National Weather Service Raw Text Product

369 
NOUS44 KHUN 290231
PNSHUN
ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-300245-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
931 PM CDT THU APR 28 2011

...PRELIMINARY STORM SURVEY INFORMATION FROM LIMESTONE AND MADISON
COUNTIES...

A PRELIMINARY GROUND AND AERIAL STORM SURVEY OF THE DAMAGE INCURRED
ACROSS LIMESTONE AND MADISON COUNTIES HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE...UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE...AND LOCAL
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL. INITIAL FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

* EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
* EVENT DATE: 04/27/11

* ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 190.0 MPH
* PRELIMINARY RATING: EF-4

* PATH LENGTH: UNDETERMINED AS ENTIRE TRACK WAS NOT SURVEYED
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH: 3/4 MILE

* FATALITIES: AT LEAST 11
* INJURIES: A LARGE NUMBER
* SUMMARY: AN AERIAL SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED FROM THE TENNESSEE RIVER
  ALONG THE LAWRENCE/LIMESTONE COUNTY LINE NORTHEAST THROUGH TANNER
  AND INTO MADISON COUNTY BEYOND THE ANDERSON HILLS SUBDIVISION.
  SEVERAL AREAS OF INTENSE DAMAGE WERE NOTED ALONG A SOLID TRACK WITH
  THE MOST INTENSE DAMAGE NOTED NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF TANNER AND NEAR
  ANDERSON HILLS IN MADISON COUNTY. HOMES WERE COMPLETELY OBLITERATED
  ALONG A WIDE SWATH IN BOTH OF THESE AREAS. NEARLY A DOZEN HIGH
  TENSION POWER LINES WERE SNAPPED OR TAKEN TO THE GROUND IN
  LIMESTONE COUNTY. CONCRETE POWER POLES WERE ALSO SNAPPED OFF AT THEIR
  BASE.

  A SUBSEQUENT GROUND TEAM...AIDED BY A STORM SURVEY EXPERT FROM THE
  UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE...SURVEYED THE MOST INTENSE
  DAMAGE IN LIMESTONE COUNTY. HIGH END EF-3 DAMAGE WAS NOTED OVER A
  LARGE AREA IN EASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE EAST
  LIMESTONE HIGH SCHOOL. IN THE COMMUNITY OF TANNER...THE INTENSITY
  WAS MAXIMIZED WITH A LARGE SWATH OF EF-4 DAMAGE AND A NARROW
  CORRIDOR OF HIGH END EF-4 TO NEAR EF-5 DAMAGE. SEVERAL WELL
  CONSTRUCTED HOMES WITH ANCHOR BOLTING WERE COMPLETELY WIPED CLEAN.
  ONE HOME HAD THE DEBRIS CARRIED OVER 300 HUNDRED YARDS WITH LARGE
  ITEMS CARRIED COMPLETELY AWAY. INTENSE GROUND SCARRING WAS NOTED IN
  THIS AREA. IN ADDITION...A LARGE CARGO CONTAINER WAS PICKED UP AND
  BLOWN APPROXIMATELY 600 YARDS AND SEVERAL CARS WERE CARRIED
  AIRBORNE FOR HUNDREDS OF YARDS. IN ALL...HUNDREDS OF HOMES RECEIVED
  MODERATE TO MAJOR DAMAGE ALONG THE PATH WITH MANY OF THESE BEING
  TOTAL LOSSES. ANOTHER SURVEY TEAM WILL BE ON THE GROUND IN MADISON
  TO FURTHER ASSESS THE DAMAGE ON FRIDAY.

THESE FINDINGS ARE PRELIMINARY AND ARE SUBJECT TO ADJUSTMENT. IN THE
NEAR FUTURE PICTURES AND SUMMARY MATERIALS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON
OUR WEB PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE /ALL LOWER CASE/.

SURVEYED BY: DARDEN/BURGETT/KNUPP

$$