List of 2011 tornado notable stats as they come in

[gymengineer]

So far, we already have quite a few grim notables to this 2011 tornado year:

1) Preliminary, the most tornadoes ever counted in one day on 4/27 at more than 180 (187? 188?). Of course this number isn't final.

2) The Joplin tornado was the single deadliest tornado since 1947, and is about to pass #7 on the list of all-time deadliest tornadoes

3) Deadliest year overall since 1936, with the updated count today surpassing the 1953 death toll of 519

4) Most individual tornadoes that caused 20+ deaths since 1920 at seven so far

[gymengineer]

This article has the pre-1950 tornado death tolls by year. The totals are based off of Grazulis' work:

http://www.norman.noaa.gov/2009/03/us-annual-tornado-death-tolls-1875-present/

[HurricaneJosh]

Is this also the second-highest number of F5s/EF5s (after 1974)?

[Hoosier]

I posted this in the central forum - Indiana has set a state record for most tornadoes in one year, 54 so far which breaks the previous record of 49. Thankfully we haven't had the devastating violent wedges like other areas.

[gymengineer]

Is this also the second-highest number of F5s/EF5s (after 1974)?

Well-- officially, no... 1953 officially had 5 F5's and 1968 had 4 F5's. But, Grazulis rated two of the 1953 tornadoes as F4 and one of the 1968 tornadoes as F4. So, there's disagreement about the historical ratings. If you go by Grazulis' ratings, which were backed up with evidence about house construction standards, then this year would be the second most F5's since the 1950 "modern era" start.

However, the pre-1950's ratings are sketchy enough (it was difficult enough for Grazulis to figure out estimated death tolls from newspaper articles, let alone the fine distinction between an F4 and F5 based on those newspaper accounts) that I think it's really not possible to say how many F5's a season like 1942 or 1920 had.

[eyewall]

The single day state record for confirmed tornadoes was set in NC on 4/16 with 30!

[gymengineer]

So far, we already have quite a few grim notables to this 2011 tornado year:

1) Preliminary, the most tornadoes ever counted in one day on 4/27 at more than 180 (187? 188?). Of course this number isn't final.

2) The Joplin tornado was the single deadliest tornado since 1947, and is about to pass #7 on the list of all-time deadliest tornadoes

3) Deadliest year overall since 1936, with the updated count today surpassing the 1953 death toll of 519

4) Most individual tornadoes that caused 20+ deaths since 1920 at seven so far

I was going to strike out number three since the Joplin official total is 134 instead of 139 or higher (so far... unfortunately, some of the hospitalized are still in grave condition). But, unbelievably, this stat might still hold after today's MA tornado.

[southmdwatcher]

With the El Reno-Piedmont, Oklahoma tornado now surveyed we are up to (5) EF5 tornadoes for the year, and several high end EF4's that fell just short.

STORM 2... BINGER-EL RENO-PIEDMONT-GUTHRIE

PRELIMINARY DATA...

EVENT DATE: MAY 24, 2011

EVENT TYPE: TORNADO

EF RATING: EF-5

ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): GREATER THAN 210 MPH

INJURIES/FATALITIES: UNKNOWN/9

EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 8 WNW BINGER 3:30 PM CDT

EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 4 NE GUTHRIE 5:35 PM CDT

DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 75 MILES

DAMAGE WIDTH: UNKNOWN

NOTE: RATING BASED ON UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA MOBILE DOPPLER RADAR

MEASUREMENTS.

http://www.weather.g...prodtype=public

[CooL]

what a sickening year

way too many populated areas got hit by violent tornadoes

[sojitodd]

I was going to strike out number three since the Joplin official total is 134 instead of 139 or higher (so far... unfortunately, some of the hospitalized are still in grave condition). But, unbelievably, this stat might still hold after today's MA tornado.

The death toll rose to 138 when four of the injured died. Also with the 4 deaths from the MA tornadoes, that would be over 139, and the stat stands...and we have half of the year still left.

[dan11295]

Thankfully we are past the peak of tornado season and historically very few violent tornadoes have occurred after June.

[gymengineer]

Thankfully we are past the peak of tornado season and historically very few violent tornadoes have occurred after June.

...well, definitely less, but hard to say "very few." Some of the biggest tornado stories of the years that I've been alive have occurred in the late fall or otherwise after June-- Windsor Locks '79, West Memphis '87, Raleight '88, Huntsville '89, Plainsfield '90, Springfield '91, Brandon '92, Petersburg '93, Oakfield '96, Tuscaloosa '00, College Park '01, Madison '01, Veterans Day Outbreak '02, Evansville '05,

And out of those, only Windsor Locks and Springfield were not the single or at least tied for the single most noteworthy tornado of the season.

