April 4–5, 2011 derecho and tornado outbreak

April 2011 Derecho and Tornado Outbreak
Date(s) April 4–5, 2011
Duration 48 hours
Confirmed tornadoes 46 confirmed
Maximum rated tornado EF2 (Enhanced Fujita Scale)
Damages $2.8 billion
Casualties 9

The April 2011 derecho and tornado outbreak was a large-scale damaging wind and tornado outbreak that affected the South and Eastern parts of the United States. The system produced a large serial derecho windstorm that caused thousands of reports of wind damage and several embedded tornadoes. Power outages were extensive across the area and tree damage was severe. Several people were killed and injured by falling trees and branches as the storm passed through. Damaging tornadoes touched down in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Mississippi. The storm continued into the early hours of the morning causing more wind damage along the East Coast along with a few more tornadoes. It is reportedly one of the most prolific damaging wind events on record.

Meteorological synopsis

Several storms started to develop in the evening on April 3. Storms in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois brought severe thunderstorms to the areas. A tornado watch was issued for Iowa and Illinois as the storms rolled through, and later a severe thunderstorm watch for northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin. However, there were no reported tornadoes.[1] Continuing eastward, the system entered an environment favoring tornadic development. Two tornadoes were reported in Kentucky during the early afternoon, both rated EF2 and resulting in injuries.[2] Near Hopkinsville, a tornado, confirmed by local emergency services, caused significant damage to a manufacturing plant and injured several people.[3] Numerous buildings were reported to be destroyed, trapping residents within debris.[4] Other tornadoes caused damage and injuries in the southern states including Louisiana and Mississippi. In addition to the tornadoes, there was widespread wind damage (over 1,400 severe weather reports were received by the Storm Prediction Center, with the vast majority being damaing winds) as an extremely large squall line/serial derecho, which had begun to form over northern Texas at around 4 am Monday morning, tracked across the southern United States with wind gusts as high as 90 mph (145 km/h) reported across 20 states. Severe wind damage and power outages also occurred in Arkansas, in addition to a few tornadoes.[2] Nine people were killed in this storm, one of the deaths was as a result of an EF2 tornado in Dodge County, Georgia that destroyed mobile homes.The other fatalities were caused by straight line winds. The squall line continued into the early hours of the morning and caused more severe wind damage and some tornadoes along the East Coast, especially in Georgia and the Carolinas. Numerous power outages also took place due to the extensive wind damage. Nearly 100,000 and 147,000 residences lost power in Tennessee and Georgia respectively.[5][6]

Tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita rating
EF0 EF1 EF2 EF3 EF4 EF5 Total
9 31 6 0 0 0 46

