National Weather Service Raw Text Product

686 
NOUS44 KHUN 020256
PNSHUN
ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-020000-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
955 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011

...UPDATED STORM SURVEY INFORMATION FROM JACKSON AND NORTHERN DEKALB 
COUNTY HAS BEEN COMPLETED...

AN UPDATED STORM SURVEY OF A VIOLENT TORNADO THAT CAUSED EXTENSIVE 
DAMAGE ACROSS JACKSON INTO EXTREME NORTHERN DEKALB COUNTIES HAS BEEN 
COMPLETED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PERSONNEL. 

FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

* EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
* EVENT DATE: 04/27/11
* EVENT TIME: 4:01 PM TO 4:36 PM CDT

* ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 190 MPH
* PRELIMINARY RATING: EF-4

* PATH LENGTH: 28 MILES (ESTIMATED)
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH: 1/2 - 1 MILE

* FATALITIES: 11 (BASED ON SURVEY INFORMATION)
* INJURIES: UNDETERMINED

** STORM SURVEY SUMMARY ISSUED SATURDAY /APRIL 30/ **

A VIOLENT LONG TRACK TORNADO BEGAN ITS LIFE ABOUT 3 MILES NORTHEAST
OF SECTION AS AN EF-0 TO EF-1 TORNADO WITH PEAK WIND SPEEDS OF 70 TO
90 MPH SNAPPING OR UPROOTING SEVERAL SOFT AND HARDWOOD TREES. THE 
TORNADO RAPIDLY INTENSIFIED TO HIGH END EF-3 TO LOW END EF-4 
STRENGTH WITHIN A MATTER OF MINUTES WITH PEAK WIND SPEEDS OF 150 TO 
170 MPH AND A PATH WIDTH OF 1/2 TO 3/4 MILE AS IT ROARED INTO AREAS 
NORTHEAST OF PISGAH AND NORTH OF ROSALIE. RESIDENTS INTERVIEWED 
REMARKED THAT THIS TORNADO WAS MULTI-VORTEX WITH UP TO THREE 
TORNADOES MERGING INTO ONE VERY LARGE TORNADO. THERE WAS SOME 
EVIDENCE OF THIS IN THE DAMAGE SWATH...BUT AN AERIAL SURVEY MAY 
PROVE MORE TELLING.

THIS TORNADO SWARMED SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES AND BLOCK FOUNDATION HOMES
IN ITS PATH...AND SNAPPED OR UPROOTED THOUSANDS OF TREES. NUMEROUS
TREES WERE DEBARKED IN THE PROCESS. THE TORNADO LEVELED AT LEAST TWO
MOBILE HOMES AND SWEPT THEIR REMAINS HUNDREDS OF YARDS DOWNWIND.
THREE WERE KILLED IN THREE SEPARATE HOMES. SEVERAL VEHICLES WERE
LAUNCHED OR SWEPT SEVERAL YARDS IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS...IN A FEW
CASES UP TO 50 YARDS AWAY FROM THEIR PARENT LOCATION. THE FRIENDSHIP 
CHURCH ROOF WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED. SEVERAL FARMS WERE ALSO 
AFFECTED...WITH BARNS AND CHICKEN HOUSES HEAVILY DAMAGED OR 
DESTROYED.

AS THE TORNADO CONTINUED ITS TRACK...IT INTENSIFIED EVEN FURTHER TO A
HIGH END EF-4 INTENSITY WITH PEAK WINDS OF UP TO 190 MPH AS IT
APPROACHED THE FLAT ROCK AND HIGDON COMMUNITIES. THE TORNADO KILLED
ANOTHER THREE FROM THE SAME FAMILY AT A RESIDENCE SOUTHWEST OF FLAT
ROCK. THE TORNADO MOWED THOUSANDS OF TREES IN A 1/2 TO 3/4 MILE PATH
WIDTH. ONE WELL BUILT BLOCK FOUNDATION HOME LITERALLY EXPLODED AS THE
TORNADO STRUCK...LIFTING AND SWEEPING ALL ITS STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS 
DOWNWIND...IN SOME CASES SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS. 
HOWEVER...MIRACULOUSLY...A MOTHER AND THREE CHILDREN TAKING REFUGE 
IN A HALLWAY WERE COMPLETELY UNHARMED. AT THIS FARM...ALL FENCING 
WAS DESTROYED AND UP TO 19 CATTLE WERE KILLED.  TWO CHICKEN BARNS 
WERE COMPLETELY OBLITERATED AND SWEPT AWAY UNIDENTIFABLY.  A PROPANE 
TANK WAS LIFTED FROM THE PREVIOUS LOCATION OF CHICKEN BARNS AND 
DROPPED OVER 100 YARDS AWAY IN FRONT OF THE DESTROYED HOME. 

** UPDATED FROM STORM SURVEY TODAY /MAY 1/ OF CONTINUED DAMAGE PATH 
FROM HIGDON/SHILOH TO GEORGIA/ALABAMA STATE LINE **

THE TORNADO CONTINUED ITS WIDE PATH AND VIOLENT DESTRUCTION ACROSS 
THE NORTHERN TIP OF DEKALB COUNTY IN THE SHILOH COMMUNITY.  THE 
TORNADO KILLED UP TO 5 PEOPLE IN THIS AREA. SEVERAL CINDER BLOCK 
FOUNDATION HOMES AND MOBILE HOMES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED OR 
SWEPT AWAY. IN ADDITION...THOUSANDS OF LARGE TREES WERE SHEARED OFF 
TOWARD THE BASE. AN OLDER TWO-STORY /FAIRLY WELL-BUILT/ LOG CABIN 
WAS DESTROYED. THE TOP STORY OF THIS HOME WAS LIFTED OFF...MOVED 
ABOUT 20 YARDS AND TWISTED 180 DEGREES. THE LOWER STORY COLLAPSED 
AND WAS SHIFTED OFF ITS FOUNDATION.  A SENIOR CITIZEN VAN WAS LOFTED
AND DROPPED INTO A FIELD NEARLY 400 YARDS AWAY. AT LEAST THREE 
CHICKEN BARNS WERE COLLAPSED WITH A HIGH LOSS OF LIVESTOCK NOTED.    
THE TORNADO CROSSED INTO DADE COUNTY GEORGIA WITH A 1/4 TO 1/2 MILE 
WIDE PATH ALONG COUNTY ROAD 155 NORTH OF HIGHWAY 75.

THESE FINDINGS ARE PRELIMINARY AND ARE SUBJECT TO ADJUSTMENT.

PICTURES AND SUMMARY MATERIALS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB
PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE /ALL LOWER CASE/.

SURVEYED BY: DARDEN / KULA / NADLER

$$