Multiple National Weather Service warning transmission towers were downed or damaged. The event occurred over the course of 4 days April 25-28, 2011 and 359 tornadoes touched. An F2 tornado killed one person in, Tornadoes touched down across several states in the, Many strong tornadoes touched down across the south, especially in, Widely photographed F1 tornado struck downtown, Produced a remarkably violent, deadly F5 tornado in, An F2 tornado passed through some Detroit neighborhoods, the suburbs of, Deadliest and most destructive Florida outbreak on record. In the United States, tornadoes struck . Strong tornadoes struck, Strong outbreak caused deadly tornadoes across the, Worst damage and all fatalities occurred in, Small but intense mid-Summer outbreak produced a long-tracked F3 that struck, Numerous strong tornadoes hit the Midwest, mostly in rural areas. Spann and his team quickly worked to create a plan before the afternoon storms developed. Feeling . At least 700 people were forced to seek temporary shelter when tornadoes damaged houses. The worst of the damage and most of the fatalities took place in, Included several long-tracked, (estimated) F3 tornado families. Estimated F5. (14significant, 2violent, 4killer), Very intense localized outbreak produced a long-tracked, killer F4 tornado that hit, Multiple large and destructive tornadoes touched down with killer F2-F4 tornadoes occurring in four states. Hes a veteran in the field and beloved by meteorologists and the public alike. The mood in the newsroom was becoming increasingly grave. See how @NOAA #satellites tracked it from orbit and learn more about that historic outbreak, here: https://t.co/NbnaF2LmAV pic.twitter.com/CgnZzLp4qn. A series of outbreaks occurred, spawning tornadoes from Texas to Michigan. Third-deadliest tornado in Canadian history, formed in, Deadly tornado family devastated multiple towns in Texas and Oklahoma, producing F5 damage. Its victims (both people and cattle) were reportedly carried up to half a mile. But this thing happened on a Wednesday. F4 struck, Violent tornadoes struck portions of the Great Plains, mainly in Oklahoma. On April 27, 2011, the largest tornado outbreak in nearly 40 years tore through the South, spinning up 216 tornadoes on a single calendar day and claiming more than 300 lives. An F4 tornado devastated, Produced an F4 tornado that moved through the. Alabama was the epicenter of disaster during that tornado swarm, too, with multiple top-tier F5s carving through the same county northwest of Huntsville. Forty-seven tornadoes occurred on April 11th and 12th in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. The installation of the first operational prototype was completed in the fall of 1990 in Norman, Oklahoma, while its first operational use in everyday forecasting occurred in 1992 in Sterling, Virginia. Is a tornado outbreak possible? Several long-tracked tornadoes touched down in, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 30 June 3, 1954, This outbreak produced a catastrophic F4 tornado in, Multiple long-tracked F2-F3 tornadoes touched down. Of those 216 tornadoes, 37 were of EF-3 or greater strength, including the four EF-5s. Nearly 40 years later, Spann found himself at the helm of this operation, leading the state through what he called a generational tornado outbreak. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. On April 27, 2011, one of the worst tornado outbreaks in U.S. history struck the Deep South. It darkened the air with dust, yet through God's great mercy it did no hurt, but only killed one Indian with the fall of a tree. Produced two powerful F5 tornadoes near, Outbreak produced many strong to violent tornadoes across the Ohio Valley. In Louisiana, an F3 tore a 12 mile path from Urania to Clarks, killing one. A tornado outbreak March 24-25 dropped several long-track, powerful tornadoes in Alabama, one of which impacted cities like Greensboro, Brent and Centreville and stayed on the ground for more. Then a major F4 tornado hit Northport, killing 37 people along the 20 mile path. Countless others were injured. One EF2 tornado in, A localized but intense outbreak produced an EF3 tornado that caused major damage near the town of, Outbreak spawned a cyclic supercell in Nebraska that produced four consecutive EF4 tornadoes, including two twin tornadoes that devastated the town of, A small but damaging outbreak produced a large EF3 tornado that caused major damage in, This outbreak produced a destructive early-morning F3 tornado (which may have reached F4 intensity) that devastated the Mexican border city of, A unusual nocturnal late-season tornado outbreak spawned multiple strong tornadoes across the lower, This outbreak produced multiple strong to violent long-track tornadoes on December 23 across, An outbreak of 32 tornadoes severely impacted areas from the, The second largest February tornado outbreak on record produced many significant tornadoes across the, A four-day outbreak of 57 tornadoes produced a high-end EF2 tornado near, This outbreak sequence produced numerous strong