February-March 2007 Tornado Outbreak

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The February-March 2007 Tornado Outbreak was a tornado outbreak across the southern United States that began in Kansas on February 28, 2007. The severe weather spread eastward on March 1 and left a deadly mark across the southern US, particularly in Alabama and Georgia. 20 deaths were reported, one in Missouri, nine in Georgia and 10 in Alabama. Scattered severe weather was also reported in North Carolina on March 2 producing a possible tornado before the storms moved offshore into the Atlantic Ocean.^[1]

In the end, there were at least 49 tornadoes confirmed during the outbreak with several additional wind events that may have been caused by a tornado. There were three EF3 tornadoes reported across three states, as well as three EF4 tornadoes; two in Alabama and one in Kansas, the first such tornadoes since the introduction of the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Insured losses in the state of Georgia topped $210 million, making this outbreak one of the worst in that state's history.^[2]

[edit] Meteorological synopsis

The tornado outbreak was related to a large low-pressure system across the central United States that intensified on February 28 while over Kansas, and a cold front moved across the region, providing the lift needed to allow the storms to develop. In addition, a surge of very moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and warm temperatures across the south side of the storm helped feed the storms. Temperatures were in the 70s°F (low 20s°C) in some areas to the south, while the mercury was below freezing on the north side. The dewpoints were in the 60°F (16°C) range as far north as southeastern Kansas, which provided extra fuel.^[3]

A moderate risk of severe storms was issued by the Storm Prediction Center for February 28 across parts of the central Plains. The first tornadoes developed early in the evening of February 28 in Kansas as the dry line pushed eastward and was lifted by the cold front.^[4] In total, eight tornadoes formed that evening across Kansas and Missouri, of which seven were weak. However, one of the tornadoes was an EF4, the first such tornado recorded and the first violent tornado since September 22, 2006. Fortunately, no one was injured that evening. Farther south, though expected activity in Oklahoma and Arkansas did not take place due to the fact the atmospheric cap held up.^[5]

A high risk of severe storms - the first such issuance since April 7, 2006 - was issued for a large part of the Deep South for March 1 as the cold front moved eastward.^[6] The activity began almost immediately, with several isolated tornadoes taking place that morning across the Mississippi Valley, with one of them producing the first fatality of the outbreak. Isolated tornadoes were also reported as far north as Illinois near the center of the low. However, the most intense activity began around noon and continued throughout the afternoon and evening, with southern Alabama and southern Georgia the hardest hit. Nearly continuous supercells formed north of the Gulf of Mexico and produced many tornadoes, some of them hitting large population centers and were very devastating. 19 people were killed by those tornadoes.^[7]

The squall line finally overtook the supercells just after midnight on February 2 after putting down 37 tornadoes that day. The final four tornadoes took place overnight in Florida and extreme southern Georgia within the squall line before the severe weather emerged in the Atlantic Ocean that morning.^[8] In addition to the tornadoes, widespread straight-line wind damage from microbursts were also reported, along with scattered large hail, the largest of which were as large as baseballs.^[9]

On the other side of the low, a significant blizzard occurred over parts of Minnesota, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska where several snowfalls in excess of 8 to 18 inches (20-45 cm) were reported and between 6 and 11 inches (15-28 cm) across portions of Ontario and Quebec. Freezing rain was reported across New England, the lower Great Lakes in Ontario, Michigan and in the Chicago area. 19 people were killed by the storm including two in Manitoba, two in Ontario, one in Massachusetts four in North Dakota, one in Minnesota, three in Michigan, five in Wisconsin and one in Nebraska. The University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities was closed for the first time since 1991 and the roof of a supermarket in Wisconsin collapsed. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty called in the National Guard while governors Chet Culver (Iowa) and Michael Rounds(South Dakota) issued disaster declarations ^{[10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]}

[edit] Confirmed tornadoes

[edit] February 28 event

[edit] March 1 event

Note: some of these tornadoes took place in the early hours of March 2 but were part of the same continuous supercells.

[edit] Enterprise area tornado

Early on the afternoon of Thursday, March 1, around 1:08 pm CST (1908 UTC), a destructive tornado first developed near the Enterprise Municipal Airport. The tornado lifted off the ground briefly before returning to the ground as an even stronger storm.^[21] It quickly slammed into Enterprise, Alabama at 1:12 pm CST (1912 UTC). The tornado left severe damage in the city. The most severe damage took place at Enterprise High School, which was destroyed during the middle of the school day. At least eight fatalities have been reported at the school and 121 others were taken to local hospitals. Some early reports suggested as many as 18 deaths, which has been confirmed as too high.^[22] It is the first killer tornado at a US school since 1990.^[23] One other death was reported in Enterprise.^[24]

US President G.W. Bush surveys tornado damage to Enterprise High School from Marine One.

