2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2012) |
| EF4 tornado | |
|---|---|
 Radar imagery of the Tuscaloosa–Birmingham supercell as the tornado was moving through the southern portion of Tuscaloosa. | |
| Max. rating1 | EF4 tornado |
| Fatalities | 64 |
| Damage | $2.2 billion (2011 USD) |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale | |
The 2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado was a large and violent EF4 multiple-vortex tornado that devastated portions of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, in the U.S. state of Alabama, as well as smaller communities and rural areas between the two cities, during the late afternoon and early evening of Wednesday, April 27, 2011. It was one of the 358 tornadoes in the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak in United States history. The tornado reached a maximum path width of 1.5 mi (2.4 km) during its path through Tuscaloosa, and once again when it crossed Interstate 65 north of Birmingham, and reached estimated maximum sustained winds of 190 mph (310 km/h) shortly after passing through the city. It then went on to impact parts of Birmingham, Alabama as a high-end EF4 before dissipating. The final rating of this tornado was a source of controversy, as some survey teams concluded EF5 damage, while others did not.[1] Officially, an EF4 rating was decided on. This was the third tornado to strike the city of Tuscaloosa in the past decade.
Meteorological synopsis
This tornado originally touched down in northern Greene County and tracked northeast towards Tuscaloosa along Interstate 20/59. During this time, it was captured on camera by John Oldshue and shown live during live severe weather coverage on Birmingham ABC affiliate WBMA/WCFT/WJSU (referred hereafter under its branding "ABC 33/40" for brevity). James Spann, chief meteorologist at ABC 33/40, regarded Oldshue as "one of the unsung heroes of April 27" because his video alerted most people in Tuscaloosa to take cover.
When it reached Tuscaloosa, several stores and restaurants in a business district at the intersection of McFarland Boulevard and 15th Street, near the DCH Regional Medical Center and University Mall (both of which sustained some damage), were reduced to rubble by the tornado. Buildings were also reported destroyed on 35th Street, between Interstate 359 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. As the tornado traveled east to 35th Street and Kauloosa Avenue, the Tuscaloosa Environmental Services and Cintas facilities suffered severe damage. Numerous homes in the Rosedale and Forest Lake neighborhoods, as well as a P&P Grocery store in Rosedale, were devastated. Numerous fatalities occurred in this area. The tornado was caught on camera by ABC 33/40's skycam, which is on top of the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse, as it was going down Skyland Boulevard and McFarland Boulevard. The tornado plowed through the east side of Tuscaloosa, leveling many homes and businesses before exiting the city limits. A large section of the Chastain Manor Apartments was completely swept away in this area.[2] The tornado continued northeast towards Birmingham through heavily forested areas, leveling rural homes and downing thousands of trees. A large train trestle was destroyed, and one of the 34-ton metal support structures was thrown 100 feet up a hill.[3] The tornado then struck the small community of Concord, just west of Birmingham. A large section of Concord was completely flattened.
Many stations, including FOX6 WBRC, WTVY-TV, WSFA and ABC 33/40, showed television cameras capturing the event as the tornado moved east-northeast across the western and northern suburbs of Birmingham around 6:00 p.m. CDT. Several suburbs in the area were severely damaged by the massive tornado as it tore through the west side of Birmingham, resulting in multiple fatalities. The suburbs of Pleasant Grove, McDonald Chapel, Pratt City and northern Hueytown were devastated by the tornado as it moved northeast, flattening entire neighborhoods. Entire large industrial warehouses, and some homes were cleanly swept off of their foundations in this area. As the tornado tore through a coalyard between Pleasant Grove and Pratt City, a train was derailed and 35.8-ton coal cars were thrown from the tracks, one of which was found 391 feet away.[3] The tornado then struck the suburb of Fultondale, causing EF2 damage to homes and businesses before dissipating northeast of Birmingham.
Aftermath
By the time the tornado lifted northeast of Birmingham, it had left behind a path of destruction of 80.7 miles (129.9 km) though Greene, Tuscaloosa, and Jefferson counties. The tornado killed 64 people and caused around $2.2 billion damage, surpassing the 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado as the costliest single tornado in United States history. Less than a month later, however, this number was surpassed by the Joplin, Missouri EF5, which caused $2.8 billion in damage. Among the 64 people killed by this tornado were six University of Alabama students.[4]
See also
- April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak
- Tornadoes of 2011
- 2011 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell, Alabama tornado - A similarly deadly tornado that was part of the same outbreak.
- List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- Tornado intensity and damage
- Tornado records
References
- ^ http://www.norman.noaa.gov/nsww/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/LaDue_NSWW2012.pdf
- ^ "Tuscaloosa-Birmingham Tornado - April 27, 2011". Srh.noaa.gov. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
- ^ a b https://ams.confex.com/ams/26SLS/webprogram/Handout/Paper212695/sels12b.pdf
- ^ Grayson, Wayne (May 4, 2011). "Six UA students included in list of tornado deaths". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
External links
1. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/?n=event_04272011tuscbirm 33°12′24″N 87°32′05″W / 33.20654°N 87.534607°W
2.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CubSgq2lYc4&feature=youtube_gdata_player