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2011 Cullman tornado

Damage to the First Methodist Church in downtown Cullman.
Meteorological history
Formed	April 27, 2011, 2:40 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00)
Dissipated	April 27, 2011, 3:38 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00)
Duration	58 minutes
EF4 tornado
on the Enhanced Fujita scale
Highest winds	175 mph (282 km/h)
Overall effects
Fatalities	6
Injuries	48
Areas affected	Cullman County, Morgan County and Marshall County

On the afternoon of April 27, 2011, a large, long-tracked and powerful multi-vortex EF4 tornado moved across north-central Alabama, striking numerous towns along its 47-mile track, including Cullman and Fairview. The tornado killed 6, injured over 40, and inflicted a total of (1997 USD) in damages to hundreds of structures. It occurred as part of the largest tornado outbreak in modern history, and was the second violent tornado of the outbreak, touching down after the Philadelphia, Mississippi tornado.

The tornado first touched down in Cullman County before entering the city limits of Cullman, where EF4 damage was recorded to numerous buildings, including a large church in the downtown area. The tornado then left the Cullman area, moving through Fairview and heavily damaging multiple buildings located in the town. As the tornado tracked through Morgan and Marshall counties, it struck several smaller villages, including Ruth, where heavy damage was documented. Shortly after crossing the Tennessee River, the tornado dissipated.

Meteorological history

On the morning of April 27, a strong cold front with several areas of embedded low pressure extended from the Texas Hill Country northeastward towards the Arklatex and the Ozarks, and later into the lower Ohio Valley. Warm moist air was in place due to strong southerly flow ahead of the front over Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. An upper level disturbance sparked a broad area of showers and thunderstorms as it moved across the frontal boundary on the previous evening. The eastern edge of the line of showers and storms continued to move eastward, in concert with the upper disturbance, reaching the northwest Alabama border around 2:00 a.m. CDT.

This produced the last and most violent round of severe weather, which began around 2:30 p.m. CDT for northern Alabama as supercells began to line up to the southwest of the area. During the early afternoon hours, the potential for destructive tornadoes was highlighted by the Storm Prediction Center's upgrade to a High Risk for severe weather around 1:00 p.m. CDT.  This prompted a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) tornado watch, which was issued for northern Alabama and portions of southern Tennessee at 1:45 p.m. CDT. The potential for tornadoes ramped up from noon through 9:00 p.m. CDT. During this period, much of Alabama experienced numerous supercell thunderstorms that produced violent tornadoes, including five EF-4 tornadoes, one being the Cullman tornado.

Tornado summary

The tornado first touched down on the northeast side of Lewis Smith Lake at 2:40 p.m. CDT, and started moving to the northeast while slowly gaining intensity. As the tornado moved toward the Cullman area, it passed north of Grandview, where EF1 damage was documented. After passing Grandview, the tornado became narrower, before rapidly widening to the southwest of Cullman.

Damage to Cullman

The tornado entered Cullman while being tracked and broadcast live via several tower cameras, including those operated by Birmingham Fox affiliate WBRC (channel 6) and ABC affiliate WBMA-LD/WCFT-TV/WJSU-TV (channels 58, 33, and 40 - "ABC 33/40"), for several minutes. The ABC 33/40 camera captured the destruction of a communications tower belonging to Cullman area low-power television station WCQT-LP as the tornado ripped through the city at EF3 intensity. Radio stations in downtown Cullman also reported on the tornado and some even captured it passing over until power was knocked out. Downtown Cullman was badly damaged by the tornado, with the major damage being along a two-block area through the center of the downtown business district. Numerous well-built brick buildings and storefronts in downtown Cullman were heavily damaged or completely destroyed, along with churches, as the tornado briefly attained EF4 intensity.