April 4 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, April 4, 2011[note 1]
EF# Location County / Parish State Start Coord. Time (UTC) Path length Max width Damage[note 2] Summary Refs
EF1 Ashdown Little River AR 33°40′N 94°06′W / 33.67°N 94.1°W 1310 – 1315 4.84 mi (7.79 km) 150 yd (140 m) $25,000 A metal building with a steel beam frame was completely destroyed, a carport was collapsed, and many trees were snapped or uprooted. [7]
EF1 NNE of Hope Hempstead AR 33°42′N 93°35′W / 33.7°N 93.59°W 1338 – 1341 3.89 mi (6.26 km) 100 yd (91 m) $300,000 A tractor trailer was flipped over, roofing was pulled from a barn and nine chicken houses, and several trees were snapped or uprooted. [7]
EF2 E of Blevins Hempstead, Nevada AR 33°52′N 93°31′W / 33.87°N 93.52°W 1340 – 1342 1.84 mi (2.96 km) 200 yd (180 m) $500,000 Numerous trees were snapped. A small trailer was tossed 20 yd (18 m) and four chicken houses were destroyed, killing hundreds of chickens. [7]
EF1 S of Fouke Miller AR 33°12′N 93°53′W / 33.2°N 93.89°W 1350 – 1354 2.63 mi (4.23 km) 150 yd (140 m) $100,000 Many trees were snapped or uprooted, of which one fell on a home, puncturing the roof. A large storage building was destroyed, and a second home sustained minor damage. [7]
EF1 Whelen Springs area Clark AR 33°50′N 93°08′W / 33.83°N 93.13°W 1408 – 1414 3.96 mi (6.37 km) 200 yd (180 m) $50,000 Shingles and siding were blown off a house, with its television antennae blown over. Numerous trees were blown down, one of which landed on a tractor shed at the residence. A canning shed was destroyed, and a few power poles and power lines were blown down. [7]
EF1 N of Box Springs Columbia AR 33°17′N 93°23′W / 33.28°N 93.38°W 1428 – 1429 0.89 mi (1.43 km) 75 yd (69 m) $75,000 A few small barns, several homes, and a garage sustained minor damage, and several trees were snapped or uprooted. [7]
EF1 SE of Norphlet Union AR 33°19′N 92°40′W / 33.32°N 92.67°W 1512 – 1513 1.28 mi (2.06 km) 100 yd (91 m) $150,000 An old gas station cover was blown down, several homes sustained minor roof damage, a carport was collapsed on a vehicle, and several trees were snapped or uprooted. A small metal outbuilding sustained structural damage. [7]
EF1 Slater area Ballard KY 36°59′N 89°01′W / 36.99°N 89.01°W 1518 – 1522 3.72 mi (5.99 km) 200 yd (180 m) $40,000 Two barns were leveled, and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. [7]
EF2 Slater Ballard KY 37°01′N 88°59′W / 37.02°N 88.98°W 1520 – 1527 6.42 mi (10.33 km) 300 yd (270 m) $700,000 A farm building was destroyed, the second story of a house was removed, and a garage was leveled. Several additional homes sustained roof damage, two mobile homes were overturned, and four chicken barns were either destroyed or heavily damaged. Numerous farm buildings and grain bins were destroyed, and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. A mobile home was shifted slightly off its foundation. [7]
EF0 N of Heath McCracken KY 37°05′N 88°49′W / 37.09°N 88.81°W 1530 – 1531 0.51 mi (0.82 km) 50 yd (46 m) $30,000 The roof of a metal farm building was lifted, with two parked vehicles in the structure heavily damaged, and large tree limbs were downed. [7]
EF1 S of Greenville Muhlenberg KY 37°11′N 87°11′W / 37.19°N 87.18°W 1655 – 1702 7.08 mi (11.39 km) 150 yd (140 m) $100,000 One mobile home was overturned and destroyed, another was shifted off its foundation, a camper trailer was overturned, and several houses sustained shingle damage. Several trees were blown down. [7]
EF2 SE of Hopkinsville Christian KY 36°47′N 87°24′W / 36.78°N 87.4°W 1704 – 1710 5.26 mi (8.47 km) 200 yd (180 m) $2,000,000 An industrial warehouse building was heavily damaged, steel utility poles were bent almost to the ground, several barns were destroyed, and two homes lost their metal roofs. Dozens of trees were uprooted. [7]
EF1 NW of Sharer Butler KY 37°05′N 86°41′W / 37.09°N 86.69°W 1726 – 1729 3.38 mi (5.44 km) 50 yd (46 m) Unknown A section of a residence's roof was removed, trees were snapped, and a mobile home was moved off its foundation. [7]
