A tornado emergency is an enhanced version of a tornado warning,which is used by the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States during imminent,significant tornado occurrences in highly populated areas. Although it is not a new warning type from the NWS,issued instead within a severe weather statement or in the initial tornado warning,a tornado emergency generally means that significant,widespread damage is expected to occur and a high likelihood of numerous fatalities is expected with a large,strong to violent tornado.
A multi-day tornado outbreak affected the central plains of the United States from May 22–27,2008. It was also one of the largest continuous tornado outbreaks on record. A total of 173 tornadoes were confirmed,with the most intense activity occurring across the Great Plains. One person was killed when a large wedge tornado struck Windsor,Colorado,and two more deaths were reported in Pratt County,Kansas. One person was also killed near Hugo,Minnesota on May 25 and nine were killed by an EF5 tornado that destroyed most of Parkersburg,Iowa and a small subdivision of New Hartford,Iowa. Another fatality,caused by lightning related to the storms,occurred in central Kansas.
Tornadoes are more common in the United States than in any other country or state. The United States receives more than 1,200 tornadoes annually—four times the amount seen in Europe. Violent tornadoes—those rated EF4 or EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale—occur more often in the United States than in any other country.
The tornado outbreak of April 22–25,2010 was a multi-day tornado outbreak across a large portion of the Southern United States,originally starting in the High Plains on April 22,2010,and continuing through the Southern Plains on April 23,and the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys on April 24. The most severe activity was on April 24,particularly in Mississippi. The outbreak was responsible for ten tornado-related fatalities on April 24,all in Mississippi from a single supercell that crossed the entire state.
The 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado was a large,long-lived and exceptionally powerful F5 tornado in which the highest wind speeds ever measured globally was recorded at 321 miles per hour (517 km/h) by a Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar. Considered the strongest tornado ever recorded to have affected the metropolitan area,the tornado devastated southern portions of Oklahoma City,Oklahoma,United States while near peak intensity,along with surrounding suburbs and towns to the south and southwest of the city during the early evening of Monday,May 3,1999. Parts of Bridge Creek were rendered unrecognizable. The tornado covered 38 miles (61 km) during its 85-minute existence,destroying thousands of homes,killing 36 people,and leaving US$1 billion in damage,ranking it as the fifth-costliest on record not accounting for inflation. Its severity prompted the first-ever use of the tornado emergency statement by the National Weather Service.
From April 14–16,2011,a tornado outbreak,among the largest recorded tornado outbreaks in U.S. history,produced 178 confirmed tornadoes across 16 states,resulting in severe destruction on all three days of the outbreak. A total of 38 people were killed from tornadoes and an additional five people were killed as a result of straight-line winds associated with the storm system. The outbreak of severe weather and tornadoes led to 43 deaths in the Southern United States. This was the largest number of fatalities in an outbreak in the United States since the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak. It is locally referred to as the "Forgotten Outbreak" in Alabama as it was vastly overshadowed by the 2011 Super Outbreak less than two weeks later.
The 2011 Super Outbreak was the largest,costliest,and one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks ever recorded,taking place in the Southern,Midwestern,and Northeastern United States from April 25 to 28,2011,leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake. Over 175 tornadoes struck Alabama,Mississippi,and Tennessee,which were the most severely damaged states. Other destructive tornadoes occurred in Arkansas,Georgia,Kentucky,Louisiana,New York,and Virginia,with storms also affecting other states in the Southern and Eastern United States. In total,360 tornadoes were confirmed by NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) and Government of Canada's Environment Canada in 21 states from Texas to New York to southern Canada. Widespread and destructive tornadoes occurred on each day of the outbreak. April 27 was the most active day,with a record 216 tornadoes touching down that day from midnight to midnight CDT. Four of the tornadoes were rated EF5,which is the highest ranking on the Enhanced Fujita scale;typically these tornadoes are recorded no more than once a year.
