2011-04-27 MISC: AL,TN,MS,KY,OH,IN,WV,GA

[Drew.Gardonia]

I got blasted outta bed by tornado sirens at 6:30 this morning. Went out on the front balcony and witnessed 100mph winds blowing, heard the swoosh...(turbo spool up sound) but didn't know where exactly it was. I got a bit of video with my phone, shot this from the balcony (nothing really impressive but some very high winds).

Watch video >

Got in the car about 15 minutes later, drove down Clark to Memorial Blvd, power was out through there, and on Memorial stop lights were laying in the middle of the street, signs blown out at McDonald's and Taco Bell at Northfield and Memorial Blvd.

Further down the street near Thompson and Memorial, Brookhaven Farms had multiple large trees snapped in half.

Street lights down at Cason Lane and Old Fort Pkway

Preliminary indications are an EF-0 tornado hit, but until the NWS can come out to survey the damage we won't know the official status.

There was tornado reported on the ground between Fayetteville and Manchester about the same time this morning, confirmed by storm spotters there. Have not heard any damage reports from that tornado though.

At 2 pm, I'm headed to North Alabama with Adam Reagan, Jesse Hines, and Jennifer Hines to chase.

 

[Rob Gardner]

ABC 33/40 just said SIGTOR of 12.8, is that even possible?

 

[Joerg Kudella]

we had a 17.3 when the Tuscaloosa Tornado hit...unreal!

 

[Brian Press]

For those of you who missed the live news feeds.. Check this out.. I was watching this and was just insane to see this knowing there is nothing we could do to stop it.

http://www.cbs42.com/mostpopular/st...pe-wreaking-havoc/hsK7dFmlUku5YlvteTFy6A.cspx

Blessings to all those who lost family, houses and other things this day...

 

[Michael Riedl]

HD video of Damage in Tuscaloosa.

http://www.twitvid.com/Q5YJ0

Will be interesting to see how long these can last futher north, they can last eastwards because of teh instabilaity sector and the shear, but as they move north is where I wonder.

 

[N Parker]

Clip to CNN showing the tornado in Downtown Tuscaloosa

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2011/04/27/vo.tuscaloosa.tornado.WBMA.html

 

[Andrew Ryan]

ABC 33/40 just said SIGTOR of 12.8, is that even possible?

Yes. We had a sigtor of ~11 last year before the EF-4 Norman, OK tornado but remember there's more to the picture than sigtor values.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

Just got home after intercepting 4 tornado warned storms. Power is out throughout Huntsville. Incredible day, but I have no clear idea of human cost. SPC nailed this one. Will report when computer is operational.

 

[Max Remund]

25 deaths per the newscast on the ustream link posted above. Wow.

 

[Jonathan Eakins]

CBS-42 out of Birmingham is now saying their new total of fatalities is 37.

 

[Jared Knedler]

Catoosa Co, GA is requesting a massive casualty trailer, people trapped in houses. This is awful. Incredibly tragic day.

 

[Michael Riedl]

Catoosa County Georgia calling in for a Mass Casualty trailer....per TWC

 

[Elaine Spencer]

SPC has 126 tornado reports for the convective day. That's getting awfully close to the '74 Super Outbreak mark (148).

 

[brice.coffer]

Often those SPC reports are from the same tornado. The 148 from '74 are confirmed separate tornadoes. I highly doubt we'll reach 148 today.

 

[Will Tinder]

WSFA in Montgomery is reporting the mayor of Tuscaloosa is confirming 15 fatalities in Tuscaloosa.

 

[Aaron Kennedy]

Don't equate preliminary reports for confirmed reports from a past outbreak. For example, there were numerous reports for what appears to be *one* tornado that tracked from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham.

Good write up by Patrick Marsh:
http://www.patricktmarsh.com/2011/04/keeping-perspective-preliminary-vs-final-tornado-reports/

 

[Michael Riedl]

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150179093071842&id=230891976841

Horrible if true.

 

[Trey Thee]

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150179093071842&id=230891976841

Hundreds of fatalities beign reported by a local radio station. Surely this won't prove accurate?

 

[MClarkson]

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ABC-33-40-Main is reporting that there is at least one significant casualty event in Georgia now with a collapsed multi-story hotel.

 

[rdale]

Horrible if true.

An hour old with no signs of that information coming from a reliable source... Should be able to put that in the "untrue" category.

 

[Josh Murfield]

I don't understand the lack of national coverage on this! CNN is just covering political talk, you'd think they would drop everything to cover this unfolding event.

 

[Justin Bailey]

just talked to a friend of mine who has family in Ringgold, Ga. said the whole strip near the interstate is whipped out with friends of his that were at the food lion now missing.

 

[Elinor McLennon]

ABC 33/40 reporting debris from Tuscaloosa being found 115 miles away. Watching this feed and listening to these reports reminds me so much of May3rd. They are saying the town of Hackleberg has been decimated. A firefighter that was at the scene says the city is completely leveled. Too much damage to know the number of deaths. People thrown from their houses.
What a disaster...my heart goes out to all the folks affected today.

 

[Jeff Piotrowski]

I just received a report that the death toll is going to rise rapidly in the next 24 hours! Confirmed deaths 30 as of 9:00 PM.

This is extreme event to say the least.

I pray for all of the people in the effected areas.

 

[Will Tinder]

ABC 33/40 reporting 53 dead in Alabama alone.

EDIT: If the SPC LSRs are accurate, there's at least another 12 in Mississippi. Looks like this has exceeded the Super Tuesday Outbreak in terms of lives lost.