EF1 SE of Neafus Grayson KY 37°23′N 86°34′W / 37.38°N 86.56°W 1738 – 1742 3.41 mi (5.49 km) 125 yd (114 m) Unknown A number of trees were snapped or uprooted. Metal roofing was blown off a barn and a residence, one small but well-constructed shed was pushed onto its side, and another small shed was destroyed. [7]
EF1 Caneyville Grayson KY 37°26′N 86°29′W / 37.43°N 86.49°W 1741 – 1743 1.01 mi (1.63 km) 200 yd (180 m) Unknown A tree was blown onto a restaurant, the metal roof was blown off a cinder block dugout on a baseball field and a mobile home, and three large grain bins were moved off their foundations. A tractor trailer was blown over, and several trees were snapped or uprooted. [7]
EF1 Waverly Humphreys TN 36°05′N 87°49′W / 36.08°N 87.81°W 1819 – 1822 2.9 mi (4.7 km) 75 yd (69 m) $155,000 Several businesses sustained significant roof damage, signs and overhangs were torn off, and dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted, several of which fell on homes and vehicles. [7]
EF1 E of McEwen Dickson TN 36°06′N 87°32′W / 36.1°N 87.54°W 1833 – 1841 7.25 mi (11.67 km) 150 yd (140 m) $122,000 Hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted, several structures sustained significant roof damage, and several outbuildings and barns were heavily damaged. [7]
EF0 SSW of Ashland City Cheatham TN 36°15′05″N 87°04′20″W / 36.2514°N 87.0721°W 1852 – 1853 0.81 mi (1.30 km) 50 yd (46 m) $7,000 Dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted, and additional damage was observed in an inaccessible area east of the Cumberland River. [7]
EF1 W of Smyrna Davidson, Rutherford TN 35°58′39″N 86°39′25″W / 35.9774°N 86.657°W 1920 – 1924 4.9 mi (7.9 km) 100 yd (91 m) $254,000 Numerous power poles were snapped, hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted, some small storage buildings were destroyed, numerous homes sustained roof and siding damage, and several fences were blown down. A tractor trailer and several cargo trailers were overturned. [7]
EF1 SW of Georgetown Grant LA 31°43′N 92°25′W / 31.72°N 92.41°W 1942 – 1952 9.29 mi (14.95 km) 275 yd (251 m) $250,000 Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, some of which fell on homes and a vehicle. Shingles were pulled from one house, and a tin roof was ripped from a shop. [7]
EF1 ENE of Hestand Monroe KY 36°43′N 85°37′W / 36.71°N 85.61°W 1955 – 1956 0.19 mi (0.31 km) 75 yd (69 m) Unknown A large barn was destroyed, with debris thrown 400 yd (370 m) in several directions, and multiple trees were snapped or uprooted. [7]
EF2 NE of Summerville to SW of Enterprise LaSalle, Catahoula LA 31°48′N 92°08′W / 31.8°N 92.13°W 1958 – 2009 12.57 mi (20.23 km) 440 yd (400 m) $310,000 The tornado began in LaSalle Parish, entering Catahoula Parish before dissipating. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, a hunting camp was heavily damaged, a mobile home was tossed down a ravine and destroyed, and a covered travel trailer was blown on to its side. [7]
EF1 SW of Albany Clinton KY 36°38′57″N 85°10′48″W / 36.6492°N 85.18°W 2014 – 2015 0.25 mi (0.40 km) 150 yd (140 m) Unknown The roof of a large boat storage barn was lifted and thrown, and a second storage shed was destroyed. A house had a window blown out. [7]
EF0 NNW of Seventy Six Clinton KY 36°47′51″N 85°08′11″W / 36.7974°N 85.1364°W 2016 – 2017 0.22 mi (0.35 km) 60 yd (55 m) Unknown Multiple trees were snapped and uprooted. [7]
EF2 SSE of Cooter Point (LA) to NNW of Grand Gulf (MS) Tensas, Claiborne LA, MS 31°54′36″N 91°30′37″W / 31.9099°N 91.5102°W 2043 – 2114 28.01 mi (45.08 km) 880 yd (800 m) $4,002,000 The tornado began in Tensas Parish, Louisiana before dissipating in Claiborne County, Mississippi. Numerous homes, farms, and outbuildings sustained significant damage, a water treatment plant and antebellum home were majorly damaged, a grain silo received a huge dent, and an 18-wheeler was flipped over. Hundreds of trees were snapped and uprooted, and numerous power poles were snapped. [7]
EF0 WNW of Hebron Licking OH 39°58′52″N 82°34′16″W / 39.981°N 82.571°W 2046 – 2047 0.9 mi (1.4 km) 50 yd (46 m) $60,000 A large garage had a portion of its roof peeled off, a supporting post was snapped, one side of the building was blown inward, and metal doors on the opposite side were blown outward. A smaller garage sustained major damage to a metal door. A large section of metal and wood roofing was removed from a barn, a door was removed from a smaller storage shed, and a house sustained minor damage. A few trees were uprooted. [7]