Damage to the Christ Lutheran Church in downtown was rated low-end EF4 as most of the structure completely collapsed. The courthouse and nearby emergency management building took a direct hit from the tornado, sustaining considerable damage, and two school buildings were heavily damaged as well. Many well-known businesses, such as Vincent's Furniture, The Cullman Times, and the Busy Bee Cafe, were also severely damaged/destroyed. Many homes were damaged or destroyed in residential areas of the city, with extensive tree and power line damage noted as well. In all, a total of 867 residences and 94 businesses within the city of Cullman were damaged or destroyed.

The tornado roughly followed U.S. 278 through the city, in which it created extensive damage along many major intersections, including those with Interstate 65, U.S. 31, AL 157, and AL 69. The tornado continued northeast, becoming large and wedge-shaped as it reattained EF4 intensity.

Fairview and Hulaco

As the tornado left the city limits of Cullman, it struck County Road 506, located directly south of Pleasant View, where EF1 damage was documented. Shortly after, while retaining EF1 intensity, the tornado moved north of Simcoe, where damage north of Highway was observed. The tornado rapidly intensified as it moved north of Fairview. Several trees that lined Brindley Creek were debarked at EF4 intensity, and trees were snapped at EF1 intensity. Two well-constucted homes were destroyed north of Fairview, and large portions of the homes were never recovered. One home was heavily damaged at EF3 intensity, and the tornado continued to move in a northeastward direction towards Hulaco.

The tornado rapidly intensified again as it approached the western edge of Hulaco, where a home was completely destroyed at high-end EF4 intensity. Several trees in the area were debarked as the windspeed of the tornado approached 150 miles per hour (240 km/h). An electrical transmission tower was crumpled and bent over at EF3 intensity nearby, and several more trees were debarked and damaged at EF2 intensity as the tornado neared downtown Hulaco. EF4 damage was recorded in the center of Hulaco, where a home was obliterated. The tornado left a swath of EF4 damage through the eastern portions of Hulaco, and this intensity was retained for several miles. The tornado continued to move northeastward, narrowly avoiding the center of Hog Jaw, where the worst damage from the tornado was documented. Along Hog Jaw Road, a large storage shed with farm equipment was destroyed and some of the large machinery was tossed 60 feet (18 m) away from the shed.

Damage to Ruth

The tornado crossed into Marshall County, and passed west of Egypt, where a home was damaged at EF1 intensity. As the tornado passed east of Ruth, it became violent, destroying a home and leaving a bare, debris-swept slab where it once stood. The tornado was estimated to have windspeeds of 175 miles per hour (282 km/h) in this area, it's most intense point. Several large trees in the vicinity of the home were ripped out of the ground, and a Jet Pep gas station was completely destroyed. Two of the gas pumps were ripped out of the ground, and wee never recovered. Five of the fatalities from the tornado occurred in Ruth, all of whom were in the same family.

A shed was destroyed with pieces of large farm machinery stored inside thrown up to 20 yards (18 m) away, a storage trailer was tossed 100 yards (91 m) and found impaled by planks of wood, and steel power poles in the area were bent over. As the tornado left Ruth, it slightly widened before narrowing and crossing U.S. Route 231 at EF3 intensity. The tornado then began to weaken, before turning slightly to the east. It passed west of Union Grove, and then crossed the Tennessee River at EF1 intensity. Several trees were snapped on the other side of the river, and the tornado crossed U.S. Route 431 before dissipating at 3:38 p.m. CDT.

Aftermath

Cullman was devestated by the tornado, where several buisnesses and homes were completely destroyed. A fire station and the Cullman Emergency Ambulance Service building were heavily damaged. The Busy Bee Café, located on Fifth Street in downtown Cullman, was destroyed. Exactly a year after the tornado, the Cafe reopened in the same location where it was destroyed. The WKUL Radio Tower and a NOAA Weather Radio transmitter were both destroyed during the tornado, and the latter was not put back online until the following year. A bulletin published by the National Weather Service office in Huntsville read:

…THE FOLLOWING NOAA WEATHER RADIO WILL BE DOWN INDEFINITELY DUE TO

A DESTROYED TRANSMITTER…

CULLMAN…NOAA WEATHER RADIO STATION WWF-66…TRANSMITTING OUT OF CULLMAN ON A FREQUENCY OF 162.450 MHZ…IS OFF THE AIR DUE TO A DESTROYED TRANSMITTER. WE HAVE CONTACTED TECHNICIANS TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

