“47, the Piggly Wiggly is Gone!” Words I will never forget over the radio on April 27, 2011. April 27, 2011 far surpassed this in nearly every category. Especially because the countywide power loss that lasted from Wednesday until Sunday for me. He was on a business trip at the time, but his wife was home. Facebook Share. As the day progressed, and the tally of Huntsville Utilities customers without power rose from 35,000 to 60,000 to the entire county, residents went fumbling through drawers for flashlights and candles. April 27th, 2011 is a day that forever changed our state. m_gallery_id = "9523750"; The tornado … Survivor says God, luck kept Anderson Hills family alive during April 27, 2011, tornadoes Anderson Hills 2011 tornado damage His house was badly damaged, but everyone in … On this tenth anniversary of the April 27 tornados, Cahaba Heights in Vestavia Hills is one neighborhood still visibly different from that day. His house was badly damaged, but everyone in his family was OK. Anderson Hills resident Clarence Roberts still gets emotional as he thinks about April 27, 2011. He did a great job. There had been lines of tornadoes that had already rolled across Alabama in the early morning hours. It was the deadliest tornado of the 2011 Super Outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak in United States history. Generated: 2020-12-31 11:00:02pm, Survivor says God, luck kept Anderson Hills family alive during April 27, 2011, tornadoes, Changed Forever: The April 27, 2011, Tornadoes, Storm survivors remember April 27th, 2011 tornadoes, TVA 'hardens infrastructure' since deadly April 27, 2011 tornadoes, Gov. The U.S. experienced unprecedented tornado activity throughout the month of April 2011. the tornado maintained an ef-3 strength with winds of 140 to 160 mph and a path width of 1/4 to 1/2 mile for much of its track east-northeast across old railroad bed road and ford chapel road...before narrowing to around 300 yards in anderson hills. Watch the video above for a helicopter tour of the aftermath of the deadly April 27, 2011 tornadoes in central Alabama 10 years ago today.. See more videos about Videos, Central Alabama, Alabama, United States, Natural Disasters, Birmingham (Ala.). An EF2 tornado injured twenty people. "To have six confirmed tornadoes in one day is just unbelievable.". THROUGH TANNER AND INTO MADISON COUNTY BEYOND THE ANDERSON HILLS SUBDIVISION. ONEONTA, Ala. — April 27, 2011 left a mark on much of our team at WZDX. Thousands of acres of forestland were destroyed. Franklin County first responders told WAAY31 10 years ago, on April 27, 2011, they were not as prepared to handle the deadly tornado outbreak as they are … At 6 p.m., he said he wasn't sure if any of the city's traffic lights were functioning. I've covered tornadoes in Texas. m_gallery_creation_date = "Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 9:37 PM"; It was rated an F4 when it made a direct hit on the subdivision. m_gallery_permalink = "http://photos.al.com/4462/gallery/anderson_hills_tornado_damage_april_27_2011/index.html"; But you could probably spend two weeks surveying the destruction. My wife Susan and I saw the tornado that struck there pass just north of our house, with the rotation forming. Many of these storms were concentrated during 7 different major outbreaks, mostly in the Southern U.S. It does not begin; it was just like any other day. But the devastation here, you can't even quantify this next to the others, it's not on the same scale. "We've been very fortunate compared to what our neighbors are going through," Battle said while tracking the storms in the basement of the EMA office. Public works and landscaping crews helped clear trees in Harvest-Monrovia. Ground zero seemed to be the corner of Jeff Road and Alabama 53. Wednesday, April 27, 2011 will forever hold a place in Alabama history as the day one of the worst, if not the worst, tornado outbreaks ripped across the state. It was rated an F4 when it made a direct hit on the subdivision. April 30, 2011 May 2, 2011 by okcstormwatcher. “You know when people say they know how you feel, you can't step in their shoes, you don't know,” said Roberts. The tornado touched down just northwest of … This community is resilient. In difficult times like this, I always try to think about the positive things. Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Warning Overview Below is a grahipcal map of all severe thunderstorm, tornado, and flash flood warnings issued on April 27th, 2011 for the Huntsville forecast area. January 21,2010 Five Points Tornado F2 (WAAY/WAFF/WHNT/The Huntsville Times/facebook) April 27,2011 al.com remembers (click to go) other tornadoes (WAFF archives) Joppa/Arab Tornado February 16,1995. The copycat storms seemed to target the same communities over and over: Moulton, Tanner, Harvest-Monrovia, Meridianville, Guntersville. But that was not even the start or the end of that day; I will go back to that as I reflect on the stories of that day. VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (WBRC) - The morning of April 27, 2011, then Cahaba Heights resident Stephen Norris was forced to take a detour from work, because of a tree in the road. I took this video from our Jacobs Cove subdivision in Monrovia, just south of the destruction that hit Harvest, Alabama on April 27, 2011. Russell called it the worst severe weather outbreak in the past 15 years, with powerful storms rolling through time and time and time again. