April 27, 2011 Tornadoes

On Wednesday, April 27th, we had the threat of tornadoes all day long.  Warning after warning was issued.  In fact, we went to Grandma's basement 3 times that day.  We were so blessed that the tornadoes avoided us, but near us there was a lot of damage.  Chad and I went out to look at some of the damage on Friday.  We were not allowed into the most damaged places.  I took pictures because I wanted to remember what happened and it is a reminder of the power of God.  A lady at church lost her home after being hit twice by the tornadoes.  Also, Will Stevens died in the tornado that hit Tuscaloosa.  I worked with his mother at Gospel Lighthouse when I was in college.  I cannot imagine burying my son.  We know of many others affected by these deadly storms.

This is where Bethel Church of Christ was located...and 48 Doppler Radar...

These last two pictures are from Mt. Hope at my Papaw Fischer's house.  He has some really big, old, trees at his house and a lot of them blew over.  He was blessed that the trees didn't land on the house.  God was certainly watching over him because he was taking a nap during the whole storm.  When he takes his naps he takes his hearing aids out and obviously can't hear much!  The Mt. Hope community came to help and he was touched be their generosity.

http://www.sellersphoto.com/tornado/     This is a link to an aerial map of the path of the tornadoes and pictures of the damaged areas.

 

April 25-28, 2011, Tornado Outbreak Statistics

NOAA's preliminary estimate is that there were 362 tornadoes during the entire outbreak from 8:00 a.m. EDT April 25 to 8:00 a.m. April 28, 2011.



During the 24-hour period from 8:00 a.m. EDT April 27 to 8:00 a.m. EDT April 28, The National Weather Service (NWS) estimates there were a total of 312 tornadoes.



The largest previous number of tornadoes on record in one event occurred from April 3-4, 1974, with 148 tornadoes.


Expert analysis by NOAA Research and the National Weather Service of the fatality information indicates that at least 350 people were killed during the entire outbreak from 8:00 a.m. EDT April 25 to 8:00 a.m. April 28. There were 340 fatalities during the 24-hour-period from 8:00 a.m. April 27 to 8:00 a.m. April 28.

The April 26-28 period had the most people killed by tornadoes in a two-day period since April 5-6, 1936, when 454 people were killed, mostly in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Gainesville, Georgia.


April 27, 2011, is the deadliest single day for tornadoes since the March 18, 1925, tornado outbreak that had 747 fatalities across 7 states (including the Tri-State Tornado).


The Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado during the April 2011 event caused at least 65 fatalities. This tornado had a maximum width of 1.5 miles and a track 80 miles long.


These are the most fatalities from a single tornado in the United States since May 25, 1955, when 80 people were killed in a tornado in southern Kansas with 75 of those deaths in Udall, Kansas.


The deadliest single tornado on record in the United States was the Tri-State tornado (Mo., Ill., Ind.) on March 18, 1925, when 695 died.


Ongoing (preliminary) List of Tornadoes by EF Rating (EF3 to EF5):

EF5: 2


EF4: 11


EF3: 21


Note: All numbers are based on combined NOAA and historical research records and current fatality estimates. The historical research records extend back to 1680.
Taken from:  http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/april_2011_tornado_information.html

Also, on Thursday morning after the storms, Uncle O.D. Morrow passed away.  We had his funeral on Saturday.  He was such a great man.  Chad had told me that there probably wasn't any man he respected more than Uncle D.  He will be greatly missed and we hurt for Aunt Mot and Jeff, Lisa, and Lori and their families.  We were honored to have Uncle D say the prayer at our wedding.  Because of his deep, loud, voice on the microphone, Chad and I joked that it sounded like God was talking to us!  We love Aunt Mot so much and we pray for her comfort and strength in the coming days.