS Birmingham, and NWS Huntsville Event Pages, before and after damage photographs, and extremely detailed analysis of aerial and satellite imagery and found the following differences: NCDC Storm Events Database Entry-Monroe County (MS), NCDC Storm Events Database Entry-Itawamba County (MS), NCDC Storm Events Database Entry-Franklin County (AL), NCDC Storm Events Database Entry-Marion County (AL), Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). These power lines west of Huntsville, Alabama, were destroyed by an EF5 tornado on April 27, 2011. This is the deadliest tornado outbreak since the April 3-4, 1974 Super Outbreak. This tornado was rated EF5 and tracked for 29 miles into Noxubee County. Jesse Cox, 85, died in the house, and his wife, Nell Cox, 75, was seriously injured when an EF5 tornado swept through the town on April 27, 2011. Other damage included the complete destruction of the city hall, post office, police station, and four churches, along with appliances and plumbing fixtures being shredded or ripped away from foundations and numerous granite tombstones being knocked down.[6]. The three fatalities occurred in northwest Kemper County when a strapped down doublewide mobile home was thrown a distance of approximately 300 yards into a treeline, and then obliterated with the debris and framing scattered many hundreds of yards down the path. The total of 362 tornadoes that spawned during this four-day period not only surpassed the previous record for all of April by nearly 100, but also accounted for almost half of the 751 confirmed tornadoes during the month. Extreme debarking of trees was noted in this area, and pieces of vehicles and structures were strewn long distances throughout the woods. Support Tornado Talk on Patreon! A semi-truck was thrown 300yd (270m) and destroyed in this area, and an RV was thrown 250yd (230m) and partially embedded into the ground nearby. The morning t-storm cluster typically produces damaging winds, flooding rain, perhaps a few tornadoes. About Us. Dozens of large, anchor-bolted, well-built brick homes were completely swept away in town, and many large hardwood trees were completely debarked and denuded. More Satellite, FORECASTS The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. The term supercellrefers to a rotating thunderstorm that is persistent, on a timescale much longer than a single, ordinary thunderstorm you may see, for instance, in the summer over the Southeast. The radome and radar from WAFF-TV was gone from its tower, and the nearby Bethel Church of Christ was destroyed on Apr. Sadly, the siege of tornadoes claimed 321 lives, including 240 in Alabama. Hydrology, CLIMATE AND PAST WEATHER The 2011 Super Outbreakwas the largest, costliest, and one of the deadliest tornado outbreaksever recorded, taking place in the Southern, Midwestern, and NortheasternUnited Statesfrom April 25 to 28, 2011, leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake. Please Contact Us. There were 365 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good. On April 27, 2011, a Doppler radar succumbed to a massive tornado. Briefing Page -An SUV was tossed one-half mile into the town's water tower, then blown another one-quarter mile. The radar was replaced later in 2011 and the church reopened in a new location. But they had little trouble making peace with the tornados path. Hardship happens to you. Typically, any high values of one are at least somewhat tempered by lower values of another. Aviation Dalrymple Family Foundation historical marker at Smithville Town Hall. The thunderstorm system that created this EF-4 began in Mississippi. With the storm just 30 seconds away, he yelled for people to come inside and sent them to the sturdiest room. Severe Weather The per capita income for the town $14,030. Northern Lights Dance Over National Park In Alaska, New York City Sees First Inch-Plus Snowfall Of The Season, Cold Or Flu? The tornado reached an estimated maximum width of 3/4 of a mile, (1.2 km) with wind speeds up to 205 mph (330 km/h). [11][12], In 2012, a presentation and paper, given at the 26th Conference on Severe Local Storms by Eugene W. McCaul, with the Universities Space Research Association; Kevin R. Knupp, an atmospheric science professor at the University of Alabama; Chris Darden, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service of Huntsville, Alabama; and Kevin Laws, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service of Birmingham, Alabama, stated fictional information about the tornado was being spread online. On April 27, 2011, an extremely violent EF5 wedge tornado, with estimated winds of up to 205 mph (330 km/h), struck the town of Smithville, Mississippi at 3:47 p.m. CDT (2047 UTC) on April 27, resulting in . Radar composite from 3:40 p.m. to 11:40 p.m. EDT of the supercell responsible for the Tuscaloosa and west Birmingham tornadoes on Apr. A protruding anchor bolt from slab with base plate ripped away is shown among the rubble of a destroyed home in Smithville, Mississippi, following an EF5 tornado on April 27, 2011. Additionally, high low