Tornado 2011 Outbreak (Oklahoma, year, alley, warning)

[205]

The wild thing about last Wednesday April 27th tornado outbreak is how many large tornadoes (F4s and F5s) that went directly through the heart of cities. Smithfield, MS (population 900) hit directly by an F5 while a separate F5 went straight through Hackleburg, AL (pop 1,500) and Phil Campell, AL (pop 1,100). A second borderline F4/F5 went straight through the heart of Tuscaloosa, AL (pop 93,000) and Pleasant Grove, AL (pop 10,000). Another F4 grazed Madison, AL (pop 43,000). Another F4 went straight through Cullman, AL (pop 15,000) and through Arab, AL (7,700) and Dekalb County, AL (pop 71,000). The same EF4 that passed through Dekalb County, AL went straight through Ringgold, GA (pop 2,500).

Amazingly, Alabama had 41 confirmed tornadoes during the April 15th outbreak and with the April 27th outbreak will probably obliterate the monthly tornado record for the state. The northern halves of Alabama, Mississippi, and much of Arkansas, and extreme Northwest Georgia are part of "Dixie Alley" and have just as notorious a tornado history as the Great Plains. I'm often amazed at the misconceptions of Americans in general that still think significant tornadoes are exclusive to the tradional "tornado alley" across, TX, OK, KS, NEB, and the Dakotas. Tornado death statistics since 1950 show how false this idea is.

[Cambium]

Sorry I havent been up to date here...I've been on facebook and other sites. The devastation in Joplin, MO is unimaginable. There are pictures, stories and videos that you'll come across. Weather Channel has Mike Bettes live on the scene right after it happened and he was emotional. You dont know what its like to come across dead bodies and land that once was developed and now full of debris and flattened...with a Hospital right in front of you that suffered extensive damage.

A nurse reports a 300lbs man was sucked out of the window and tossed in the air.

Without getting into details or flooding the board with videos...

here's a couple that were driving in the storm at the tail end. Same storm that dropped the Tornado in Joplin! Watch them drive up to an area of damage. Insane.

[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]YouTube - ‪Joplin, MO-5-22-11-SeanWilson.wmv‬‏ [/SIZE]

[trlhiker]

Right now the toll is 116 dead. A truly devestating tornado. Looks like it may have been a strong F4 with a possibility of it being an F5. Just when you thought April was bad!!

[RadioSilence]

It looks like Tuesday will be bad too, from north Texas through Nebraska. Heck, Joplin is danger area again.

I live in the so-called Tornado Alley, and we haven't had a major outbreak in the Kansas City area since 2003. We rarely have the right conditions for long track tornadoes. I'm not sure tornado death statistics are the proper measuring stick, though. We still have plenty of tornadoes in Kansas and Oklahoma. But fewer people live here, and many people have basements. Alabama, on the other hand, has an astonishing number of people living in mobile homes.

[wavehunter007]

ABC News had some amazing footage tonight. The pictures of the hospital are the most shocking!

[Cambium]

TWC was there on the scene 5 minutes after it passed. The scenes make you wonder. Speechless. Until you see it..you dont know.

By the way - reports of a tornado were coming in 30 minutes before to the west and TWC kept warning about it. This is why we need storm chasers and trained spotters on the ground! Radar can only say so much. We need those chasers!

[Cambium]

High End EF4 Tornado confirmed in Joplin, MO. Winds 198 MPH. An EF5 is 200mph or higher. It's possible they will update to an EF5.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
938 PM CDT MON MAY 23 2011

...JOPLIN TORNADO GIVEN A PRELIMINARY HIGH END EF-4 RATING...

* DATE...22 MAY 2011
* BEGIN LOCATION...APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JOPLIN
* END LOCATION...1 MILE SOUTHEAST OF DUQUESNE
* ESTIMATED BEGIN TIME...541 PM
* ESTIMATED END TIME...550 PM
* MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-4
* ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...190-198 MPH
* ESTIMATED PATH WIDTH...3/4 OF A MILE
* PATH LENGTH...7 MILES
* FATALITIES...116 REPORTED AS OF 3 PM MONDAY
* INJURIES...400 REPORTED AS OF 3 PM MONDAY
* BEGIN LAT/LON...37.06 N / 94.57 W
* END LAT/LON...37.06 N / 94.39 W

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAMS RATED THE TORNADO THAT KILLED
OVER 100 PEOPLE IN AND AROUND JOPLIN AS A HIGH END EF-4 TORNADO.
BASED UPON SURVEYS COMPLETED TODAY...MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED
BETWEEN 190 AND 198 MPH. THE TORNADO HAD A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 3/4 TO
ONE MILE.