[sojitodd]

Thankfully we are past the peak of tornado season and historically very few violent tornadoes have occurred after June.

I hope you are right. But this has been such a hellish year for tornadoes and all. And all it takes is one ef2 or ef3 hitting a crowded campground or going through a large mobile home park. I just hope this does not happen, but it is just that this has just been such a bad and unlucky year it makes you wonder.

[thewxmann]

2nd most EF5s in a single year, after 1974 (6 or 7, depending on which source you use), and tied with 1953 (5).

[Indystorm]

And the Taunton NWS is thinking a definite EF-3 to possible EF 4 on the Springfield MA area tornado. Strong for the northeast.

[thewxmann]

On a sadder note, the Tuscaloosa-Birmingham, Hackleburg-Phil Campbell, and Joplin tornadoes were the first tornadoes since 1955 Udall tornado to kill more than 60 people. Only three other tornadoes have killed as many in the past 60 years, all in 1953 (Flint, Waco, and Worcester).

[thewxmann]

BMX posted this up quite a while ago, but it's since been updated:

http://www.srh.noaa....mo_2011torstats

Noteworthy quotes:

THERE WERE MORE F4/EF4 TORNADOES IN 2011 THAN THE PERIOD OF 2000-2010. THIS YEAR NOW HOLDS THE RECORD FOR MOST F4/EF4 AND F5/EF5 TORNADOES IN A SINGLE YEAR. [in AL]

(2) THE NUMBER OF MONTHLY TORNADOES IN APRIL ALONE EXCEEDED THE PREVIOUS ANNUAL RECORD NUMBER OF TORNADOES IN ALABAMA.

[OKpowdah]

Three days with >100 tornado reports, which is probably unprecedented

[Derek30]

Three days with >100 tornado reports, which is probably unprecedented

I've heard the above average GOM temps and the fading La Nina as reasons why this storm season has been so devastating.

Would the spaced out nature of the season also have something to do with it? I've noticed that there have a been a few lulls between active periods. It was pretty quiet between the late April Alabama event and the May Joplin outbreak.

[gymengineer]

The ten tornadoes so far that caused 10 or more deaths ties 1965 for the most 10+ death tornadoes in modern records, supassing both 1974 and 1953. From before 1950, it looks like 1932 definitely exceeds ten with thirteen such tornadoes.

[southmdwatcher]

Huntsville WFO has upgraded the Dekalb Alabama tornado to EF5 giving us 6 EF5's for the year, tying 1974. Ripped a safe from the ground threw it and tore off the safe door...wow.

...ADDITIONAL INFORMATION LEADS TO AN UPGRADE OF DEKALB COUNTY

TORNADO FROM APRIL 27TH TO AN EF-5...

AN ADDITIONAL GROUND SURVEY BASED ON NEW INFORMATION WAS CONDUCTED

ON JUNE 15TH ALONG A NARROW CORRIDOR OF DEKALB COUNTY EAST AND

NORTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN RAINSVILLE. THIS STORM SURVEY WAS UTILIZED

ALONG WITH AERIAL IMAGERY FROM A NOAA OVERFLIGHT ON MAY 4TH,

INTERVIEWS WITH RESIDENCES IN THE AREA, AND ADDITIONAL PRE-EVENT

IMAGERY TO UPDATE THE PREVIOUS RATING FOR THE LONG TRACK TORNADO THAT

IMPACTED DEKALB COUNTY ON APRIL 27TH.

FINDINGS INCLUDING THE UPDATED SURVEY INFORMATION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

* EVENT TYPE: TORNADO

* EVENT DATE: 04/27/11

* EVENT TIME: 6:19 PM TO 6:56 PM

* ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: >200.0 MPH

* PRELIMINARY RATING: EF-5

* PATH LENGTH: 33.8 MILES

* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH: 0.75 MILES

* BEGINNING POINT: 34.90708 / -85.978378

* MID POINT:34.507738/ -85.790106

* ENDING POINT: 34.733306 / -85.557820

* PRELIMINARY SURVEY INFORMATION (COPIED FOR INITIAL STATEMENT):

