2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak

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2008 Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak
Map of reported tornadoes (tornadoes in red)
Map of reported tornadoes (tornadoes in red)
Date of tornado outbreak: February 5–6, 2008
Duration1: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Maximum rated tornado2: EF4 tornado
Tornadoes caused: 84 confirmed
Damages: ≥$214 million (2008 USD)[1]
Fatalities: 57
Areas affected: Parts of the Southern United States

1Time from first tornado to last tornado
2Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita Scale

The 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak[2] was a deadly tornado outbreak which affected the Southern United States and the lower Ohio Valley on February 5 and 6, 2008. The event began on Super Tuesday, while 24 U.S. states were holding primary elections and caucuses to select the presidential candidates for the upcoming presidential election. Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Alabama, and Tennessee were among the affected regions in which primaries were being held. Some voting locations were forced to close early due to the approaching severe weather.[3]

Eighty-four tornadoes occurred over the course of the outbreak. The storm system produced several destructive tornadoes in heavily populated areas, most notably in the Memphis metropolitan area, in Jackson, Tennessee, and the northeastern end of the Nashville metropolitan area. At least 57 people were killed across four states and 18 counties, with hundreds of others injured.[4] The outbreak is the deadliest of the modern NEXRAD doppler radar era (fully implemented in 1997.) As well as the largest single outbreak since the May 31, 1985 outbreak, which killed 76 across Ohio and Pennsylvania, as well claiming 12 victims in Ontario, Canada. It was also the deadliest outbreak in both Tennessee and Kentucky since the 1974 Super Outbreak.[5]

The weather system which produced the tornadoes also caused significant straight-line wind damage, hail as large as softballs – 4.5 inches (11 cm) in diameter – major flooding, significant freezing rain, and heavy snow across many areas of eastern North America.

Contents

[edit] Meteorological synopsis

The SPC's convective outlook on February 5, 2008 at 1939 UTC (1:39 pm CST)
The SPC's convective outlook on February 5, 2008 at 1939 UTC (1:39 pm CST)

A series of strong low pressure systems formed across the southern Great Plains on February 4,[6] contributing to record warmth on February 4 and 5 in the southern Plains and lower Mississippi River Valley. High temperatures across many areas reached the 70's°F (21–26 °C), and in Alabama temperatures reached the low 80's°F (27 °C) with dewpoint temperatures in the middle 60's° (17–20 °C).[7] A strong cold front trailing the low pressure area approached the region from the west.[6]

The high temperatures and dew points created moderate instability across the outbreak area. CAPE values, a measurement for the level of tropospheric instability, were over 1000 J/kg, and helicity levels, a measurement of the potential for rotating winds, reached over 200 m²/s².[8] The upper level jet stream also contributed a large amount of wind shear. These factors were all indicative of a high potential for severe weather.[9]

On February 5 at 7:00 am CST (1300 UTC), the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a high risk of severe storms for most of Arkansas;[10] the first such issuance in February since February 10, 1998.[11] Later in the morning at 10:30 am CST (1630 UTC), the high risk area was extended farther northeast to include western Kentucky, northwestern Mississippi, the Missouri Bootheel, West Tennessee, and Southern Illinois.[12] A moderate risk of severe weather was issued for northwestern Alabama, the rest of Arkansas, the rest of southern Illinois, southern Indiana, most of the rest of Kentucky, northern Louisiana, central Mississippi, parts of southeastern Missouri, southwestern Ohio, eastern Oklahoma, middle Tennessee and northeastern Texas.[12] A total of fifteen watches were issued by the SPC during the outbreak, including thirteen tornado watches (two of which were PDS watches) and two severe thunderstorm watches.[13][14]

Early on the morning of February 5, a squall line developed across eastern Texas northward into Missouri and moved east towards the high risk area.[8] Ahead of the squall line, the cap took longer than expected to break, but when it finally did in the late afternoon hours, numerous supercell thunderstorms quickly formed across Arkansas and southern Missouri.[15] A cap is a layer of relatively warm air aloft (usually several thousand feet above the ground) which suppresses or delays the development of thunderstorms; the cap often prevents or delays thunderstorm development even in the presence of extreme instability. However, if the cap is removed or weakened, then explosive thunderstorm development can occur.[16] Some of the most powerful tornadic supercells were situated across the Memphis and Jackson areas between 5:00 and 6:30 pm CST (2300 to 0030 UTC) while numerous other tornadoes were reported across northern Mississippi northwest of Tupelo, Mississippi. One of these supercells traveled across central Tennessee including the Nashville metropolitan area and south-central Kentucky, where several deadly tornadoes were reported during the evening hours between 7:30 pm and 10:00 pm CST (0130 to 0400 UTC).

