Replies

We shouldn’t overlook the tornado outbreak of 27 April 2011.
This outbreak was one of the largest tornado outbreaks in the U.S. to this day. The whole event spanned from April 25 until the 28th, but April 27th was the peak.

Sixty-two tornadoes tracked across Alabama over an 18-hour period, carving out a damage path of more than 1,200 miles. At least 240 people died, and even more were injured.

Whole communities were destroyed. Some areas were hit more than once.

April 27, 2011, warnings
Alabama was hit with 62 tornadoes on April 27, 2011. Here are the warnings issued by the National Weather Service that day. At least 240 people were killed in Alabama.

Alabama was hit the hardest, according to NOAA. There were not one but two EF-5 monster tornadoes — on one day.

The first was the Hackleburg tornado that had winds estimated at 210 mph. It had a path of devastation that was more than 132 miles long. Seventy-two people died in that storm, and 145 were injured.

The second had winds nearly as high, estimated at more than 200 mph, according to the National Weather Service. That storm is blamed for the deaths of 25 people in DeKalb County.

There were also a staggering seven — seven — EF-4s on that day, all of which formed within about five and a half hours.

A 1-2-3 PUNCH
The April 27, 2011, outbreak came in three destructive waves that altogether lasted about 18 hours.

The first tornado touched down in Alabama at 4:01 a.m. on April 27. The last tornado of the day dissipated at 9:58 p.m.

LONG-TRACK TORNADOES
April 27, 2011, tornado tracks
Here are some of the tornado tracks from April 27, 2011. The longest track is No. 39 on the map and stretched for 123 miles.

The tornadoes of April 27 did not come and go but were of the dreaded long-track variety. Here are some of the longer tracks:

123 miles: EF-4, Cordova. Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Fayette, Cullman, Walker, Blount and Marshall counties. 13 deaths, 54 injuries.
118.63 miles: EF-5, Hackleburg. Marion, Franklin, Lawrence, Morgan, Limestone and Madison counties. 72 deaths, 145 injuries.
80.68 miles: EF-4, Tuscaloosa-Birmingham. Tuscaloosa, Jefferson counties, 65 deaths, 1,500 injuries.
72.13 miles: EF-3, Sawyerville-Eoline. Greene, Hale and Bibb counties, 7 deaths, 50 injuries.
71.30 miles: EF-4, Argo-Shoal Creek. Jefferson, St. Clair, Calhoun, Etowah and Cherokee counties. 22 deaths, 81 injuries.