…THE FOLLOWING NOAA WEATHER RADIOS WILL BE INTERMITTENT AT TIMES DUE TO COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS…

Widespread power outages occurred in the immediate aftermath of the tornado, which were largely centered in Cullman County. Almost 200 power poles in and around Cullman were leveled, and 4,000 volunteers from the Tennessee Valley Authority helped to restore power, although some residents were still without power a week after the tornado. The State of Alabama gave $5,989,728 (2011 USD) to the City of Cullman to aid with recovery efforts, and a further $1,294,892 (2011 USD) to Cullman County. A plan was also set in place by the University of Alabama to help fund recovery efforts.

See also

• 1997 Jarrell tornado, another violent and destructive multi-vortex tornado
• 2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado, another EF4 tornado that hit Alabama on the same day

References

1. US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "April 27th, Cullman, Morgan, Marshall EF4 Tornado". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
2. ^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "Weather Setup: April 27th, 2011 Historic Tornado Outbreak". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
3. Morgan, Leigh (2022-04-27). "18 hours of horror: A look back at the tornadoes of April 27, 2011". al. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
4. ^ "Long Track Tornado Hits Cullman, Alabama (4/27/2011)". OKC Storm Watcher. April 30, 2011. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
5. "Cullman (AL)/Morgan (AL)/Marshall (AL) EF4 Tornado". National Weather Service Huntsville, Alabama. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. April 27, 2011. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
6. ^ Vest, Samantha (2017-04-27). "This week in Cullman history (April 25-May 2): Tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011". The Cullman Tribune. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
7. ^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "April 27th, Cullman, Morgan, Marshall EF4 Tornado". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
8. ^ "Damage Assessment Toolkit (DAT)". NOAA. April 28, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
9. "In Arab, killer tornado breaks hearts and wrecks lives". AL. April 29, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
10. McLamb, Stephen (April 28, 2016). "Ruth Community remembers 5 killed in 2011 tornado". WAFF. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
11. "Hallmark Family Recovering After Tornado Deaths". WHNT. April 26, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
12. Owens, Tiffeny (2016-04-24). "Five years later, Hanceville tornado brings back emotions". The Cullman Times. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
13. "April 27, 2011 tornado damage - Union Grove, AL". Rocket City NOW. 2020-04-27. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
14. US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "Alabama Tornadoes 2011". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
15. "From flattened to booming: How a Cullman diner found a silver lining in the 2011 tornado". CBS 42. 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
16. "Kyle Spears | Southern Foodways Alliance - Southern Foodways Alliance". 2016-04-28. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
17. "Cullman's Busy Bee Café reopens 1 year after destruction". WBRC. April 27, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
18. "ADVISORY: Governor Bentley Continues Long-Term Recovery Tour of Tornado-Damaged Communities". Alabama Republican Party. 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
19. Times, David PalmerThe Cullman (2011-12-17). "Weather tower, transmitter expected to be functional by end of January". The Cullman Times. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
20. Murray, Bill (May 1, 2011). "Cullman Weatheradio Transmitter Destroyed". AlabamaWx. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
21. Law, Olivia (2021-04-27). "Rebound: Cullman's tornado recovery makes huge leaps". The Cullman Tribune. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
22. Authority, Tennessee Valley (2021-04-28). "TVA looks back on 2011 storm recovery efforts". The Cullman Times. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
23. "2011 Tornadoes". ADECA. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
24. "Preliminary Economic and Fiscal Impacts of the April 27, 2011 Tornadoes on Alabama". University of Alabama. Retrieved November 7, 2024.

Sources

• "April 27th, Cullman, Morgan, Marshall EF4 Tornado". National Weather Service. Retrieved November 7, 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: National Weather Service.
• "April 27th 2011 Severe Weather Setup". National Weather Service. Retrieved November 7, 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: National Weather Service.

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