tornadoes across the Great Plains. The storm caused moderate damage to roofs of homes and buildings and injured several people. An F4 hit, A tornado outbreak produced several longtracked, deadly tornadoes that touched down in, Destructive outbreak produced two F3tornadoes in, Several destructive tornadoes touched down with all three F3+tornadoes being killers. This week marks a decade since the "Super Outbreak" of tornadoes April 25-28, 2011, an unprecedented swarm of tornadoes that tore through the South. James Spann Shares His Experience with the April 27th Generational In addition to the maps for each year at bottom, lets take a brief walk through the history in which the modern tornado record has resided, from 1950 to here. The outbreak also affected the Midwest; at one point, overwhelmed forecasters in Indiana placed the entire state under a tornado warning. It uses GPS for more accurate locations and automatic positioning for spotters and chasers who relay information to those issuing warnings. Hardest hit was the state of Alabama, where multiple EF5s and more than half a dozen EF4s carved deadly scars into the landscape. Although he had grown up weathering Alabamas weather and storms, it was the first time he had a taste of the impacts they could have. Decades before that fateful day entered the forecast, a teenage James Spann found himself helping to save Alabamians during the last national super outbreak on April 3, 1974. Thursday marks 11th anniversary of EF-4 tornado that killed 11 people Other violent tornadoes killed numerous people in, Produced numerous killer tornadoes in Arkansas, including one that killed 25 people. Produced a violent F4 that literally wiped, $48M in damage. Hundreds of people were killed by violent tornadoes across the, Second-deadliest continuous tornado outbreak in US history. He called out an on-air warning to his wife, but continued coverage without wavering. Thats why Im in a school every day. Tornadoes touched down during at mid-afternoon near Demopolis. Many homes were damaged or destroyed in the town of, Large tornado outbreak sequence produced the longest-tracked tornado in Wisconsin history; an EF3 tornado that caused major damage near, A high-end EF2 tornado caused significant damage in Tulsa, injuring 30 people. Both F4tornadoes were killers along with two F2tornadoes. Alabama's Generational Tornado Outbreak Of April 27, 2011 We will continue to update this post as new data is released. (17 significant, 4 violent, 3 killer), A weak, but damaging EF1 tornado damaged numerous structures and injured seven people in, Two tornadoes (rated EF1 and EF0) embedded in a large area of damaging winds moved through the New York City area and caused significant damage, killing one person. In particular, communication methods for severe weather are drastically different thanks in large part to key takeaways from that fateful day. Josh on Twitter: "There is a threat of significant severe weather The event occurred over the course of 4 days April 25-28, 2011 and 359 tornadoes touched down in 21 U.S. states and 1 tornado in Ontario, Canada. They put us in the hospital to establish a radio link with relief agencies in Birmingham.. See more of WxSynopsis on Facebook. 10 Year Anniversary of April 2011 Super Outbreak. Several violent, long-track tornadoes touched down across the South, killing numerous people. 2011 Super Outbreak - Wikipedia Storms started firing during the early afternoon in Central Texas as the FOX Forecast Center tracked a . It is of similar design to the F-Scale, but those who developed it believe it more accurately matches wind speeds to severity of damage caused by a tornado. Produced the second-widest tornado on record, a 2.5 mile-wide F4 that destroyed 95% of. so violent for half an hour as it blew down multitudes of trees. Damage following the April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Dave Martin), Tornado damage in Birmingham, Ala. following the April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak. To do this job, you need to spend some time away from the weather office, said Spann. A total of 55 tornadoes occurred April 26 with 4 being EF2s and 1 EF3 tornado. No deaths were reported however. An F3 caused major damage in, Widespread outbreak produced mostly weak tornadoes. On average, less than one EF-5 tornado touches down in the U.S. each year. Tuesday marks the 10th anniversary of a once-in-a-generation tornado outbreak that ripped across Alabama. One of the most destructive New England outbreaks ever documented. For the next nine hours, Spann stood in front of a green screen, calling out roadways, towns, intersections and restaurants. Small outbreak produced an F4 that struck, An F2 killed one person near Union, Arkansas. F5 tornado leveled many homes in Fergus Falls, killing 57 people. Discussing The April 27, 2011 Super Tornado Outbreak - Daily Kos At least 100 feared dead after tornadoes devastate midwestern US Most were weak, though an F2 tornado caused major damage in the, A late-year autumn outbreak, it was the largest October tornado