THE TORNADO PATH IS LIKELY TO HAVE BEGUN IN THE LAKEVIEW COMMUNITY

NORTHEAST OF GERALDINE BEFORE TRACKING NORTHEASTWARD, GENERALLY

PARALLEL TO AND JUST EAST OF STATE ROUTE 75. ALONG THIS LINE, THE

TORNADO PASSED THROUGH FYFFE, RAINSVILLE, SYLVANIA, AND EVENTUALLY

INTO NORTHERN DEKALB COUNTY SOUTH OF THE CARTERSVILLE COMMUNITY. ON

THE FIRST DAY OF SURVEYS, THE SURVEY TEAM NOTICED INTIAL DAMAGE IN

THE LAKEVIEW COMMUNITY WHERE THE PATH WIDTH WAS GENERALLY AROUND 50

YARDS. THIS INITIAL DAMAGE INCLUDED MOSTLY FELLED AND SNAPPED TREES

AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO SMALL BUILDINGS. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WAS NOTED

ESPECIALLY IN THE RAINSVILE AND SYLVANIA COMMUNITIES WHERE THE PATH

WIDTH WAS ESTIMATED TO OVER 1/2 MILE WIDE. DAMAGE IN RAINSVILLE

INCLUDED HOUSES THAT WERE COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM FOUNDATIONS, WITH

DEBRIS SCATTERED FOR ABOUT ONE MILE. NEAR THIS LOCATION, TREES WERE

DEBARKED AND A FEW MOBILE HOMES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED, WITH

DEBRIS STREWN FOR ABOUT A MILE DOWNSTREAM.

IN THE SYLVANIA COMMUNITY, A SIMILAR SITUATION OCCURRED WITH HOUSES

COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM FOUNDATIONS AND DEBRIS BLOWN FAR DOWNSTREAM.

SOME OF THESE HOUSES WERE CONNECTED TO THEIR FOUNDATIONS WITH ANCHOR

BOLTS AND FOUNDATION STRAPS, INDICATING A STRONGER CONSTRUCTION OF

THE HOMES. ON THE SECOND DAY OF SURVEYS, INFORMATION WAS RECEIVED

FROM DEKALB COUNTY EMA, WHO CONDUCTED SEVERAL AREAL SURVEYS AND

DETERMINED THAT THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATCH WAS INDEED CONTINUOUS FROM

THE LAKEVIEW COMMUNITY THROUGH RAINSVILLE, SYLVANIA, AND THEN TO

SOUTH OF THE CARTERSVILLE AREA IN NORTHEASTERN DEKALB COUNTY. FURTHER

DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO THE NORTH OF CARTERSVILLE AND INTO NORTHWEST

GEORGIA, BUT THIS WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE ANOTHER TORNADO TRACK

FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY. GROUND SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED FROM THE BLAKE

COMMUNITY INTO SOUTHEAST SYLVANIA, THEN THROUGH HENAGAR, IDER, AND TO

THE CARTERSVILLE AREA. THE TORNADO DAMAGE CONTINUED ALONG THE PATH

FROM THE BLAKE COMMUNITY, INTERSECTING COUNTY ROAD 27 AND CONTINUING

TO THE NORTHEAST, RUNNING PARELLEL BETWEEN HWY 75 AND INTERSTATE 59

THROUGH HENAGAR, IDER AND THEN TO SOUTH OF CARTERSVILLE. IN THE BLAKE

COMMUNITY, THE TORNADO DAMAGE WIDTH WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ONE HALF TO

AS MUCH AS THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE WIDE. ALONG COUNTY ROAD 27 JUST

SOUTHEAST OF THE SYLVANIA COMMUNITY, SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED.

ALL EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR WALLS OF SEVERAL HOMES WERE COMPLETELY

DESTROYED WITH PARTIAL BLOCK AND MORTAR FOUNDATIONS REMAINING. IN ONE

INSTANCE, A CONCRETE SLAB THAT SERVED AS A PORCH WAS DISPLACED A FEW

FEET AND BROKEN IN HALF. SOME HARDWOOD TREES IN THE AREA WERE

STRIPPED WITH NO STUBS OF ANY BRANCHES REMAINING AND WERE PARTIALLY

DEBARKED. THE MOUNTAIN VIEW BAPTIST CHURCH, WHICH WAS JUST INSIDE THE

SYLVANIA COMMUNITY ALSO SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. AN OLD, ONE-

STORY PORTION OF THE CHURCH DATING TO 1902 AND CONSTRUCTED OF A BRICK

AND MORTAR EXTERIOR ON WOOD FRAME WALLS WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. A

RECENT TWO-STORY ADDITION TO THE CHURCH CONSTRUCTED IN 2004 AND

CONSISTING OF SIMILAR BUILDING MATERIALS WAS PARTIALLY DESTROYED,

WITH MOST EXTERIOR WALLS AND NEARLY ALL INTERIOR WALLS FALLEN. A

CONCRETE BLOCK AND MORTAR FOUNDATION WAS ALL THAT REMAINED OF A

HALLWAY ADJOINING THE TWO BUILDINGS.