Tornado damage to a house in Clinton, Arkansas (Courtesy of NWS Little Rock)
Tornado damage to a house in Clinton, Arkansas (Courtesy of NWS Little Rock)

Meanwhile, the squall line that developed from near Dallas to Kansas City moved eastward throughout the late evening and overnight hours causing numerous reports of damaging wind along with many spin-up tornadoes from Louisiana to Ohio and Indiana. It then moved through the southeast U.S. during the early morning hours.[17] Additional strong thunderstorms developed ahead of the front across the southeast during the overnight and early morning hours, spawning additional tornadoes.[7] A record of five tornado emergency declarations were issued on February 5; four for Tennessee,[18] and one in Alabama.[19]

On February 6, a slight risk of severe weather was issued for much of the eastern United States from Pennsylvania to the Florida Panhandle as the squall line raced eastward ahead of the cold front.[20] After two additional tornadoes touched down in Alabama during the morning hours, the primary severe weather threat became damaging wind across the Mid-Atlantic States.[21] No additional tornadoes were reported during the afternoon as the cold front exited into the Atlantic Ocean, although wind damage was reported across eastern Kentucky, eastern Pennsylvania and most of Georgia.[21] Farther north, snow and freezing rain, at times heavy, continued from Iowa to Quebec until February 7 as the center of the system moved slowly out of the area.[22][23]

[edit] Tornadoes reported

Main article: List of tornadoes in the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak
Confirmed
Total		 Confirmed
EF0		 Confirmed
EF1		 Confirmed
EF2		 Confirmed
EF3		 Confirmed
EF4		 Confirmed
EF5
84 31 28 15 5 5 0

[edit] North-central Arkansas tornado

The first long-lived supercell, which spawned the tornado with the longest continuous track of any single tornado in this outbreak, developed around 5:00 pm CST (2300 UTC) southeast of Centerville in Yell County. The tornado tracked into Pope County, striking the community of Atkins. Four people died in Atkins and much of the town was destroyed.[24] The tornado continued on and crossed into Conway County where it killed two more people, injured five others, and destroyed numerous homes.[25] The next hard hit town was Clinton in Van Buren County, where three people died. One of these deaths occurred at a boat manufacturing facility which was destroyed.[26] The tornado continued into Stone County, where one person was killed. In the town of Mountain View the local hospital lost its roof and a fire station was destroyed.[27] The tornado affected mostly rural areas for the rest of its path, but two additional people were killed in Izard County before it lifted back into the clouds northeast of Highland in Sharp County.[28]

An aerial survey later determined that the damage across the seven counties was caused by one tornado, with a track estimated at 122 miles (196 km) in length. This was the longest single tornado track recorded in Arkansas since detailed record keeping began in 1950. The tornado was rated an EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.[29] Twelve people were killed by this tornado,[28] and about 140 people were injured.[30] Approximately 200 homes and businesses were destroyed along the tornado's path.[30] Damage from this tornado was estimated at nearly $120 million across the seven counties.[31]

[edit] Memphis area tornado

The northern edge of a wall cloud south of Cordova, Tennessee (a suburb of Memphis) at 5:15 pm CST
The northern edge of a wall cloud south of Cordova, Tennessee (a suburb of Memphis) at 5:15 pm CST

At 5:32 pm CST, a supercell thunderstorm produced a tornado in Southaven, Mississippi, inflicting heavy damaging upon Southaven High School.[32] The tornado quickly tracked across the Mississippi – Tennessee state line and into southeastern portions of Memphis, where WREG tower cameras showed the tornado tracking across Memphis' southeastern suburbs, particularly over Southaven, Mississippi.[33] National Weather Service officials issued a tornado emergency (the first of five in the outbreak) for most of the Memphis metropolitan region.[18][dead links]

Tornado track map of Mississippi and Tennessee for February 2008 tornado outbreak.
Tornado track map of Mississippi and Tennessee for February 2008 tornado outbreak.