level moisture returned to the area in the wake of the morning complex and combined with morning sunshine to cause a very unstable airmass. The Mar 18, 1925 Tri-State tornado outbreak is first with 747 fatalities. The driving force for the 3rd event was a potent shortwave and deep surface low that intensified during the day Wednesday. Shottsville Tornado - April 27, 2011. [2], Activity on April27 was precipitated by a 995mbar (hPa; 29.39inHg) surface low situated over Kentucky and a deep, negatively tilted (aligned northwest to southeast) trough over Arkansas and Louisiana. This marks the first EF5 tornado in Mississippi since the Candlestick Park tornado on May 3, 1966. The parent supercell spawning the Tuscaloosa and west Birmingham EF4 tornadoes on April 27, 2011, was tracked on radar for over seven hours from its formation in Newton County, Mississippi, to Macon County, North Carolina, after which it finally fizzled. In addition, the EF4 in early March in Alabama killed 23 people, making it the deadliest tornado since the Moore, Oklahoma, EF5 tornado in 2013. According to the SPC and SDP, it was 37.1 miles. Air Quality, RIVERS AND LAKES This allowed the atmosphere to recharge and become unstable again. Second, a cold front was moving across central Arkansas. A protruding anchor bolt from slab with base plate ripped away is shown among the rubble of a destroyed home in Smithville, Mississippi, following an EF5 tornado on April 27, 2011. Crews were still searching for bodies behind the towns school. Third, a dry line, or a dividing line between moist air and dry air, developed across eastern Arkansas ahead of the cold front. One focuses on the Smithville, MS side. Local Data An oak tree fell next to it and anchored the house, keeping the wind from hauling Mrs. Boyd and her home away. One supercell, 380 miles, four states. According to the National Weather Service assessment, the average path length of the 15 violent tornadoes was 66 miles. One storm moved across Crittenden and Shelby counties between 5 and 7 pm. However, this system spawned threeEF-5 tornadoes in only a four-day span in addition to 12 EF-4s and 21 EF-3s. Climate Prediction It then moved over Alabama, Georgia, and eventually into North Carolina, generating many additional tornadoes along the way. Contact us here! [3] Ample instability, low-level moisture, and wind shear fueled a significant tornado outbreak from Texas to Tennessee; at least 64tornadoes touched down on this day. Local Data By noon on April 27th, all the elements began to come together for an extreme severe weather outbreak. Radar April U.S. tornado counts from 2011 through 2019. Severe Weather National Data There was no indication of ground impacts between the original site of the mobile home and where it ended up to indicate that the mobile home bounced extensively as it traveled. The April 25-28, 2011, Super Outbreak was one of the worst tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. The supercell thunderstorms marched across Northern Mississippi and clipped Hardin county, Tennessee, producing a preliminary total of 8 tornadoes. 2 in the definitive April 27 outbreak BAMS paper from Knupp, et al. Google Earth - April 12 - 28, 2011 KMZ. It's been over eight years since the last catastrophic EF5tornadostruck theUnited States, occurring in Moore, Oklahoma, on May 20, 2013. Forecast Discussion Preliminary local storm reports for April 25th. The 2011 Smithville, Mississippi tornado was an extremely violent EF5 wedge tornado that devastated areas of rural Mississippi, including the town of Smithville, Mississippi during the afternoon of April 27, 2011, resulting in catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities. I did not know that all my life. Twenty-three were killed, and roughly 61 injured. [4] Another 50tornadoes touched down on this day. The tornado produced additional high-end EF3 damage as it continued north of Hamilton, where several mobile homes and frame homes were destroyed, including one frame home at the bottom of a ravine that was swept clean from its foundation (though lack of road access prevented close inspection of the home's construction, precluding a potential higher rating at that location). Their ears felt close to bursting. Nearby granite tombstones from a cemetery were blown over in the opposite direction of the tornado's passage, and some were broken and thrown. National Weather Service Aviation Tornado in Smithville, MS, 4/27/2011 (Motion-tracked) 1,219 views Jan 7, 2022 27 Dislike Share Save Tornado Video Library 272 subscribers Rating: EF5 Max wind: 205 mph Casualties: 23. Tropical Weather Twenty-three were killed, and roughly 61 injured. [2] On April25, a vigorous upper-level shortwave trough that moved into the Southern Plains states. Nine Ways To Tell The Difference. This article is available now! Memphis, TN7777 Walnut Grove Road, OM1Memphis, TN 38120(901) 544-0399Comments? Local, Weather Safety [1] Then I bent over and I cried like a baby. Smithville, a spot of a town of about 1,000 where first names suffice and Bibles lie within reach, endured a direct hit from Wednesdays tornado in Mississippi. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. The 2011 Smithville, Mississippi tornado was an extremely violent EF5 wedge tornado that devastated areas of rural Mississippi, including the town of Smithville, Mississippi during the afternoon of April 27, 2011, resulting in catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities. Since 1950, 59 tornadoes have been rated EF5/F5, an average of less than one per year, according to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. Over 300 transmission towers were mangled on April 27, 2011. Note: Exact tornado path may not be straight and/or continuous. US Dept of Commerce [2], After producing a long-tracked EF3 tornado that passed near New Wren, the same supercell produced this tornado that began 3 miles (4.8km) west-southwest of Smithville along the TennesseeTombigbee Waterway near the Glover Wilkins Lock at 3:42p.m. CDT (2042 UTC), snapping numerous trees near the Smithville Recreation Area. The first event started on Monday the 25th across northeast Texas and spread across the Mid-South and into portions of Louisiana. 137 other people were injured. Preliminary local storm reports for April 26th. NWS The tornado then crossed the county line and weakened to EF2 strength, where it snapped and uprooted numerous large trees, damaged or destroyed several chicken houses, totaled a car, destroyed a mobile home, tore much of the roof off of a two-story house, and caused significant roof damage to several other homes before dissipating near the town of Hodges at 4:23p.m. CDT (2123 UTC). Continuing northeast, the tornado re-intensified as it struck the rural community of Shottsville at high-end EF3 intensity, where homes and mobile homes were destroyed, hundreds of trees were snapped and debarked, and seven more people were killed. (WCBI) - It's been almost one week since an EF 4 tornado claimed the lives of 23 people in Lee County, Alabama. For more information on how you can prepare yourself, your family, and your friends for tornadoes and severe weather, visit Ready.gov. The worst storm moved over Calhoun, Chickasaw, Monroe, and Itawamba counties, producing two tornadoes that killed 22 people. At its peak, this EF-4 was 1.5 milesmore than 26 football fieldswide, and its winds reached 190 mph. In Smithville, an SUV was lofted and thrown a half mile into the water tower, before being carried even further downwind. A clip from an ABC 33/40 broadcast on April 27, 2011, showed a live cam of a large tornado tearing through Tuscaloosa, Alabama (lower left), while meteorologist James Spann showed the tornado on radar (upper right). The SPC/NCDC lists the starting point as 3 miles WSW of Smithville. Local Monroe County alone has now confirmed 15 deaths, with 14 in Smithville. There are two summaries detailing the event. -A home's concrete slab was pulled out of the ground, with large part missing in the center. The city hall, the post office, four churches, several businesses, the water system, and the police station were all destroyed as the tornado moved through town. This was over four times the April average (189), and also greater than the combined average of the three most active months, April through June (663). It was considered the Wal-Mart of Smithville, she said. April 27, 2011, likely remains the deadliest day for tornadoes in the last 85 years. StormReady Both the radar and radome encasing the radar were blown off and destroyed, leaving just the tower standing. Around the back of the house, he saw two small children, babies, he said. She recalled: I felt it sucking me in, and stuff was hitting me in the back of the head.. Additional storms formed across southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana during the overnight hours and crossed the Mississippi River by midnight. Read the Late April Tornado Outbreak Summary. While Alabama was hit the hardest, the system had significant effects on Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, and Oklahoma, in addition to generally lighter consequences on some of the surrounding states. Tragically, multiple killer tornadoes occurred during this outbreak. In the town, the population spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. Graphical Meteorologists from the National Weather Servicesurvey areas where tornado damage has occurred. EF5 damage to a large, well-built, anchored house in Smithvile, Mississippi. This event included multiple reports of large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. Supercell thunderstorms began to form along this dry line by noon. National Weather Service Weather Events, LOCAL PROGRAMS The first of four EF5 tornadoeson April 27, 2011, raked through east-central Mississippi, leaving some incredible damage in its wake. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM. Some of the damage left behind by the most violent tornadoes stunned even experienced meteorologists. The tornado outbreak affected almost onethird of the nation over its four-day span. 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