outbreak in, Strong and deadly tornadoes touched down in Tennessee, including an F3 and an F4 tornado that struck, Largest January outbreak on record. (2 significant, 1 killer), One of the most intense tornado events to ever impact the, The most violent March outbreak and the most intense Great Plains outbreak to occur so early in the year. (27 significant, 5 killer), May 1223, 1983 tornado outbreak sequence. Remembering the April 2011 Super Outbreak, an unprecedented swarm of tornadoes. Violent, long-tracked tornado killed 59 people in Texas and Arkansas. Tornadoes in the United States 1950-2019 These are some notable tornadoes, tornado outbreaks, and tornado outbreak sequences that have occurred in North America . We had infrastructure damaged, cameras out, Internet out. An EF2 tornado caused damage near, A major tornado outbreak occurred across portions of the Midwestern United States and Ohio Valley, leading to 71 tornadoes in total. A tornado struck the western part of Mayabeque Province, hitting the provincial capital of San Jos de Las Lajas. A lot of people are walking around today because they heard the warnings and got into a safe place.. 16 farms were blown away and the town of Grinnell was devastated, as well as the Grinnell College campus. 2004 1,817 Growth in the general interest of weather brought us The Weather Channel. Stories that explain the news through charts, maps, photography and videos. Produced one of the strongest documented tornadoes. An extratropical cyclone developed ahead of this upper-level trough between northeastern Oklahoma and western Missouri, and moved northeastward. At 2 p.m., Spann interrupted local programming and began a marathon of coverage that wouldnt end until the 11 p.m. news was through. A tornado outbreak sequence, or tornado outbreak day sequence, sometimes referred to as an extended tornado outbreak, is a period of continuous or nearly continuous high tornado activity consisting of a series of tornado outbreaks over multiple days with no or very few days lacking tornado outbreaks.. Major tornado outbreak sequences occurred in the United States in May 1917, 1930, 1949, 1965 . It was like somebody punched us in the gut.. EF3 tornadoes destroyed homes in and around, Following a significant outbreak just a week prior, a second tornado outbreak affected many of the same areas. Earliest recorded U.S. tornado with multiple fatalities. Touched down shortly after 9am, estimated F3 strength. On April 26, the Storm Prediction Center issued a rare High Risk for portions of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma and a Large PDS (Particularly Damaging Situation) Tornado Watch was issued later that evening. (4 significant, 2 killer), One of the strongest and most prolific tornado events west of the, A massive and powerful storm system produced a widespread, Many tornadoes, including six EF2 tornadoes, touched down across the southern and eastern United States. The F5 rating is widely accepted. He paused before continuing with his coverage. An F1 tornado killed three people and injured 166 others in, Fourth-most violent outbreak in U.S. since 1950 with 11 F4 tornadoes, most intense ever in, Moderate outbreak produced a large F4 tornado outside of, Several intense tornadoes touched down, including an F4 tornado in, Produced a devastating F4 tornado that killed 17 in Western, Produced five deadly F4 tornadoes across four states, including one that killed 18 on, Two F3tornadoes and an F4tornado touched down over a two-day period, causing catastrophic damage and several fatalities. (The 1953 Waco tornado is the earliest officially rated - see below.) The Tuscaloosa tornado was one of 15 violent EF4 or EF5 tornadoes on the 0 to 5 scale. Wow. This week marks the 10 year anniversary of the generational tornado outbreak called the 2011 Super Outbreak. (6 significant, 3 killer), F4 tornado devastated New Albany, Indiana. The most significant day of the outbreak was, by far, April 27 when a total of 216 tornadoes occurred during a 24 hour period. He didnt budge from his post all evening on April 27. You cant really do an event like [April 27, 2011] effectively unless you understand the people, the culture and the geography, said Spann. Grass was scoured from the ground, and a metal bridge was torn from its supports. A large F4 wedge tornado devastated, Unusually severe outbreak affected mainly the northeastern states just days after a similar outbreak affected roughly the same region (see previous event). 