Tuscaloosa Tornado

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Tuscaloosa Alabama Tornado

April 27, 2011

� A large wedge tornado tracked across Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, including the southernand eastern portions of Tuscaloosa around 5:10 p.m. CDT on April 27, and continuednortheast.[23] Debris from the tornado was reported to be falling from the sky acrossBirmingham over 20 miles away in Jefferson County. Skycams operated by local Fox affiliateWBRC (channel 6) and ABC affiliate WBMA-LP/WCFT/WJSU (channels 58, 33 and 40;branded as "ABC 33/40") captured video of the tornado as it struck Tuscaloosa.[52] Severalstores and restaurants in a business district at the intersection of McFarland Boulevard and

15th Street, near the DCH Regional Medical Center, were destroyed by the tornado; buildingswere also reported destroyed on 35th Street, between Interstate 359 and Martin Luther King Jr.Boulevard. As the tornado traveled east to 35th Street and Kauloosa Avenue, the TuscaloosaEnvironmental Services and Cintas facilities suffered severe damage. Numerous homes in theRosedale and Forest Lake neighborhoods, as well as a P&P Grocery store in Rosedale, weredevastated.[53] The University of Alabama suspended its operations, cancelled its softball androwing competitions, cancelled its final exams period, and postponed its commencement until

August 6. Television cameras, including another skycam operated by WBMA-LP/WCFT/WJSU,captured the mile-wide tornado as it moved east-northeast across the western and northernsuburbs of Birmingham around 6:00 p.m. CDT.[55] Initial reports indicated significant structuraldamage and a mile to 1½ mile wide damage path.

� The National Weather Service has determined the path length of this violent tornado to be 80.3miles with a maximum damage path width of 1.5 miles; it has been given a preliminary intensityrating of "at least EF-4", pending further surveys into the most heavily damaged areas. Initialreports from Tuscaloosa and Birmingham indicated at least 65 people are dead and over 1000injured in the Tuscaloosa area.



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Satellite view of tornado track

Bryant-DenneyStadium

University Mall

Midtown Village

Shopping Center

DCH

Hospital



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Before



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After

Tornado Path

Condo Complex

McFarland

Blvd.

15th St. E

13th St. E



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Before Before



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Before

Condo Complex



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After

Condo Complex



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Before



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McFarland Blvd. looking North toward 13th Street. The first

buildings you see standing is our condo complex where

Chase rode it out. We literally can count our blessings in

yards.

Our condo complex

DCHAfter



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Condo Complex



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Inside the condo complex looking east. Normally you

would see malls and the Shell station across the

street.



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Inside the condo complex looking South. Normally you

would see stores and the Shell station across the

street.



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The back corner of our condo unit.

Chase was on the third floor.



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Before



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Looking West from the corner of 13th street and

McFarland. You can see our complex diagonally

across the street. Everything to the left (east) was

total flattened devastation. You can see what isleft of the Shell station directly across the street.

Our condo complex

Chase¶s

Unit

Shell Station

After



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Before



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I turned slightly left, looking South-West from

the corner of McFarland and 13th street.

Everything from here to 15th street is

essentially destroyed. Sadly you see signs of

looting.

Chase¶s condo is just to

the right.

After



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Before



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Looking East/South-East up 13th street

at the shopping center with the Hobby

Lobby.

After



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Looking east in the direction of the

disaster zone from 13th

street.



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A family of survivors sifting thru their lost home.



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Before



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An entire cul-de-sac destroyed off of

13th street north of McFarland.

After



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Looking East on 13th street.



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Before



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These houses are off 13th street

and sit in a 8 or 10 foot drop off

area and this family survived

and are looking over their

damaged house.

After



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Our Condo Complex and DCH

looking across the path of thetornado. This is on 6 Avenue

looking North.



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looking across the path of the

tornado. This is on 6 Avenue

looking North.



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looking across the path of the

tornado. This is on 6 Avenue

looking North.



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Before



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The corner of McFarland

and 13th street looking at

the Hobby Lobby

shopping center

Milo's and Full

Moon BBQ was

here.

After



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Before



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What is left of the Shell

Station across the street

from the Condo. Corner

of 13th and McFarland



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What is left of the Shell

Station across the street

from the Condo. Corner

of 13th and McFarland



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Before



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The tornado going by traveling

northeast (to left) just west of

my plant in Bessemer. This is

what destroyed Pleasant Groveand Concord. There are many

people that lost everything and

more that work with me at

Bessemer that lived there.



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Twister outbreak is second deadliest

in US history

� MSN Article

� al.com before and after images

� al.com coverage



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