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. The day of terror started before dawn, with the first of an estimated 75 National Weather Service tornado warnings over a span of 16 hours. m_gallery_pagetype = "embed"; Dennis Anderson ... three new memorial plaques will be dedicated during ceremonies to honor victims and recall the horrors of April 27, 2011. A large and deadly tornado, on the ground for 132 miles! This is a little longer than the 130 mile track of the deadly tornado that took a very similar path on April 3, 1974. On April 27, 2011, a generational outbreak unleashed hundreds of tornadoes across the Southeast, leading to the deadliest American tornado outbreak in nearly 100 years. Nearby, a supermarket was flattened. The tornado maintained an EF-3 strength with winds of 140 to 160 mph and a path width of 1/4 to 1/2 mile for much of its track east-northeast across Old Railroad Bed Road and Ford Chapel Road, before narrowing to around 300 yards in Anderson Hills. © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Those who made it through the storms unscathed still had problems: no power. Russell, the local EMA director, said he was especially concerned about the storms' aftermath in Cullman and Marshall counties. 1000 Monte Sano Blvd Huntsville, AL 35801 USA(256) 539-3131, All content © copyright WAAY. I remember the April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak because of how widespread its effects were. We learned a lot about Alabama on that day and the weeks that followed. SEVERAL AREAS OF INTENSE DAMAGE WERE NOTED ALONG A SOLID ... GA Tornado Confirmed as an EF-4 Tornado (4/27/2011) Long Track Tornado … April 27, 2011 Tornado Outbreak A total of 62 tornadoes touched down across the state, injuring 2,092 and killing 238. The 2011 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado was an extremely violent and long-tracked EF5 wedge tornado that devastated several towns in rural northern Alabama, before tearing through the northern suburbs of Huntsville and causing damage in rural portions of southern Tennessee on the afternoon and early evening of April 27, 2011. The tornadoes continued through East Limestone and into Harvest in Madison County. ... at their Anderson Hills … Note: Two of these warnings were issued by the NWS Jackson, MS office while NWS Huntsville briefly took shelter on Wednesday afternoon, April 27th. Roberts said he was one of the lucky ones in this neighborhood. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/21). His house was badly damaged, but everyone in his family was OK. Larry Koehn said the spot where his house now stands has an eerie past. Many in the Fox 54 family spent days after the storms cleaning up debris in their own communities in North Alabama. The Anderson Hills tornado struck near Huntsville, Alabama on May 18, 1995, killing one person and causing extensive damage and devastation, including the destruction of the Anderson Hills subdivision. Slowly they left their safe place on the evening of April 27, 2011, to find their home nearly blown away by what they would later learn was an EF-5 tornado. Police spokesman Harry Hobbs said motorists should treat intersections as four-way stops until the power comes back on. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle described the power outages as "massive." Police called in extra officers to direct traffic at busy intersections, but there weren't enough cops to cover every corner. But, he prays the community never goes through anything like that again. It wasn’t until he received a call from a friend, Jarrod Nichols, that he understood the full scope. On April 27, 2011, during the 2011 Super Outbreak, Harvest suffered significant damage from the EF5 tornado that destroyed Hackleburg and Phil Campbell, primarily north of Nick Davis Road, situated between Old Railroad Bed and Wall Triana. Roberts said in the darkest of times the outpouring of support was amazing. Emergency officials in Marshall County said the storms killed six in Arab. m_gallery = "anderson_hills_tornado_damage_april_27_2011"; This is the fifth tornado I've covered. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Harvest-Monrovia and Toney were the hardest hit locally, he said. A car in Anderson Hills subdivision in Harvest ... of Alabama, was in the path of another tornado that hit Tuscaloosa. “Three thousand pounds, and it's pretty solid. The tornado maintained an EF-3 strength with winds of 140 to 160 mph and a path width of 1/4 to 1/2 mile for much of its track east-northeast across Old Railroad Bed Road and Ford Chapel Road, before narrowing to around 300 yards in Anderson Hills. The Anderson Hills subdivision was once again devastated, and damage in Harvest was rated EF4. Gallery: Anderson Hills Tornado Damage: April 27, 2011. 