35 of the deaths were at the three story Grand Hotel, which was completely destroyed. Debris was carried 100mi (160km). An F4 tornado also hit the area on, Deadliest November tornado outbreak in the US, produced several long-tracked, strong, killer tornadoes. During the first 20 years of the database, tornado reports steadily grew as awareness grew. Produced a deadly multiple-vortex tornado in, Multiple long-track tornadoes crossed upstate New York, August 1851 Waltham, Medford, and West Cambridge tornado, Waltham, Medford, West Cambridge Massachusetts. Several other strong tornadoes were observed that day, killing three others. Super tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011: one year anniversary Meet the man who led Alabama through the April 2011 tornado disaster, This book is a profound meditation on memory and identity, Pretend youre in Congress and well give you a committee assignment, Nebraska cheerleader competes solo after her teammates quit. An EF1 tornado caused considerable damage in, This outbreak severely impacted the same regions worst affected by the previous outbreak. MOST IMPORTANTLY, read my last paragraph. Even Spann himself isnt immune to the weather. James Spann - ON THIS DATE IN 1932: The March 21, 1932, | Facebook I was so busy getting the radio set up and getting a link established that at first I didnt see the graphic nature of the wounds coming into that hospital, recalled Spann. Katie currently works as a GIS Analyst for EA Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc., PBC in Hunt Valley, Maryland. By midday, the main event began. There were no fatalities or serious injuries, but the storm did over a million dollars in damage. It was a 12.6. An estimated F3 tornado devastated Philadelphia and its. Still several days away, expect some changes. By Monday, the messaging was involving the potential for violent, long-track tornadoes.. The outbreak from April 25-28, 2011, challenged and surpassed the records set by almost all previous tornado events, ranking as one of the deadliest and most expensive meteorological disasters on record. Forty-seven tornadoes occurred on April 11th and 12th in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. When we went back to programming at 9 a.m., they streamed in there and said, This isnt working. The center of Arlington, MA was devastated by a strong tornado. Theyll tell you things. A massive outbreak struck the Great Plains and Midwest. 2011 1,691 Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Follow us on YouTube IND RSS Feed Hazards Graphical Hazards Outlook NOAA All Hazards Radio EF3 tornadoes devastated the towns of, A large tornado outbreak produced many tornadoes, one of which was a, The largest continuous and fourth-deadliest outbreak in United States history caused the most tornado-related deaths since, This was one of the largest and deadliest U.S. outbreaks on record. This was exemplified in the predicted violent tornado outbreak that failed to realize on May 20, 2019. Two F4s left damage paths more than 2mi (3.2km) wide. Produced five violent tornadoes across three states, one of which was an F4 that destroyed the community of, Produced a destructive F4 (possibly F5) tornado in. 1953 22 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. April 27, 2011 Generational Tornado Outbreak | ON THIS DATE SEVEN YEARS 2011 22, Top 5 deadliest years Total Tornado Deaths: 5,845, 2011 553 Tornadoes prior to 1971 were rated retroactively. For many, one man was their lifeline during the seemingly endless hours of fury: James Spann. This week marks the 10 year anniversary of the generational tornado outbreak called the 2011 Super Outbreak. It resulted in roughly $12 billion in damages and left an estimated 321 people dead. Its 2 oclock. An EF4 tornado hit, Produced numerous strong tornadoes across the South, including an EF3 tornado that hit the, Most of the damage was caused by a derecho. Produced the strongest February tornado on record since 1950 in Oklahoma. List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, and other areas, Reshaping the Tornado Belt: The June 16, 1887, Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Tornado, 2011 book G.Godon, harvnb error: no target: CITEREFStorm_Data_Publication1954 (, harvnb error: no target: CITEREFStorm_Data_Publication1957 (, harvnb error: no target: CITEREFStorm_Data_Publication1964 (, harvnb error: no target: CITEREFStorm_Data_Publication1965 (, harvnb error: no target: CITEREFStorm_Data_Publication1966 (, "List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks", Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of tornadoes striking downtown areas of large cities, List of tornadoes causing 100 or more deaths, September 1821 New England tornado outbreak, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 25June 1, 1917, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 410, 1933, Tornado outbreak sequence of June 2527, 1951, Great Lakes tornadoes of September 26, 1951, Tornado outbreak sequence of April 28 May 2, 1953, FlintWorcester tornado outbreak sequence, Tornado outbreak sequence of December 16, 1953, Tornado outbreak sequence of April 25, 1957, May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak sequence, June 2023, 1957 tornado outbreak sequence, Tornado outbreak sequence of December 1820, 1957, St. Louis tornado outbreak of February 1959, Tornado outbreak sequence of April 2330, 1961, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 39, 1961, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 14June 1, 1962, Tornado outbreak of April 30 May 2, 1967, tropical cyclone-related tornado outbreaks, Tornado outbreak