April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak facts for kids
In late April 2011, the United States experienced a huge and very powerful tornado outbreak. It was one of the worst tornado events in U.S. history. During this time, many strong tornadoes touched down. This included 3 of the most powerful tornadoes, called EF5s. There were also 13 EF4 tornadoes and 23 EF3 tornadoes. This event caused a lot of damage and was a major natural disaster.
Contents
How the Storms Formed
April 25: Storms Begin
On the evening of April 25, dangerous supercell thunderstorms started to form. These storms appeared across Arkansas, Northeast Texas, and Southeast Oklahoma. A supercell is a very strong thunderstorm with a deep, rotating updraft. These supercells then joined together to create a huge line of severe thunderstorms, called a squall line. This squall line produced many tornadoes. Heavy rain also fell northwest of this line of storms and tornadoes. An EF2 tornado hit Vilonia, Arkansas. An even stronger EF3 tornado struck Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Later, these severe thunderstorms and tornadoes moved into Tennessee and Mississippi.
April 26: Storms Move Around
On April 26, the severe thunderstorms and tornadoes moved back into Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. In the evening, more dangerous supercells formed over Texas. These supercells created powerful tornadoes, some as strong as EF2 or EF3. After forming, these supercells moved into Oklahoma and Arkansas. The large squall line of severe thunderstorms also moved back into Tennessee and Mississippi.
April 27: The Worst Day
April 27 was the most active day of the outbreak. The supercells moved into Tennessee and Mississippi. The squall line of severe thunderstorms then moved into Alabama. Later, the supercells also moved into Alabama. This is when the most powerful tornadoes hit. These storms produced 3 EF5 tornadoes, which are the strongest kind. They also created 13 EF4 tornadoes and 23 EF3 tornadoes. The squall line of severe thunderstorms continued to move into Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
April 28: Storms Head East
By April 28, the supercells had merged into a very large squall line. This massive storm system moved into Kentucky and the Carolinas. The older squall line of severe thunderstorms moved further east. It went into Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York. Later, the new, larger squall line also moved into these eastern states. This storm system still produced some tornadoes as it moved across the region.
Images for kids
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The Storm Prediction Center (SPC)'s forecast for April 27, showing a high risk area in the Southern U.S.
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SPC Storm Reports for April 27.
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A large area of pavement scoured from a road in Phil Campbell, Alabama.
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Radar image of the supercell that produced the tornado in Tuscaloosa. You can see a debris ball (where the tornado picked up debris) at 5:12 p.m. CDT.
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EF4 damage to a brick home in Apison, Tennessee.
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Rainfall totals in the United States for the week ending April 29, 2011. This shows how much heavy rain fell during this storm event.
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A transmission tower bent near Huntsville, Alabama due to the strong winds.
See also
In Spanish: Oleada de tornados en Estados Unidos del 25-28 de abril de 2011 para niños