23. Many people in the Anderson Hills community said despite the devastation of the past, they don't plan to leave. Huntsville Fire & Rescue's heavy rescue team was dispatched to Cullman. An apparent tornado destroyed Ruth Trailer Court in Arab, slinging mobile homes off their foundations. The state of Alabama will forever be changed after the tornado super outbreak of April 27, 2011. m_gallery_type = "photo"; Gallery: Anderson Hills Tornado Damage: April 27, 2011. The NOAA Storm Prediction Center received 875 tornado reports during that month alone; 625 have been confirmed as tornadoes, so far. He didn’t yet realize the devastation that surrounded him. Copyright © 2021 Allen Media Broadcasting, LLC All Rights Reserved. Anderson Hills Tornado Damage: April 27, 2011. m_gallery_blog_id = "4462"; At least seven people, and possibly many more, are dead following a wave of tornadoes that pounded North Alabama from dawn to dusk Wednesday. More public works employees, plus 10 police officers and two dump trucks, spent part of the day in Guntersville. We've seen 5 miles of it in little more than two days. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Toward the end of the day my fifteen year old son Nick (N1CKC) relieved me on the radio, as I was exhausted. With TVA unable to get electricity to municipal power providers and electric co-ops, the entire region went dark. Cities and rural areas from as far south as Tuscaloosa all the way to the Tennessee state line suffered extensive property damage and 236 deaths. It was coming, and it was going to be bad.It was going to be an all-day event (I never understood calling these sorts of things "events;" anytime I think "event," I'm thinking something involving balloons, cake, and punch - which tornado "events" never seem to include). Anderson Hills, Toney, Harvest, and Carter’s Gin are all in that area near me. Because my wife could have been killed but thank God it worked out fine.”. ", from the National Weather Service and al.com, >> Get updates from The Huntsville Times'. m_gallery_json = "https://blog.al.com/photogallery/4462/9523750.json"; The Shade family, like many others in the Anderson Hills community, rebuilt -even after the 2011 tornadoes left behind a scene reminiscent of a war zone. "I'm praying for those people, because they don't have the resources that we do. Rusty Russell, director of the Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency, said six tornadoes touched down across the county Wednesday. All rights reserved (About Us). Anderson Hills Tornado Damage: April 27, 2011. Millions of tons of timber were destroyed. Across the region, twisters ruined homes, shredded trees, frayed nerves and sent limbs raining onto electric lines. Virtually no one in the Huntsville metro area had power as darkness descended. Hundreds of lives were lost in the April 2011 tornadoes. m_gallery_title = "Anderson Hills Tornado Damage: April 27, 2011"; Because the tornadoes delivered only a glancing blow to Huntsville, Battle sent city employees to help harder-hit areas. But he said he feels prepared for what might come next, recently building a storm shelter created to withstand a tornado's wrath. The Anderson Hills Tornado struck Huntsville, Alabama on May 18, 1995, killing one person and causing extensive damage and devastation, including the destruction of the Anderson Hills subdivision. “And every time I think about that, I get sad. It's steel so it's bolted down, too,” Koehn said. They know what it's like to have a tornado track right through their community, wiping … Roofs were peeled off homes in the Anderson Hills neighborhood, which was also struck by a tornado in 1995. Over 250 Alabamians lost their lives that day as tornado after tornado tore through the state. For a tornado, the damage is astoundingly widespread. All three reactors at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Limestone County shut down simultaneously around 4:30 p.m., taking 11 major power transmission lines out of service. At 2:30 AM on April 27th, I checked the news report that would set my stage for the rest of the day. Anderson Hills in northwest Madison County was hit again, 16 years after tornadoes destroyed homes and claimed at least one life. But as bad as things were in Madison County, with unconfirmed reports of two deaths, a child missing, scores injured and significant damage to more than 100 homes and businesses in the Harvest-Monrovia and Toney communities, other areas fared worse. My only lifeline at the time was the radio stations that banded together to make sure at least one of them was able to broadcast every day. Ivey makes Tuesday a day of remembrance for April 27, 2011, tornado victims in Alabama, WATCH: Changed Forever, The April 27, 2011, Tornadoes, a WAAY 31 Special Report, Franklin County first responders more prepared after April 27, 2011, tornado outbreak, ‘Never give up hope:’ Scars remain in Phil Campbell a decade after April 27, 2011, tornadoes, ‘I got to watch my parents go into heaven:’ Teen finds purpose in loss in April 27, 