This tornado produced a swath of extensive damage over residential and commercial areas.[34] Hickory Ridge Mall suffered damage when portions of a wall and roof were destroyed.[35] Major damage was also reported in the Pleasant Ridge area of Germantown in the southern end of Memphis.[34] In addition, damage was reported at Memphis International Airport, where a hangar lost its roof, the FedEx freight terminal's fire station suffered roof damage, (FedEx service was disrupted due to flight delays and closed roads from the tornado damage in surrounding areas) airstair trucks were thrown 100 yards (91 m), and aircraft were moved around, including a Boeing 737 that was moved one foot.[17] The airport weather station's reporting equipment recorded a wind gust of 73 knots (84 mph, 135 km/h).[36] The Hardy Bottling Company facility was also damaged, which released 120,000 pounds (54,500 kg) of anhydrous ammonia into the atmosphere, although no public health impacts were reported.[37] Electricity was also briefly cut to about 65,000 customers in Memphis.[38]

The National Weather Service rated the tornado as an EF2.[39] Four people in the metropolitan area were killed; three of whom were in a warehouse when it collapsed in the Hickory Hill section of Memphis.[34] A spokesperson for the state's Emergency Management Agency also reported one fatality at the Hickory Ridge Mall, although the NWS office in Memphis did not confirm this.[4] Thirty-six other people were injured in Shelby County by the tornadoes.[37] One additional death took place southeast of Hebron from a separate EF3 tornado.[39] Shelby County Election Commission administrator James Johnson stated the weather did not interfere with Super Tuesday primary voting.[34]


[edit] Jackson area tornado

Damage to one of the dormitory buildings at the Union University Campus
Damage to one of the dormitory buildings at the Union University Campus
Outbreak death toll
State Total County County
total
Alabama 5 Jackson 1
Lawrence 4
Arkansas 13 Baxter 1
Conway 2
Izard 2
Pope 4
Stone 1
Van Buren 3
Kentucky 7 Allen 4
Muhlenberg 3
Tennessee 32 Fayette 1
Hardin 3
Macon 13
Madison 2
Shelby 3
Sumner 8
Trousdale 2
Totals 57
All deaths were tornado-related

Farther north near Jackson, Tennessee, a tornado touchdown caused the issuance of another tornado emergency at 7:00 pm CST (the second of the outbreak). This tornado was spawned by the same supercell that had affected Memphis an hour earlier.[40] Several cars and at least 15 tractor trailers were overturned by the tornado along Interstate 40 between mile markers 68 and 79. In addition, the areas southwest of Jackson also saw severe damage, including destroyed homes and major damage to a church and I-40 rest area.[41] Major damage was also reported in a commercial area near the U.S. Route 45 bypass and to the northeast of Jackson.[41]

The most severe damage was at the devastated Union University, where a total of 31 buildings on the campus received damage of varying degrees.[42] Hurt, Watters, and McAfee dormitories were the hardest hit with approximately 80% of them rendered uninhabitable.[43] Twelve students at the university were trapped in damaged buildings but all were eventually rescued.[4] Due to the damage, the university was closed until February 18.[4]

The National Weather Service rated the tornado as an EF4 and later determined that there were two distinct tornado tracks, with an EF3 satellite tornado to the southwest of the main tornado.[41] It was originally believed a third tornado (an EF3) touched down but it was later found to be linked to the main tornado that hit Union University.[41] This was the third violent tornado to hit Jackson in 10 years. Two other tornadoes, both rated F4, devastated the community on January 17, 1999[44] and May 4, 2003.[45]

Over 60 people in the Jackson area were treated for injuries as a result of the severe weather, 50 of whom were released immediately.[46] No fatalities were caused by these tornadoes, however two fatalities were reported in the Huntersville community, located west of Jackson, from a separate tornado.[47] Estimates indicate that the tornadoes caused about $47 million worth of damages in Madison County, with $40 million of that total occurring at Union University alone.[48]

[edit] Northeast Nashville region tornado

Just after 9:00 PM CST, a supercell that spawned tornadoes over northern Mississippi as well as a killer storm in Hardin County, Tennessee, moved to the northeast over Nashville, but no significant damage reports came from the town.[49] At the time the supercell moved over Nashville, a National Hockey League game between the Nashville Predators and the Carolina Hurricanes, which was nationally televised on Versus, was being played at the Sommet Center. With just over nine minutes left in the third period, Predators head coach Barry Trotz was told that the game may have to be stopped.[50] Although the game continued to completion, at the games end fans were not allowed to leave the arena until the storm had passed.[51]