sequence of April 1719, 1970, Tornado outbreak sequence of June 1016, 1970, Tornado outbreak sequence of April 1921, 1973, 1985 United StatesCanada tornado outbreak, 1989 Northeastern United States tornado outbreak, March 1990 Central United States tornado outbreak, June 1990 Lower Ohio Valley tornado outbreak, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 627, 1995, 1998 GainesvilleStoneville tornado outbreak, Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho, Upper Great Lakes severe weather outbreak of August 23, 1998, Derecho and tornado outbreak of July 21, 2003, List of May 2004 tornado outbreak sequence tornadoes, Evansville tornado outbreak of November 2005, Tornado outbreak sequence of March 913, 2006, Easter Week 2006 tornado outbreak sequence, Tornado outbreak of September 2123, 2006, Tornado outbreak of February 28 March 2, 2007, Tornado outbreak sequence of April 2027, 2007, Tornado outbreak sequence of January 711, 2008, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 715, 2008, List of tornadoes in the tornado outbreak sequence of May 715, 2008, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2231, 2008, List of tornadoes in the tornado outbreak sequence of May 2231, 2008, Tornado outbreak sequence of June 311, 2008, February 2009 North American storm complex, Tornado outbreak of April 30 May 2, 2010, June 2010 Northern Plains tornado outbreak, October 2010 Arizona tornado outbreak and hailstorm, October 2010 North American storm complex, Derecho and tornado outbreak of April 45, 2011, Tornado outbreak sequence of April 1924, 2011, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2126, 2011, Tornado outbreak sequence of March 1824, 2012, 2012 Tropical Storm Debby tornado outbreak, Late December 2012 North American storm complex, October 2013 North American storm complex, December 2013 North American storm complex, North Carolina tornado outbreak of April 2014, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 510, 2015, 2015 TexasOklahoma flood and tornado outbreak, December 2015 North American storm complex, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2226, 2016, Tornado outbreak of February 28 March 1, 2017, Tornado outbreak and floods of April 28 May 1, 2017, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 1520, 2017, Tornado outbreak and blizzard of April 1315, 2018, 2018 United StatesCanada tornado outbreak, Tornado outbreak of November 30 December 2, 2018, Tornado outbreak sequence of March 2428, 2021, December 2021 Midwest derecho and tornado outbreak, List of Canadian tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, Southern Ontario tornado outbreak of 2005, Southern Ontario Tornado Outbreak of 2009, List of 21st-century Canadian tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, List of tornadoes striking downtown areas, "Arlington, MA Tornado, Aug 1851 - GenDisasters Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods", "A Deadly Tornado Left A Wake Of Destruction Across Philadelphia And Camden On August 4, 1885 | Weather Concierge", "Long Island Felt Its Fury One Person Killed and Forty Injured in Woodhaven Buildings Blown Down and Damage Caused in Other Parts of the Island", "Most People Don't Know A Devastating Tornado Ripped Through New Jersey's State Capital Over 100 Years Ago", "Storm Events Database - Search Results | National Centers for Environmental Information", Events reported between 03/21/1952 and 03/22/1952 (2 days), National Centers for Environmental Information, Events reported between 03/12/1953 and 03/15/1953 (4 days), Events reported between 04/28/1953 and 05/02/1953 (5 days), "Tornado History Project: The Waco Outbreak", "Tornado History Project: The Flint - Worcester Outbreak", "Storm Events Database Search Results | National Centers for Environmental Information", Events reported between 12/05/1954 and 12/05/1954 (1 days), Events reported between 05/04/1960 and 05/06/1960 (3 days), "May 11, 1970 Tornadoes (Exclude Oregon)", "June 18-19, 1972 Tornadoes (Exclude Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, and Oklahoma)", "Tornado History Project: Maps and Statistics", "El Reno tornado is 'super rare' national record-breaker", "El Reno Tornado Rated EF3, Widest on Record", "Canadian National Tornado Database: Verified Events (1980-2009) - Public", "The Earliest Documented Tornado in the Americas", "Los Angeles Herald, Number 224, 12 May 1899", "Authorities assess tornado damage in Cuba - Prensa Latina", National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, North America listing by The Tornado Project, Central America and Caribbean listing by The Tornado Project, Deadly Skies: Canada's Most Destructive Tornadoes, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_North_American_tornadoes_and_tornado_outbreaks&oldid=1141917037, Articles with dead external links from June 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from June 2011, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Essex County, MassachusettsHampton, New Hampshire tornado, Potential earliest recorded U.S. tornado and fatality.