 The tornado at EF4 intensity west of Cordova. A wall cloud is visible above the tornado, which took on a "wedge" shape. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 27, 2011, 3:40 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | April 27, 2011, 5:56 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 2 hours, 16 minutes |
| EF4 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | 170–180 mph (270–290 km/h)[note 1] |
| Overall effects | |
| Casualties | 67 total |
| Fatalities | 13 |
| Injuries | 54 |
| Damage | $115,000,000 (2011 USD) |
| Areas affected | Cordova, Alabama, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Blount County, Alabama |
| [3][4] | |
Part of the 2011 Super Outbreak and Tornadoes of 2011 | |
In the afternoon hours of April 27, 2011, a large and long-tracked EF4 tornado moved across Central Alabama, devastating several communities along a 124 miles (200 km) path, including Cordova and Blountsville. The tornado killed 13 and had a maximum width of 2,600 yards (1.5 mi). It occurred as part of the largest tornado outbreak in modern history, and was one of eleven EF4 tornadoes to strike the Southern United States on April 27. The tornado was the second-longest tornado of the outbreak; only the Hackleburg tornado had a longer track.
The tornado first moved through northeast Pickens County, where it retained EF0 and EF1 intensity, moving past several smaller towns. As the tornado moved into Cordova it reached EF3 intensity, and heavily damaged the town. The tornado continued to strengthen as it moved across Alabama, reaching EF4 intensity as it passed northwest of Sumiton. The tornado retained this intensity as it caused sporadic damage across rural Alabama, destroying numerous homes and debarking trees. It dissipated south of Red Hill, after being on the ground for over two hours.
The tornado was the second EF3+ tornado to hit Cordova on April 27, and the town was devastated by both. Four people were killed in the downtown area of the town, and several businesses and homes were obliterated by the tornado as it moved through the area.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Cordova tornadowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Branches of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National Weather Service; National Severe Storms Laboratory (2024). "Damage Assessment Toolkit". DAT. United States Department of Commerce. Archived from the original on 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Banner-Herald, Athens. "EF4 tornado on Apr. 27, 2011 16:35 PM CDT". Athens Banner-Herald. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ "cultivating a state of readiness: OUR RESPONSE TO APRIL 27, 2011" (PDF). Alabama EMA. January 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).