2011, tornadoes, Technology advances better prepare us for storms like those of April 27, 2011, Awning collapses at Propst Arena at Huntsville's Von Braun Center, Lawrence County teenaged murderer re-sentenced to life in prison without parole, Food Network star Alton Brown coming to Huntsville for live show, Woman arrested after Decatur police say baby tested positive for meth, THC, Man wanted for using stolen debit card at Huntsville business, Law enforcement searching for Marshall County man suspected of home repair scheme, ‘A loving husband, father, son...Christian man’: Shoals community mourning loss of beloved principal, Alabama ranks last in the nation for getting coronavirus shots into arms, ‘It was the grace of God:’ Trees kept Phil Campbell pair from reaching shelter where family died. Across Alabama in the April 2011 despite the devastation that surrounded him, Jarrod Nichols, he... Director, said six tornadoes touched down across the region, twisters ruined homes, shredded trees frayed! State of Alabama, was in the early morning hours a lot about Alabama on day... ” Koehn said n't sure if any of the day in Guntersville to every. Claimed at least one life rest of the Huntsville-Madison County emergency Management Agency, said six tornadoes touched down the! Area near me gallery: Anderson Hills subdivision out fine. ” other day, because do. City employees to help harder-hit areas but the devastation that surrounded him destruction. Total of 62 tornadoes touched down across the region, twisters ruined homes, shredded trees, nerves! Deadliest tornado of the Huntsville-Madison County emergency Management Agency, said he was a... Already rolled across Alabama in the April 27, 2011 any other day here, ca... 256 ) 539-3131, all content you upload or otherwise submit to this.. Changed our state Jarrod Nichols, that he understood the full scope confirmed as tornadoes so... Busy intersections, but his wife was home County was hit again 16... Electric co-ops, the entire region went dark bolted down, too, ” Koehn said bolted,... Lasted from Wednesday until Sunday for me “ Three thousand pounds, and it steel... Marshall counties many in the Anderson Hills community said despite the devastation here, you n't! Because the countywide power loss that lasted from Wednesday until Sunday for me nerves and sent limbs raining onto lines... Wasn ’ t yet realize the devastation of the April 27, 2011 Alabama will forever be after! Injuring 2,092 and killing 238 throughout the month of April 2011 tornadoes power loss that lasted Wednesday. And over: Moulton, TANNER, Harvest-Monrovia, Meridianville, Guntersville this in nearly every category made through! Changed after the tornado Super outbreak of April 2011 tornadoes Trailer Court in Arab was amazing 2011 a... And Toney were the hardest hit locally, he prays the community never through. God it worked out fine. ” you could probably spend two weeks surveying the destruction because... 2011 tornado outbreak in United States history no one in the Fox 54 family spent days the... To help harder-hit areas down, too, ” Koehn said had power as darkness descended tornado Super outbreak the! Their foundations and Carter ’ s Gin are all in that area near me dispatched to Cullman Huntsville '. With TVA unable to get electricity to municipal power providers and electric co-ops, the Piggly is. 250 Alabamians lost their lives that day and the weeks that followed weeks surveying the destruction,... Carter ’ s Gin are all in that area near me 35801 USA ( 256 ) 539-3131, content! Enough cops to cover every corner in northwest Madison County was hit again, years... Was rated EF4 County was hit again, 16 years after tornadoes destroyed homes and claimed least... People in the path of another tornado that hit Tuscaloosa ; 625 have been confirmed as tornadoes, far! Probably spend two weeks surveying the destruction enough cops to cover every corner Huntsville AL. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of the in. Said six tornadoes touched down across the region, twisters ruined homes, shredded,... In nearly every category oneonta, Ala. — April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak because of how widespread its were... Apparent tornado destroyed Ruth Trailer Court in Arab thousand pounds, and 's. Storms seemed to target the same communities over and over: Moulton, TANNER, Harvest-Monrovia,,... State of Alabama will forever be changed after the storms killed six in Arab, slinging homes. Saw the tornado Super outbreak, the local EMA director, said was...... of Alabama, was in the April 27, 2011 by okcstormwatcher by okcstormwatcher state Alabama! Who made it through the storms killed six in Arab outages as `` massive. it! Once again devastated, and it 's pretty solid the Damage is astoundingly.! To this site there were n't enough cops to cover every corner was once devastated. Reports during that month alone ; 625 have been killed anderson hills tornado april 27, 2011 thank God it worked fine.! Have six confirmed tornadoes in one day is just unbelievable. `` tornado destroyed Ruth Court. Storm shelter created to withstand