After the supercell moved through Nashville a tornado did touch down, devastating areas of Middle Tennessee in the late evening hours and killing 23 people.[52] The twister touched down near Castalian Springs and Westmoreland, Tennessee, a rural area in Sumner County, Tennessee, just after 10:00 pm CST.[17] Eight fatalities were confirmed in Castalian Springs due to the tornado, the last of which didn't occur until two weeks later.[53] The 19th century Wynnewood Inn, a national historical landmark, a suffered major damage to its second level and grounds during the storm.[54]

Radar loop of the Nashville, Jackson and Christian County, Kentucky supercells. Those supercells were responsible for at least 31 deaths (courtesy of NWS Nashville)
Radar loop of the Nashville, Jackson and Christian County, Kentucky supercells. Those supercells were responsible for at least 31 deaths (courtesy of NWS Nashville)

The tornado then tracked into Trousdale County and left three people dead, two of whom were found at a home along U.S. Route 231.[55] From there the tornado continued northeast to Macon County, Tennessee where 13 people died.[56] As a result of the tornado, a major fire occurred at a natural gas plant near the small community of Green Grove in the extreme southwestern portion of the county . The area was evacuated and no one was injured at the plant.[57][4] Widespread damage in the area was also reported to houses and trailers, particularly in the community of Lafayette.[58] Debris from the Lafayette area was found as far north as Sano, Kentucky in Adair County, approximately 70 miles (113 km) to the northeast.[59] Sixteen thousand TVA electricity customers in Macon and Trousdale Counties lost power, some of whom didn't have their service restored for a week.[60][61] Macon County schools were closed until February 19.[62][63][64][65] In total, about 260 houses in the three counties were destroyed, and damage amounts were estimated at $78 million in Macon County alone.[66][67]

The tornado continued across the state boundary into Kentucky where a metal warehouse, two homes and two mobile homes near Gamaliel were destroyed, and several other structures suffered extensive damage. Thirteen people from an adjacent trailer park hid inside a basement and were trapped by debris for up to 30 minutes.[68]

Preliminary surveys by the National Weather Service confirmed that the 23 deaths (which was revised downward from 24 initially due to double-counting)[52] were caused by a single tornado, which was rated an EF3.[49] The tornado path was 51 miles (82 km) long and up to .75 miles (1.21 km) wide.[49] National Weather Service Meteorologist Bobby Boyd theorized that cold air downbursts impinging the tornado forced it to lift up from the ground and remain a funnel cloud as it crossed over Davidson County and downtown Nashville before touching down again east of the city.[69]

The northeast Nashville tornado caused severe damage in Macon County. (Courtesy of NWS Nashville)
The northeast Nashville tornado caused severe damage in Macon County. (Courtesy of NWS Nashville)

The devastation was described by Governor Phil Bredesen as "It looks like the Lord took a Brillo pad and scrubbed the ground" while surveying by helicopter.[70] This tornado is the deadliest single tornado to strike Middle Tennessee in over 75 years, and the deadliest single US tornado since the Evansville Tornado of November 2005 (which killed 25).[49]

[edit] North-central Alabama tornado

House completely destroyed by the EF4 tornado (Courtesy of NWS Huntsville, Alabama).
House completely destroyed by the EF4 tornado (Courtesy of NWS Huntsville, Alabama).

At approximately 1:00 am CST, the broken squall line that had affected Oklahoma and Missouri entered the state of Alabama.[71] Individual supercell storms began to develop ahead of the squall line on the Alabama/Mississippi border due to the strengthening of the upper level jet stream.[7] A supercell that developed over Starkville, Mississippi and tracked over Lamar, Marion and Fayette Counties in Alabama then spawned a tornado in Lawrence County, Alabama.[72][73] The tornado touched down by Pinhook near the Bankhead National Forest.[74] Many houses were damaged or destroyed and a church was flattened. Three fatalities from a single family occurred north of Aldrich Grove.[74] An elderly woman was also killed by the storm, and 20 – 25 others were injured.[75][76] The tornado was initially classified as an EF3 but it was upgraded to EF4 in a later survey.[77][74] The hardest hit communities were the towns of Wren, Speake and Five Points.[74] The tornado moved into Morgan County and threatened the Decatur area,[74] resulting with the NWS in Huntsville issuing a tornado emergency (the fifth in the outbreak) for Morgan County and southern Limestone County.[19] The tornado lifted before reaching Decatur. The same supercell then moved over the Huntsville Metro area but no tornadoes were reported.[17]

