EF5 Tornado — Dekalb, Alabama

2011-04-27 · near Ten Broeck, Dekalb, Alabama

Event narrative

A violent long track tornado began in the Lakeview community northeast of Geraldine before tracking northeastward, generally parallel to and just east of State Route 75. Along this line, the tornado passed through Fyffe, Rainsville, Sylvania, and eventually into northern DeKalb County south of the Cartersville community, killing 25 people. On the first day of surveys, the survey team noticed initial damage in the Lakeview community where the path width was generally around 50 yards. This initial damage included mostly felled and snapped trees and structural damage to small buildings. Extensive damage was noted especially in Rainsville and Sylvania where the path width was estimated to over 1/2 mile wide. Damage in Rainsville included houses that were completely removed from foundations, with debris scattered for about one mile. Near this location, trees were debarked and a few mobile homes were completely destroyed, with debris strewn for about a mile downstream.

A narrow corridor of intense damage extended from Skaggs Road to Lingerfeldt Road (also known as County Road 180), extending toward County Road 514. Along Skaggs Road, a stone house was completely obliterated with much of the interior debris strewn well away from the structure. A supporting large cement stone pillar was ripped completely out of the ground. Another home along Skaggs Road was also leveled completely to the ground. The NOAA overflight showed significant ground scarring in this area and a walk through the nearby fields showed large pot marks and other sections of disturbed ground.

Slightly northeast along Lingerfeldt Road, numerous homes were leveled completely to their foundation with vehicles and debris strewn for hundreds of feet. Overhead photos and follow-up visual confirmation revealed a mangled vehicle tossed well into a ravine and resting up in the remainder of trees. At 1608 Lingerfeldt Road/County Road 180, a large two story brick home was completely obliterated with several of the supporting anchors ripped of the ground. A concrete porch was ripped off with pieces strewn up to 150 yards. A section of the asphalt driveway was pulled up. In addition, an anchored liberty safe weighing 800 pounds was pulled off its anchorage and thrown into a wooded area 600 feet away. When found, the safe's door had been ripped open and completely off. A large pick-up truck at this residence was found mangled in pieces over 250 yards away in the same wooded area. The residents of the home survived in a nearby storm pit. Of note, the storm pit was partially exposed by the tornado with dirt being sucked up and pulled away around the opening. Next door, a mobile home was completely disintegrated. The residents of the mobile there also survived in a storm pit. The section of damage from Skaggs Road to Lingerfeldt Road near the intersection with Crow Lane was deemed to be EF-5 intensity. Severe damage with high end EF-4 damage was noted in a corridor from County Road 515 through a neighborhood along County Road 441. In the east and south ends of the neighborhood, many one and two story homes were leveled to their foundation with debris scattered some distance. Several cars were thrown a large distance in this area. There was evidence of ground scarring as well as some sidewalk pavement pulled up in this location. However, some of the homes in this area appeared to be pushed off their foundation initially with limited anchorage.

In the Sylvania community, similar situation occurred with houses completely removed from foundations and debris blown far downstream. Some of these houses were connected to their foundations with anchor bolts and foundation straps, indicating a stronger construction of the homes.

Tornado damage continued from the Blake community, intersecting County Road 27, running parallel between State Highway 75 and Interstate 59 through Henager, Ider, to south of Cartersville.

In the Blake community, the tornado path width was estimated to be one half to three quarters of a mile. Along County Road 27 just southeast of Sylvania, significant damage was observed . All exterior and interior walls of several homes were completely destroyed with partial block and mortar foundations remaining. In one instance, a concrete slab that served as a porch was displaced a few feet and broken in half. Some hardwood trees in the area were stripped with no stubs of any branches remaining and were partially debarked. The Mountain View Baptist Church sustained significant damage. An old, one-story portion of the church dating back to 1902 and constructed of a brick and mortar exterior on wood frame walls was completely destroyed. A recent two-story addition to the church was constructed in 2004 and consisting of similar building materials was partially destroyed, with most exterior walls and nearly all interior walls fallen. A concrete block and mortar foundation was all that remained of a hallway adjoining the two buildings.

Wider weather episode

A powerful storm system roared across the Southeast United States on Wednesday, April 27, 2011. In the wake of this system, hundreds of people were left injured and/or homeless, along with approximately 100 people who lost their lives in the northern Alabama area alone. Some of the devastation was literally unimaginable with countless homes, neighborhoods and even portions of cities or towns either partially or completely destroyed. This storm system would be responsible for one of the largest and deadliest tornado outbreaks to ever impact much of the southeastern region.

The powerful storm system that affected the National Weather Service, Huntsville service area would actually occur in three separate waves of severe weather that day. The first occurred during the early morning hours of April 27, 2011 roughly between the hours of 2 AM and 8 AM CDT, while the second occurred during the late-morning to early afternoon period. The third and most devastating wave occurred during the afternoon hours on Wednesday, with some of the most violent and destructive tornadoes to affect the central Tennessee Valley area in recent decades.

The worst areas impacted by these storms included the towns of Phil Campbell and Oak Grove in eastern Franklin County Alabama, Mt. Hope in western Lawrence County and the Tanner Community in eastern Limestone County. Along a line connecting these areas tracked an EF5 tornado with peak winds around 210 mph, the strongest and most violent on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Other areas impacted by the storms include the city of Cullman, where extensive damage occurred to buildings in the downtown area, and to the town of Fairview, both of which are located in Cullman County. Downstream, further significant damage occurred to the Ruth and Oak Grove communities in Marshall County. In addition, the communities of Rainsville and Sylvania along with the towns of Henagar and Ider in DeKalb County were severely impacted. Fatalities in DeKalb County alone numbered at least 33 people. Furthermore, the towns of Flat Rock, Higdon and Pisgah in Jackson County sustained incredible damage. The tornadoes that affected these areas were rated as an EF4 with maximum winds near 190 mph.

In most of these areas alone, numerous people lost their lives. These represent just several of the communities and towns impacted by the events of April 27, 2011. While the majority of the analysis and survey work conducted by the National Weather Service, Huntsville and its partners have been completed, there will undoubtedly be countless research studies conducted by both academia and operational personnel in order to further evaluate and understand the complex processes associated with this near unprecedented severe weather outbreak.

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Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 301829. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.