* UPDATED SURVEY INFORMATION GATHERED ON JUNE 15TH:

FOR THE PURPOSES OF FURTHER STUDY, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON A NARROW CORRIDOR OF INTENSE DAMAGE EXTENDING

FROM SKAGGS ROAD TO LINGERFELDT ROAD (ALSO KNOWN AS COUNTY ROAD 180)

EXTENDING TOWARD COUNTY ROAD 514. ALONG SKAGGS ROAD, A STONE HOUSE

WAS COMPLETELY OBLITERATED WITH MUCH OF THE INTERIOR DEBRIS STREWN

WELL AWAY FROM THE STRUCTURE. A SUPPORTING LARGE CEMENT AND STONE

PILLAR WAS RIPPED COMPLETELY OUT OF THE GROUND. ANOTHER HOME ALONG

SKAGGS ROAD WAS ALSO LEVELED COMPLETELY TO THE GROUND. THE NOAA

OVERFLIGHT SHOWED SIGNIFICANT GROUND SCARRING IN THIS AREA AND A WALK

THROUGH THE NEARBY FIELDS SHOWED LARGE POT MARKS AND OTHER SECTIONS

OF DISTURBED GROUND.

SLIGHTLY NORTHEAST ALONG LINGERFELDT ROAD, NUMEROUS HOMES WERE

LEVELED COMPLETELY TO THEIR FOUNDATION WITH VEHICLES AND DEBRIS

STREWN FOR HUNDREDS OF FEET. OVERHEAD PHOTOS AND FOLLOW-UP VISUAL

CONFIRMATION REVEALED A MANGLED VEHICLE TOSSED WELL INTO A RAVINE

AND RESTING UP IN THE REMAINDER OF TREES. AT 1608 LINGERFELDT

ROAD/CR 180 A LARGE TWO STORY BRICK HOME WAS COMPLETELY OBLITERATED

WITH SEVERAL OF THE SUPPORTING ANCHORS RIPPED OUT OF THE GROUND. A

CONCRETE PORCH WAS RIPPED OFF WITH PIECES STREWN UP TO 150 YARDS. A

SECTION OF THE ASPHALT DRIVEWAY WAS PULLED UP. IN ADDITION, AN

ANCHORED LIBERTY SAFE WEIGHING 800 POUNDS WAS PULLED OFF ITS

ANCHORAGE AND THROWN INTO A WOODED AREA 600 FEET AWAY. WHEN FOUND,

THE SAFE`S DOOR HAD BEEN RIPPED OPEN AND COMPLETELY OFF. A LARGE

PICK-UP TRUCK AT THIS RESIDENCE WAS FOUND MANGLED IN PIECES OVER 250

YARDS AWAY IN THE SAME WOODED AREA. THE RESIDENTS OF THE HOME

SURVIVED IN A NEARBY STORM PIT. OF NOTE THE STORM PIT WAS PARTIALLY

EXPOSED BY THE TORNADO WITH DIRT BEING SUCKED UP AND PULLED AWAY

AROUND THE OPENING. NEXT DOOR A MOBILE HOME WAS COMPLETELY

DISINTEGRATED. THE RESIDENTS OF THE MOBILE THERE ALSO SURVIVED IN A

STORM PIT.

THIS SECTION OF DAMAGE FROM SKAGGS ROAD TO LINGERFELT ROAD NEAR THE

INTERSECTION WITH CROW LANE WAS DEEMED TO BE EF-5 IN INTENSITY.

IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT SEVERE DAMAGE, NEAR EF-5 IN INTENSITY

WAS NOTED IN A CORRIDOR FROM CR 515 THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD ALONG

COUNTY ROAD 441. IN THE EAST AND SOUTH ENDS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD,

MANY ONE AND TWO STORY HOMES WERE LEVELED TO THEIR FOUNDATION WITH

DEBRIS SCATTERED SOME DISTANCE. SEVERAL CARS WERE THROWN A LARGE

DISTANCE IN THIS AREA. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF GROUND SCARRING AS WELL

AS SOME SIDEWALK PAVEMENT PULLED UP IN THIS LOCATION. HOWEVER, SOME

OF THE HOMES IN THIS AREA APPEARED TO BE PUSHED OFF THEIR FOUNDATION

INITIALLY WITH LIMITED ANCHORAGE. THUS, THE DAMAGE WAS DEEMED HIGH

END EF-4 IN THIS AREA.

http://www.weather.gov/view/prodsByState.php?state=AL&prodtype=public

[gymengineer]

With the additional deaths from the injured in hospitals after the Joplin tornado, this year is now the 4th deadliest year and deadliest ever in "official" records (since 1950), surpassing 1896 and 1927.