At the school, all of the fatalities were as a result of a collapsed concrete wall. One hallway completely collapsed, trapping many students in the rubble just outside the music room. The tornado at the school was so strong that it flipped cars over in the parking lot, flattened parts of the stadium and tore trees out of the ground. School buses were there for an early dismissal due to the storms at just after 1 pm, but the tornado accelerated and hit before the school could be dismissed.^[25]

Nearby Hillcrest Elementary School also sustained severe damaged from the tornado. After the tornado hit, students from both schools that were not injured were relocated to Hillcrest Baptist Church, adjacent to the school which was not damaged, to meet up with shocked parents. Emergency personnel also rushed to the school to send the most seriously injured to local hospitals and provide treatment on the scene to others.^[26]

After the tornado passed through the schools, it devoured the downtown area as well. A quarter mile (400 m) wide swath was devastated, with enormous damage reported to many houses and businesses, some of which were flattened. Several other schools and the local YMCA were among the damaged buildings.^[27] In total, at least 370 houses were damaged or destroyed, according to Mayor Kenneth Boswell.^[28]

The tornado was 300 yards (270 m) wide and had a path length of 7 miles (11 km). It dissipated shortly after leaving Enterprise.^[29] It was given a initial rating of EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale,^[30] with maximum winds estimated between 155-160 miles per hour (250-260 kilometers per hour). However, after a detailed survey, the tornado was upgraded to a low-end EF4 with winds around 170 mph (275 km/h) due to flattened houses near the school.^[31]

President Bush talks with the media after walking through the tornado damage at Enterprise High School.

[edit] Aftermath

The National Guard has been called into Enterprise in the aftermath of the tornado. Governor Bob Riley has mobilized about 100 troops and placed more on standby. A dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed on the community due to the extensive damage.^[32] On the morning of March 3, President George W. Bush visited the community and declared Coffee County a disaster area. He went into the school and also took an aerial view of the devastation.^[33] FEMA was also called in to provide additional assistance.

After the tornado, it was debated on whether the students should have indeed been dismissed before the tornado hit. However, the National Weather Service Tallahassee survey suggested that the death toll could have been much higher due to the extreme damage in the parking lot and the area nearby.^[34]

[edit] References

1. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070302/ap_on_re_us/tornadoes_27
2. ^ http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/16911916.htm
3. ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2007/day1otlk_20070228_1630.html
4. ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2007/day1otlk_20070228_2000.html
5. ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2007/day1otlk_20070301_0100.html
6. ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2007/day1otlk_20070301_1200.html
7. ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2007/day1otlk_20070301_2000.html
8. ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2007/day1otlk_20070302_0100.html
9. ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/070301_rpts.html
10. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/03/01/storm-ontario.html
11. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2007/03/01/storm-roads.html
12. ^ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=oax&storyid=6356&source=0
13. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/03/02/midwest.snow.ap/index.html
14. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/03/02/storm-wrap.html
15. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2007/03/02/weather-roads.html
16. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/weather/stormcenter/2007-03-03-midwest-storm_x.htm?csp=34
17. ^ http://www.weather.gov/view/validProds.php?prod=PNS&node=KJAN
18. ^ http://www.nws.noaa.gov/view/validProds.php?prod=PNS&node=KMOB
19. ^ http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/cgi-bin/wxs1.php?sid=BMX&pil=PNS&version=0&max=13
20. ^ http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2007/03/tornado_hit_confirmed_in_adams.html
21. ^ http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tlh/Mar0102_2007/index.html
22. ^ http://beta.abc3340.com/news/stories/0307/401870.html
23. ^ http://www.tornadoproject.com/toptens/topten2.htm
24. ^ http://www.eprisenow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=ENT/MGArticle/ENT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149193487576&path=%21news
25. ^ http://www.eprisenow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=ENT/MGArticle/ENT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149193481054&path=%21news
26. ^ http://www.eprisenow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=ENT/MGArticle/ENT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149193481054&path=%21news
27. ^ http://www.eprisenow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=ENT/MGArticle/ENT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149193481054&path=%21news
28. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070303/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_tornadoes
29. ^ http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tlh/Mar0102_2007/index.html
30. ^ http://www.nws.noaa.gov/view/validProds.php?prod=LSR&node=KTAE
31. ^ http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tlh/Mar0102_2007/PNSTAE_03010207.txt
32. ^ http://www.eprisenow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=ENT/MGArticle/ENT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149193468910&path=%21news
33. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070303/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_tornadoes
34. ^ http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tlh/Mar0102_2007/index.html

[edit] See also

• List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• List of tornado-related deaths at schools
• Tornadoes of 2007
• Winter storms of 2006-07

[edit] External links

• Storm Prediction Center
• Enterprise Ledger newspaper coverage for the Enterprise tornado
• NWS Tallahassee, FL tornado outbreak summary
• NWS Atlanta/Peachtree City, GA Tornado Outbreak Page
• NWS Springfield, MO Tornado event page
• NWS Kansas City, MO Summary of Outbreak
• NWS Paducah, KY Tornado event page