[edit] Non-tornadic events

Numerous reports of damaging winds were associated with the passage of the cold front. Wind gusts from Arkansas to Indiana exceeded 50 mph (80 km/h), bringing down numerous trees and power lines, and causing numerous power outages across many areas.[17] A 67 mph (108 km/h) wind gust was recorded during the passage of a squall line at Little Rock National Airport.[78] The highest recorded wind gust associated with the passage of the squall line was 82 mph (131 km/h) in Terre Haute, Indiana.[17] Hail as large as softballs (4.5 inches (11 cm) in diameter) was reported in several communities.[17] In Canada, unseasonably early thunderstorms brought bouts of heavy rain to parts of southern Ontario in the late night hours of February 4.[79]

[edit] Flooding

Heavy rains falling from thunderstorms on February 4 to February 6 and the melting of snow that was previously on the ground caused flooding across parts of Illinois, New York, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.[23] Among the hardest hit areas by the flooding rivers and streams were the Miami Valley north of Dayton, areas along the Blanchard River in Findlay and parts of northern Indiana between Indianapolis and north of Fort Wayne along the Tippecanoe, St. Marys and Wabash Rivers. Several streets in Fort Wayne were under water, and there was also flooding between Lafayette and Terre Haute.[80][81][82][83]

[edit] Winter storm

Wisconsin snowfall map amounts from February 5-6 event (Courtesy of NWS Milwaukee)
Wisconsin snowfall map amounts from February 5-6 event (Courtesy of NWS Milwaukee)

The same low pressure systems that caused the tornado outbreak also caused a major snowstorm from the Central Plains to the western Great Lakes where winter storm warnings were issued.[84] From 10 to 15 inches (25–38 cm) of snow fell from eastern Iowa to southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, with local amounts from 18 to 21 inches (45–53 cm) of snow in parts of southeastern Wisconsin.[84][85] In Michigan, up to 14 inches of snow (35 cm) fell north of Grand Rapids.[86] Environment Canada also issued freezing rain and winter storm warnings for Southern Ontario where some areas north of Lake Erie received close to 1 inch (25 mm) of ice due to freezing rain.[22][87] In Toronto, two waves of moderate to heavy snow accompanied by thunder and lightning, along with ice pellets brought up to one foot (30 cm) of snow over February 6 and 7. Other areas from Windsor to Ottawa as well as southwestern Nova Scotia received from 4 to 20 inches (10–50 cm) of snow.[88][89]

Numerous flight cancellations were reported at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (over 1,000) and at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.[90][91] In Milwaukee, white out conditions and 13 inches (33 cm) of snow briefly shut down the General Mitchell International Airport.[92] Meanwhile near Madison, Wisconsin, 1000 vehicles were stranded and stuck on Interstate 90 due to the snow. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle declared a state of emergency for the area and activated the Wisconsin National Guard.[93] On February 6, numerous schools, colleges, government buildings, churches, businesses, and shopping malls were forced to close throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois due to the inclement weather.[90] The winter storm was responsible for at least four deaths: one each in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Quebec.[94][93][95][96]

[edit] Aftermath

US President George W. Bush touring tornado-ravaged Middle Tennessee areas on February 8, 2008
US President George W. Bush touring tornado-ravaged Middle Tennessee areas on February 8, 2008

On February 7 a federal disaster declaration was made by President George W. Bush for 11 counties in Arkansas and five counties in Tennessee. Sixteen additional counties in Tennessee requested federal aid,[97][98][99] and on February 12, Tennessee Governor Bredesen announced that eight counties in Tennessee became eligible.[100] President Bush also visited Tennessee to tour the devastated areas on February 8.[101]

The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the United Way and other charitable groups also quickly mobilized volunteers to assist survivors in the aftermath across the regions affected. In the three hardest hit Middle Tennessee counties alone, the Red Cross sent out over 100 volunteers to deliver meals and supplies.[98] Emergency assistance was also offered by the Tennessee Department of Human Services for low income victims in the counties affected by the tornadoes.[102] In addition, the Nashville Predators announced that for their game on February 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, half of the revenue made from tickets for the game would be donated to the American Red Cross to help with their efforts, and that fans could make additional donations to Red Cross volunteers at the arena's main entrances.[103] The National Football League's Tennessee Titans along with the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management of Nashville organized a donation drive during the weekend of February 9 at LP Field.[104]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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  5. ^ TVNZ (February 8, 2008). "Tornado toll rises to 57", TVNZ.co.nz. Retrieved on 2008-04-26. 
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