[thewxmann]

With the additional deaths from the injured in hospitals after the Joplin tornado, this year is now the 4th deadliest year and deadliest ever in "official" records (since 1950), surpassing 1896 and 1927.

Wanna be careful with that since some of the Joplin deaths (e.g. today's, which was due to complications from surgeries interrupted by the tornado, fungus infections, and "psychological stress" in at least one instance) are indirect.

[Hoosier]

Wanna be careful with that since some of the Joplin deaths (e.g. today's, which was due to complications from surgeries interrupted by the tornado, fungus infections, and "psychological stress" in at least one instance) are indirect.

Yeah but they are still being counted in the official tally. Anyone know if they counted indirect deaths in previous years?

[blackjack123]

Yeah but they are still being counted in the official tally. Anyone know if they counted indirect deaths in previous years?

Indirect deaths would be like if there was a tornado and someone died of a heart attack or something else that had nothing to do with the tornado itself. If someone died from debris caused by the tornado then officially it is counted as a tornado death. It is highly possible this year could end up being the second deadliest on record. I think there has been 548 tornado related deaths this year. 1917 had 551 and 1936 had 552. It is hard to say because I think that other races except for caucasian, may have not been counted in the death toll during that time period.

[andyhb]

I couldn't believe what I was watching on April 27th. I thought Yazoo City was bad, but then the atmosphere just goes "Hey, how about 15-20 Yazoo City's all on the same day, along with scores more?"

[HurricaneJosh]

Huntsville WFO has upgraded the Dekalb Alabama tornado to EF5 giving us 6 EF5's for the year, tying 1974. Ripped a safe from the ground threw it and tore off the safe door...wow.

Yeah, seriously. The fact that the safe weighed 800 lbs and was thrown 600 ft is also kind of insane. That actually impresses me more than cars being thrown, as cars are relatively light for their size, whereas a safe is small and very heavy. It's hard to imagine.

This aside... How amazing to have six EF5s in one year. I remember when the new EF scale was instituted, some folks doubted we'd ever see an EF5. I remember some folks felt the requirements were too strict-- and we were in that big F5/EF5 "drought" between Moore (1999) and Greensburg (2007).

P.S. I was just looking at the SPC records, and according to them, there were seven F5s in 1974: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/f5torns.html. Is one one these not valid?

[BadgerWXman]

I couldn't believe what I was watching on April 27th. I thought Yazoo City was bad, but then the atmosphere just goes "Hey, how about 15-20 Yazoo City's all on the same day, along with scores more?"

I don't think I'll ever forget the radar loop I was looking at that afternoon as it was going on... I was just in awe at the sheer amount of classic, textbook, hooked out supercells going on at the same time.

[mcalvert]

Yeah, seriously. The fact that the safe weighed 800 lbs and was thrown 600 ft is also kind of insane. That actually impresses me more than cars being thrown, as cars are relatively light for their size, whereas a safe is small and very heavy. It's hard to imagine.

This aside... How amazing to have six EF5s in one year. I remember when the new EF scale was instituted, some folks doubted we'd ever see an EF5. I remember some folks felt the requirements were too strict-- and we were in that big F5/EF5 "drought" between Moore (1999) and Greensburg (2007).

P.S. I was just looking at the SPC records, and according to them, there were seven F5s in 1974: http://www.spc.noaa....do/f5torns.html. Is one one these not valid?

The second Tanner, AL tornado of 4/3/74 is recognized as an F5 in some places and an F4 in others.

[Master of Disaster]

Yeah, seriously. The fact that the safe weighed 800 lbs and was thrown 600 ft is also kind of insane. That actually impresses me more than cars being thrown, as cars are relatively light for their size, whereas a safe is small and very heavy. It's hard to imagine.

This aside... How amazing to have six EF5s in one year. I remember when the new EF scale was instituted, some folks doubted we'd ever see an EF5. I remember some folks felt the requirements were too strict-- and we were in that big F5/EF5 "drought" between Moore (1999) and Greensburg (2007).

P.S. I was just looking at the SPC records, and according to them, there were seven F5s in 1974: http://www.spc.noaa....do/f5torns.html. Is one one these not valid?

So here is a question. If we know Hackleburg and Smithville were on the ground at the same time, how close was Rainsville to being on the ground at the same time?