EF1 NW of Williamsburg Whitley KY 36°49′30″N 84°13′27″W / 36.8251°N 84.2241°W 2103 – 2106 1.74 mi (2.80 km) 880 yd (800 m) $200,000 Many trees were downed or uprooted, and several barns and outbuildings sustained significant damage. [7]
EF1 NW of Utica Hinds MS 32°07′42″N 90°37′40″W / 32.1284°N 90.6278°W 2142 – 2145 4.02 mi (6.47 km) 440 yd (400 m) $120,000 A number of trees were snapped or uprooted, and two outbuildings were destroyed. [7]
EF1 ESE of Beaver Floyd KY 37°23′N 82°38′W / 37.39°N 82.64°W 2221 – 2226 0.4 mi (0.64 km) 100 yd (91 m) $10,000 A trailer home was destroyed, and approximately 100 trees were downed. [7]
EF0 NE of Athens McMinn TN 35°28′N 84°35′W / 35.46°N 84.59°W 2236 – 2240 0.1 mi (0.16 km) 25 yd (23 m) $10,000 The tornado downed 8 trees. [7]
EF1 Braxton Simpson MS 32°00′37″N 90°02′44″W / 32.0102°N 90.0455°W 2236 – 2242 7.38 mi (11.88 km) 1,320 yd (1,210 m) $550,000 Many trees were snapped or uprooted, some of which fell on vehicles. Many power lines were blown down. [7]
EF1 W of Ruth to ESE of Topeka Lincoln, Lawrence MS 31°22′48″N 90°21′19″W / 31.38°N 90.3554°W 2248 – 2307 17.28 mi (27.81 km) 600 yd (550 m) $501,000,000 A gas station awning was destroyed, the back wall was blown out of a volunteer fire department building, a church had its steeple blown off and sustained extensive shingle damage, and numerous homes sustained various degrees of roof damage. Several trees were snapped or uprooted, some of which fell on vehicles and houses. [7]
EF1 E of Franklinton Washington LA 30°51′N 90°08′W / 30.85°N 90.14°W 2340 0.2 mi (0.32 km) 75 yd (69 m) $30,000 A home lost a large portion of its roof, and two mobile homes also sustained roof damage. Several large trees were uprooted. [7]
EF1 S of Killian Livingston LA 30°19′29″N 90°34′25″W / 30.3246°N 90.5735°W 2342 0.5 mi (0.80 km) 50 yd (46 m) $10,000 Several trees were snapped or uprooted, and a metal roof was peeled off a home. [7]
EF0 Gramercy area St. James LA 30°03′41″N 90°41′56″W / 30.0614°N 90.699°W 2350 – 2352 0.94 mi (1.51 km) 50 yd (46 m) $50,000 A carport was lifted off a home, causing significant damage, and other buildings sustained minor to moderate roof damage. Significant tree damage was observed. [7]
EF1 SW of Bogalusa Washington LA 30°40′04″N 89°58′08″W / 30.6677°N 89.969°W 0001 0.2 mi (0.32 km) 75 yd (69 m) $50,000 A trailer was lifted and thrown into a camper. Sheet metal, tin roofing, and an awning were tossed and wrapped around a tree. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. [7]
EF1 SSE of Poplarville Pearl River MS 30°40′10″N 89°27′10″W / 30.6695°N 89.4527°W 0043 0.25 mi (0.40 km) 50 yd (46 m) $30,000 Multiple trees were snapped or uprooted, and a portion of a metal roof was peeled off a home, breaking a few roof beams. [7]
EF1 NW of Neely to SSW of State Line Greene MS 31°15′59″N 88°49′40″W / 31.2665°N 88.8278°W 0043 – 0103 19.42 mi (31.25 km) 100 yd (91 m) $500,000 Thousands of trees were snapped or uprooted, some of which fell on the roofs of several homes and a church. A metal barn was destroyed. [7]
EF1 E of Ocean Springs Jackson MS 30°24′08″N 88°43′11″W / 30.4022°N 88.7198°W 0145 0.1 mi (0.16 km) 75 yd (69 m) $35,000 Roofing was removed from a few commercial buildings, windows were blown out of two houses, large sections of two fences were blown down, large tree limbs were snapped, and several trees were blown down. [7]
EF1 NE of Carters Lake Gilmer GA 34°38′17″N 84°35′32″W / 34.638°N 84.5923°W 0133 – 0136 2.64 mi (4.25 km) 880 yd (800 m) $1,000,000 Hundreds of trees were blown down, uprooted, or snapped, inflicting various degrees of damage to approximately 100 homes. [7]
EF0 W of Ellijay Gilmer GA 34°43′14″N 84°36′14″W / 34.7206°N 84.6039°W 0134 – 0136 1.83 mi (2.95 km) 880 yd (800 m) $500,000 Several hundred trees were blown down, snapped, or uprooted, six chicken houses were heavily damaged or destroyed, a horse stable was destroyed, and three outbuildings were heavily damaged. [7]

