Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog

Tornadoes pound North Carolina and Virginia, killing 25

Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 3:45 PM GMT on April 17, 2011

In a stunning display of violence, dozens of tornadoes rampaged through North Carolina and Virginia on Saturday, killing at least 25 people, injuring at least 130, and damaging or destroying at least 450 homes and businesses. Hardest hit in yesterday's outbreak was the the town of Askewville in northeast North Carolina, where a violent tornado that was likely at least an EF-3 ripped homes off their foundations and killed eleven people. Also hard-hit was the Raleigh area, where a mile-wide EF-3 tornado with 140 - 150 mph winds roared through the downtown region, killing five people. The 22 deaths in North Carolina made yesterday's outbreak the deadliest day for tornadoes in the state since 1984, when the infamous March 28 tornado outbreak killed 57 people and injured 1248.

Figure 1. Viewer-uploaded photo sent to WRAL of the Raleigh tornado shortly before it leveled a Lowes store in Sanford, NC.

Figure 2. Radar reflectivity loop of the Raleigh, North Carolina tornado at 3:59pm EDT as the twister passed through downtown. Note the classic hook-shaped echo of the parent mesocyclone in the rotating severe thunderstorms that spawned the tornado.

Figure 3. Doppler radar velocity image of the Raleigh, North Carolina tornado at 3:59pm EDT.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center logged 105 tornado reports on Saturday, 113 on Friday, and 23 on Thursday, bringing the 3-day total to 241 twisters. These preliminary tornado reports are typically an over-count of about 15%, so the 3-day April 14 - 16 2011 tornado outbreak likely will end up with 200 - 210 confirmed tornadoes. This is a huge number of tornadoes; an average April typically has just 150 tornadoes across the entire U.S.

On Thursday, the first day of this remarkable outbreak, 23 tornadoes and numerous deadly severe thunderstorms tore through Oklahoma and Arkansas, killing at least nine people. An EF-3 tornado hit the small town of Tushka, Oklahoma, population 350, ripping off the roof of the local high school and destroying dozens of buildings in Tushka. Two people were killed and 25 injured. The tornado moved over farmland and dissipated a short time later, but the squall line that spawned the tornado moved into Arkansas Thursday night, spawning severe thunderstorm winds that killed seven more people. The outbreak ramped up significantly on Friday, with 113 tornado reports. The deadliest tornado of the day an EF-3 twister that hit Prattville, Alabama at 10:55pm CDT, killing three people in a mobile home, and injuring four others. One of the most damaging tornadoes occurred just west of Jackson, Mississippi, when an EF-3 tornado touched down just south of I-20, crossed the expressway, flipping cars and semis, then plowed through the town of Clinton. At least nine people were injured in Clinton, and Malaco Records, one of the top Blues/Gospel/Soul labels in the country, was destroyed by the tornado.

Figure 4. Satellite image from 21:40 UTC (5:40pm EDT) April 16, 2011, showing the strong low pressure system that brought yesterday's severe weather outbreak. Image credit: NASA/GSFC.

WRAL has an impressive time lapse animation from a skycam on a tall skyscraper in Raleigh showing what at the time was believed to be a rain-wrapped Raleigh tornado moving through downtown, but was actually just a thunderstorm downdraft.

Wikipedia has a nice summary of the tornado outbreak.

Jeff Masters

Northeast Raleigh Tornado (CaryWeatherman)

Tornado moved from 440 Beltline in NNW direction towards 540 Beltline severly damaged homes along Skycrest, New Hope, and Buffalo Road. Large Utility lines down, large trees down, overturned vehicles, flattened and severely damaged homes are prevalent in affected areas.

Uprooted (CaryWeatherman)

Tornado damage and downed trees NE Raleigh

Projectile (CaryWeatherman)

The tornado took a tree trunk and used it as a missile through the attic of this house in NE Raleigh.

Categories: Tornado

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251. jeffs713 2:09 PM GMT on April 18, 2011
Quoting uptxcoast: Yep, one of those events that you see people saying "It never flooded here before....." Get your flood insurance now.... Exactly. When my wife and I bought our house, she didn't think we would need flood insurance, since we are technically outside of a 500-year floodplain. (our property is within the 500-year floodplain, but our house itself is not). I eventually convinced her to get it, since we have two storm sewer inlets on our curb, and in Houston, pretty much EVERYTHING is in a 500-year floodplain, regardless of what the maps say. Member Since: August 3, 2008 Posts: 15 Comments: 5722

252. AussieStorm 2:10 PM GMT on April 18, 2011
Quoting Tazmanian: was that long post needed plzs next time post links NO Take post 238 as an example. Member Since: September 30, 2007 Posts: 5 Comments: 13366

253. AussieStorm 2:14 PM GMT on April 18, 2011
Quoting fireflymom: I don't think that there has been a great deal of research into fault lines down under as Quakes are a rarity especially in the Queensland area, their last Quake of note was in 1939. on the link i posted at the bottom of that post, click one of the Australian Quakes, then click under change background, click Geological faults then click go, and you will see this. Green lines are fault lines. Member Since: September 30, 2007 Posts: 5 Comments: 13366

254. fireflymom 2:19 PM GMT on April 18, 2011
Nice link Aussie, thank you. Member Since: June 5, 2007 Posts: 0 Comments: 507

255. AussieStorm 2:20 PM GMT on April 18, 2011
Sky News Newsdesk Via Reuters: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission monitoring nuclear plant in Virginia following power loss during tornado. Member Since: September 30, 2007 Posts: 5 Comments: 13366

256. AussieStorm 2:20 PM GMT on April 18, 2011
Quoting fireflymom: Nice link Aussie, thank you. your welcome Member Since: September 30, 2007 Posts: 5 Comments: 13366

257. IKE 2:39 PM GMT on April 18, 2011
Quoting DestinJeff: "Rut-roh." It is nice to be away from the blog for awhile, then come back and still see the bickering, etc. There's no place like home. Ain't love great? Member Since: June 9, 2005 Posts: 23 Comments: 37047

258. aspectre 2:48 PM GMT on April 18, 2011
NEW BLOG Member Since: August 21, 2007 Posts: 0 Comments: 4846

259. sunlinepr 7:44 PM GMT on April 18, 2011
Member Since: August 2, 2010 Posts: 19 Comments: 8447

260. jdboyer89 1:21 AM GMT on April 19, 2011
"WRAL has an impressive time lapse animation from a skycam on a tall skyscraper in Raleigh showing what at the time was believed to be a rain-wrapped Raleigh tornado moving through downtown, but was actually just a thunderstorm downdraft." A correction is necessary. A photojournalist atop the RBC Plaza was pointing his camera to the southwest, then south. This corresponds to the path of the tornado as it approached from Holly Springs and passed over Interstate 40 at the South Saunders Street exit. The tornado is wrapped in rain, and visible briefly as it passed just to the southeast of the BB&T Tower. It then continued through the east and northeast side of the city. Member Since: February 8, 2011 Posts: 0 Comments: 0

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