Rainsville, AL EF5

[Master of Disaster]

I had an opportunity over the weekend to take a first hand look at 8 of the damage paths from the April 2011 Super outbreak from tornadoes ranging in strength from EF0-EF5. The purpose was to see what the jurisdictions were doing with the debris generated and to see what progress had been made in rebuilding. The area I was most interested in was Rainsville, AL. I personally have seen numerous 50 yard or smaller tornado paths but never one 1/2 mile wide and never from an EF5. At least 3 of the 8 tornado paths I looked at were from tornadoes over 1/2 mile wide. Including Rainsville, AL. Trenton, GA and Glade Springs, VA.

I thought it was interesting to see how far the city of Rainsville had come. They have a new city hall that's been rebuilt and if you didn't know any better from looking at the debarked trees and stubs remaining, you wouldn't have had a clue that an EF5 had hit that area. There was one area East of Sylvania that I wanted to concentrate on because it was heavily wooded. That area appears as it did the day after the tornado with significant debris on the ground and in the trees. You find you are approaching the damage path well before you actually see it because of the smell of burning wood from all of the fires they have going burning off debris piles.

There are homes with damage still evident including one with the roof removed which appeared abandoned now. Another home with significant roof and wall damage had been loaded on a flat bed with a large "for sale" sign on the front door. A new idea for "mobile" home I suppose but its sad to think it was once a place that was loved by a family. Numerous homes were at the stud phase of rebuilding.

Something I did notice in the wooded area noted below on the image is that the trees were not snapped and uprooted as I expected. Instead, a majority of them bent over. But what surprised me even more is that they were all bent over in the same direction for the entire .58 width of the tornado. How is this possible considering its a circulation? I was assuming the trees on the left quadrant would be bent SSW.The same thing was noted in the Trenton, GA EF3 with trees laying in the same direction but not as dramatic. There was also a distinct damage path separate from the main circulation which was indicated by uprooted and snapped trees about 500 yards East of the last visible damage from the primary circulation. The only thing I can think of there was a Satellite tornado.

Ill upload the pics below to match

[Master of Disaster]

PIc1

I have to resize a few pics, they are too large and wont load but you get the point.

[JoMo]

Interesting. In Joplin, you could see the ways the trees are laying compared to where the circulation was. Was there a gust front or something prior to the tornado that knocked the trees down?

[thewxmann]

RFD?

[andyhb]

Interesting. In Joplin, you could see the ways the trees are laying compared to where the circulation was. Was there a gust front or something prior to the tornado that knocked the trees down?

I know the morning storms laid a pretty good wallop on that area...

Some of the damage noted in the survey of this tornado was just incredible.

[Master of Disaster]

RFD?

I thought about that as well, but after running it through a few mets, no one seems to be able to explain it. The only thing I can think of for a cause would be the inflow just as the storm passed. The main circulation weakens the trees and had it stopped there, you would have seen the circulation pattern but as the tornado passed, the inflow feeding it pulled everything in the same direction.

The pic I posted is from the left side as the storm crossed and you can see even the debris is wrapped around the trees from the South which I would think would wrap from the North in a tornado of this intensity and size.

[Master of Disaster]

Kind of interesting, at 1:21 or so into the video, there does appear to be a Satellite tornado wrapping back behind the main circulation. Anyone else see this?