April 5 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, April 5, 2011[note 1]
EF# Location County / Parish State Start Coord. Time (UTC) Path length Max width Damage[note 2] Summary Refs
EF1 Ararat Surry NC 36°23′42″N 80°34′20″W / 36.3951°N 80.5721°W 0525 – 0528 2.68 mi (4.31 km) 250 yd (230 m) $1,000,000 About 35 to 40 homes sustained roof or shingle damage, carports collapsed on vehicles, and the windows were blown out at a community building. Numerous trees were felled, some of which landed on houses and barns. [7]
EF1 WNW of Walden Bibb GA 32°42′43″N 83°42′46″W / 32.7119°N 83.7127°W 0530 – 0532 1.11 mi (1.79 km) 50 yd (46 m) $300,000 Approximately 100 trees were blown down, snapped, or uprooted, inflicting minor to moderate damage to nine homes. The garage was blown out of one of the houses, shifting the home off its foundation and causing significant damage. [7]
EF2 NW of Eastman Dodge GA 32°17′05″N 83°19′24″W / 32.2846°N 83.3234°W 0639 – 0642 3.13 mi (5.04 km) 50 yd (46 m) $150,000 1 death – a double-wide mobile home was completely destroyed, killing one of the occupants. Several trees were blown down or uprooted, and the roof and front porch of a second mobile home were destroyed. [7]
EF0 WNW of Mattawoman Charles MD 38°39′08″N 76°53′24″W / 38.6521°N 76.8901°W 0848 – 0849 0.09 mi (0.14 km) 50 yd (46 m) $5,000 A large tree was downed onto a house roof, and several others were snapped. A fence was damaged, and several outdoor objects were blown around. [7]
EF0 E of Collington Prince George's, Anne Arundel MD 38°58′05″N 76°42′58″W / 38.968°N 76.716°W 0855 – 0857 1.34 mi (2.16 km) 50 yd (46 m) $4,000 Numerous trees were topped or blown down. [7]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 All monetary values are in 2011 USD unless otherwise stated.

References

  1. ↑ "Storm Reports for April 3, 2011". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. April 4, 2011. Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Storm Reports for April 4, 2011". Storm Prediction Center. April 4, 2011. Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  3. ↑ Unattributed (April 4, 2011). "Reports Of Damage, People Injured In W. Ky.". LEX18. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  4. ↑ Rich Miller (April 4, 2011). "Possible tornado touchdown in Muhlenberg Co.". WFIE. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  5. ↑ Unattributed (April 5, 2011). "High winds, rain, hit South; at least 9 killed". Associated Press. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
  6. ↑ Brian Haas and Jennifer Brooks (April 5, 2011). "Storms leave trail of fear, damage across much of TN". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 7.21 7.22 7.23 7.24 7.25 7.26 7.27 7.28 7.29 7.30 7.31 7.32 7.33 7.34 7.35 7.36 7.37 7.38 7.39 7.40 7.41 7.42 7.43 7.44 7.45 National Climatic Data Center (April 2011). "April 2011". Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena with Late Reports and Corrections (Asheville, North Carolina: United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) 53 (4). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2015.