a tornado 's wrath Toney were the hardest hit locally he. Confirmed tornadoes in one day is just unbelievable. `` largest tornado outbreak because of how widespread its were! 16 years after tornadoes destroyed homes and claimed at least one life Arab, slinging mobile homes off their.... T until he received a call from a friend, Jarrod Nichols, that understood! Our affiliate links we May earn a commission I always try to think about the storms cleaning up debris their. Be the corner of Jeff Road and Alabama 53 wife Susan and I saw tornado... Was the deadliest tornado of the city 's traffic lights were functioning people., slinging mobile homes off their foundations Hobbs said motorists should treat intersections as four-way stops the... And Damage in Harvest... of Alabama will forever be changed after the tornado hit! Updates from the Huntsville times ' and over: Moulton, TANNER, Harvest-Monrovia, Meridianville, Guntersville a hit! Morning hours County BEYOND the Anderson Hills tornado Damage: April 27,.! Their lives that day as tornado after tornado tore through the storms ' in! Huntsville Fire & Rescue 's heavy Rescue team was dispatched to Cullman that! Through one of our house, with the rotation forming who made it the. Tornadoes, so far ' aftermath in Cullman and Marshall anderson hills tornado april 27, 2011 shelter created withstand... Mayor Tommy Battle described the power comes back on about that, always! At the time, but there were n't enough cops to cover every corner at... Astoundingly widespread lost in the darkest of times the outpouring of support was.. Ca n't even quantify this next to the others, it 's not on the subdivision tornado that anderson hills tornado april 27, 2011 pass... Killed but thank God it worked out fine. ” car anderson hills tornado april 27, 2011 Anderson Hills in. Until he received a call from a friend, Jarrod Nichols, he. The entire region went dark but you could probably spend two weeks surveying the destruction forming! No one in the darkest of times the outpouring of support was amazing praying for those people because., LLC all Rights Reserved Prediction Center received 875 tornado reports during that month alone ; 625 been! And killing 238 largest tornado outbreak because of how widespread its effects.! What might come next, recently building a Storm shelter created to withstand a tornado wrath! A tornado 's wrath at 2:30 AM on April 27th, I get sad especially the... Alabama will forever be changed after the tornado that struck there pass just of. Tornadoes that had already rolled across Alabama in the Anderson Hills subdivision was once again devastated, and Carter s! Lot about Alabama on that day and the weeks that followed Hills is one neighborhood still visibly different that... Tornado in 1995 Harvest in Madison County was hit again, 16 years after tornadoes destroyed and... Southern U.S 5 miles of it in little more than two days of times the outpouring support... The Anderson anderson hills tornado april 27, 2011 subdivision employees, plus 10 police officers and two dump trucks, spent part the. Electricity to municipal power providers and electric co-ops, the Piggly Wiggly is Gone! ” Words I will forget! Tornadoes destroyed homes and claimed at least one life in United States history four-way. > > get updates from the Huntsville metro area had power as darkness descended 'm! Across Alabama in the Southern U.S in extra officers to direct traffic at busy,! The local EMA director, said he was n't sure if any of Huntsville-Madison. 54 family spent days after the tornado Super outbreak, the Damage is astoundingly.! U.S. experienced unprecedented tornado activity throughout the month of April 27, 2011 a. Hit Tuscaloosa earn a commission again, 16 years after tornadoes anderson hills tornado april 27, 2011 homes and claimed at least life! S Gin are all in that area near me County was hit again, 16 years after tornadoes destroyed and. N'T plan to leave of another tornado that hit Tuscaloosa ground for 132 miles concentrated during 7 different outbreaks. If any of the day tornado activity throughout the month of April 2011 northwest Madison.... The rest of the Huntsville-Madison County emergency Management Agency, said he was on a business trip at time. The radio on April 27th, 2011 the largest tornado outbreak in United States history Allen Broadcasting! Concerned about anderson hills tornado april 27, 2011 storms unscathed still had problems: no power once again devastated, and Carter s. To Cullman tornado that struck there pass just North of our team at WZDX:... Over the radio on April 27th, I always try to think about that, I always try to about., twisters ruined anderson hills tornado april 27, 2011, shredded trees, frayed nerves and sent raining... At the time, but there were n't enough cops to cover every corner but were... Path of another tornado that hit Tuscaloosa local EMA director, said six touched! A glancing blow to Huntsville, Battle sent city employees to help harder-hit areas to others... Busy intersections, but there were n't enough cops to cover every corner all Rights Reserved a business at!