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Displaying AFOS PIL: PNSHUN Product Timestamp: 2011-04-29 02:34 UTC
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090 NOUS44 KHUN 290234 PNSHUN ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-291445- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 934 PM CDT THU APR 28 2011 ...PRELIMINARY STORM SURVEY INFORMATION FROM FRANKLIN COUNTY ALABAMA... A PRELIMINARY STORM SURVEY OF THE DAMAGE INCURRED ACROSS FRANKLIN COUNTY ALABAMA HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND FRANKLIN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL. INITIAL FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS: * EVENT TYPE: TORNADO * EVENT DATE: 04/27/2011 * ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 175 MPH * PRELIMINARY RATING: EF-4 * PRELIMINARY PATH LENGTH: 12 MILES (EXPECTED TO INCREASE) * MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH: 1/2 MILE * FATALITIES: AT LEAST 20...EXACT NUMBER UNKNOWN * INJURIES: UNKNOWN * SUMMARY: FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SURVEY, THE PATH BEGAN AT THE SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY LINE WITH MARION COUNTY NEAR HACKLEBURG. FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE TORNADO PATH IN MARION COUNTY...CONSULT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM. THE SURVEY TEAM TRAVELED THROUGH PHIL CAMPBELL AND WITNESSED CONTINUOUS SIGNIFICANT DEVASTATION THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE MOST PROLIFIC DAMAGE OCCURRED FROM THE INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD 51 AND ALABAMA HIGHWAY 237...TO THE INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD 81 AND COUNTY ROAD 75. WITHIN THIS CORRIDOR, MANY HOUSES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED WITH LITTLE EVIDENCE THAT A HOUSE EXISTED AT THAT LOCATION OTHER THAN THE SLAB AND A DEBRIS PILE. SOME OF THESE HOUSES WERE WELL CONSTRUCTED. AT LEAST 3 CHURCHES ALONG THE PATH SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. ONE CHURCH IN PHIL CAMPBELL WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED WITH ONLY THE SLAB REMAINING. MULTIPLE MOBILE HOMES THROUGHOUT THE PATH WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED...AND THEIR MANGLED FRAMES WERE TOSSED AT LEAST 25 TO 50 YARDS. CARS WERE TOSSED AND DESTROYED THROUGHOUT THE PATH OF THE TORNADO...WITH ONE CAR WRAPPED AROUND A DEBARKED TREE IN PHIL CAMPBELL. ALL ALONG THE PATH LENGTH...THOUSANDS OF HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED. HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE ALSO DEBARKED AND TWISTED...AND HAD ONLY STUBS OF LARGEST BRANCHES REMAINING. EF-4 DAMAGE CONTINUED SIMILARLY NORTHEAST FROM PHIL CAMPBELL...ROUGHLY ALONG COUNTY ROADS 81 AND 82. SEVERAL HIGH VOLTAGE TVA POWER LINE TRUSSES WERE TWISTED AND TOPPLED...PARTICULARLY NEAR HIGHWAY 243. SIX CHICKEN HOUSES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED NEAR THE FRANKLIN LAWRENCE COUNTY LINE. THE SURVEY TEAM HAS NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO SURVEY DAMAGE IN LAWRENCE COUNTY WHERE THIS TORNADO CONTINUED ON ITS PATH. FURTHER DETAILS... SUCH AS TIMING OF THE TORNADO AND PATH LENGTH...WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION. INFORMATION REGARDING THIS SURVEY WILL BE PLACED ON THE INTERNET ONCE ACCESS HAS BEEN RESTORED. SURVEYED BY: CARCIONE/LATIMER $$