EF1 tornado in Lauderdale County, Alabama

A tornado with an EF-1 intensity produced peak wind speeds up to 90 mph. The tornado touched down 1 mile north of the intersection of County Road 2 and County Road 189 north of Smithsonia. Here, a large storage shed was demolished and a second was partially damaged. The tornado crossed the intersection of County Roads 189 and 221 where a staff member of the Emergency Management Agency for Lauderdale County was injured in his vehicle by broken glass. The tornado continued to the corner of County Roads 189 and 62 where the front end of a church was ripped off and 3 large trees were toppled in different directions.

Adjacent to the church, a residence had exterior damage, where siding was ripped off and thrown approximately 300 yards into a field. Numerous twigs and sticks were driven into the side of the home and several windows were blown out. A 28 foot travel trailer was picked up, toppled and moved approximately 10 feet. Insulation was sucked out of the attic and into the garage, and the water heater in the home was imploded. The tornado then lifted northeast of this residence.

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.