THE TORNADO INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN AROUND 541 PM NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF COUNTRY CLUB AND 32ND STREET. ADDITIONAL SURVEYS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE CONDUCTED TO FURTHER DEFINE THE STARTING POINT AND
INTENSITY AT THIS LOCATION.

DAMAGE BECAME MORE WIDESPREAD AS THE TORNADO CROSSED MAIDEN
LANE...CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO NEARLY ALL WINDOWS ON THREE
SIDES OF ST JOHNS HOSPITAL AS WELL AS TO THE ROOF. THE TORNADO
FURTHER INTENSIFIED AS IT DESTROYED NUMEROUS HOMES AND BUSINESSES TO
THE EAST AND NORTH OF THE HOSPITAL. THE HIGHEST RATED DAMAGE IN
THIS AREA WAS TO A CHURCH SCHOOL THAT HAD ALL BUT A PORTION OF ITS
EXTERIOR WALLS DESTROYED AS WELL AS TO A NURSING HOME. WINDS IN
THAT AREA WERE ESTIMATED AT 160 TO 180 MPH.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO DESTROY OVER 100 HOMES BETWEEN 32ND AND
20TH STREETS. THREE STORY APARTMENT COMPLEXES HAD THE TOP TWO FLOORS
REMOVED...OTHER TWO STORY COMPLEXES WERE PARTIALLY LEVELED. A BANK
WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE VAULT. A DILLONS
GROCERY STORE ALSO HAD SIGNIFICANT ROOF AND EXTERIOR WALL DAMAGE.
LASTLY...THE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR WALLS OF A TECHNICAL SCHOOL...A
MORTAR AND REBAR REINFORCED CINDER BLOCK BUILDING...FAILED.

THE TORNADO CROSSED RANGELINE ROAD NEAR 20TH STREET. THE MOST
INTENSE DAMAGE WAS NOTED JUST EAST OF THIS INTERSECTION WHERE A HOME
DEPOT WAS DESTROYED BY AN ESTIMATED 190 TO NEARLY 200 MPH
WINDS. IN ADDITION...THE CUMMINS BUILDING...A CONCRETE BLOCK AND
HEAVY STEEL BUILDING...HAD ITS STEEL ROOF BEAMS COLLAPSE. SPORTS
ACADEMY AND THE WALMART ALSO SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO MOVE EASTWARD ALONG AND SOUTH OF 20TH
STREET DESTROYING NUMEROUS WAREHOUSE STYLE FACILITIES AND RESIDENCES
THROUGH DUQUESNE ROAD. WINDS IN THIS AREA MAY ALSO APPROACH 200 MPH.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO DESTROYING NUMEROUS HOMES BEFORE WEAKENING
AS IT TURNED SOUTHEAST TOWARD INTERSTATE 44. SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE
SURVEYS WILL BE REQUIRED TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF ADDITIONAL
REPORTS ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 71 AND
INTERSTATE 44.




http://www.crh.noaa.gov/product.php?site=SGF&issuedby=SGF&product=PNS&format=TXT &version=2&glossary=0

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by 205

I'm often amazed at the misconceptions of Americans in general that still think significant tornadoes are exclusive to the tradional "tornado alley" across, TX, OK, KS, NEB, and the Dakotas. Tornado death statistics since 1950 show how false this idea is.

Most people are just plain ignorant about the weather. "TV weathermen are stupid," said the guy who got himself killed after seeking shelter from a tornado under a highway overpass.

By the way, this topic should probably be reactivated today...

[Canine*Castle]

I wish people living in tornado-prone areas would put in storm cellars. They're not expensive and they can save so many lives when the skies are violent. I must admit that it took me way too many years to put one in but after Jarrell, Texas was flattened and homes ripped from their foundations, I told myself, "That's it. I'm not living in Texas anymore without one." It brings much peace of mind.

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

I wish people living in tornado-prone areas would put in storm cellars. They're not expensive and they can save so many lives when the skies are violent. I must admit that it took me way too many years to put one in but after Jarrell, Texas was flattened and homes ripped from their foundations, I told myself, "That's it. I'm not living in Texas anymore without one." It brings much peace of mind.

They made hurricane straps mandatory after Hurricane Andrew in 92...I am sure something will come from this..Codes will be enforced to just dig a storm cellar even though an area is flood prone.

More deaths today from massive tornados. I personally was posting on facebook for PIEDMONT, OK to TAKE COVER... 20 minutes last a chaser caught the Tornado on camera heading right for the town.

People cannot ignore weather out there. Wake up.