From May 21 to May 26,2011,one of the largest tornado outbreaks on record affected the Midwestern and Southern regions of the United States. A six-day tornado outbreak sequence,most of the tornadoes developed in a corridor from Lake Superior southwest to central Texas,while isolated tornadoes occurred in other areas. An especially destructive EF5 tornado destroyed one-third of Joplin,Missouri,resulting in 158 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. The Joplin tornado was the deadliest in the United States since April 9,1947,when an intense tornado killed 181 in the Woodward,Oklahoma,area. Tornado-related deaths also occurred in Arkansas,Kansas,Minnesota,and Oklahoma. Overall,the tornado outbreak resulted in 186 deaths,8 of those non-tornadic,making it second only to the 2011 Super Outbreak as the deadliest since 1974. It was the second costliest tornado outbreak in United States history behind that same April 2011 outbreak,with insured damage estimated at $4–7 billion.
The 2011 Joplin tornado was a large and devastating multiple-vortex tornado that struck Joplin,Missouri,United States,on the evening of Sunday,May 22,2011. Part of a larger late-May tornado outbreak,the EF5 tornado began just west of Joplin and intensified very quickly,reaching a maximum width of nearly one mile (1.6 km) during its path through the southern part of the city. The tornado tracked eastward through Joplin,and then continued across Interstate 44 into rural portions of Jasper and Newton counties,weakening before it dissipated.
During the late afternoon and early evening of April 27,2011,a violent,high-end EF4 multiple-vortex tornado destroyed portions of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham,Alabama,as well as smaller communities and rural areas between the two cities. It is one of the costliest tornadoes on record,and was one of the 360 tornadoes in the 2011 Super Outbreak,the largest tornado outbreak in United States history. The tornado reached a maximum path width of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) during its track through Tuscaloosa,and again when it crossed I-65 north of Birmingham,attaining estimated wind speeds of 190 mph (310 km/h) shortly after passing through the city. It then went on to impact parts of Birmingham at high-end EF4 intensity before dissipating. This was the third tornado to strike the city of Tuscaloosa in the past decade,and the second in two weeks.
The 2011 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado was a large,long-lived,and devastating EF5 tornado that impacted 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. It was the deadliest tornado of the 2011 Super Outbreak,the largest tornado outbreak in United States history. The second of four EF5 tornadoes to touch down on April 27,the tornado reached a maximum width of 1.25 miles (2.01 km) and was estimated to have had peak winds of 210 mph (340 km/h).
A small but damaging tornado outbreak impacted northern Texas,south-central Oklahoma,northern Louisiana,and northern Alabama in mid-May 2013. The outbreak was the result of an upper-level shortwave trough that tracked across the Southern Plains of the United States. An associated low-pressure area and atmospheric instability resulted in the formation of tornadoes across northern Texas and Oklahoma on May 15. Afterwards the storm system weakened as it tracked eastward,though six additional tornadoes were reported in Texas,Louisiana,and Alabama in the two days following May 15. Over a period of nearly two days,the storm system produced 26 tornadoes in four states. The strongest of these was an EF4 tornado which struck Hood County,Texas on May 15. However,on May 16 and May 17 no tornadoes were confirmed to have been stronger than EF1 intensity. In addition to tornadoes,large hail was reported,peaking at 4 in (10 cm) in diameter near Mineral Wells,Texas on May 15.
The 2013 Moore tornado was a large and extremely violent EF5 tornado that ravaged Moore,Oklahoma,and adjacent areas on the afternoon of May 20,2013,with peak winds estimated at 210 miles per hour (340 km/h),killing 24 people and injuring 212 others. The tornado was part of a larger outbreak from a slow-moving weather system that had produced several other tornadoes across the Great Plains over the previous two days,including five that had struck portions of Central Oklahoma the day prior on May 19.
A relatively widespread,damaging,and deadly tornado outbreak struck the central and southern United States in late April 2014. The storm complex responsible for the outbreak produced multiple long-track tornadoes –seven of which were deadly,causing 35 fatalities. One additional death occurred in Florida,due to severe flooding associated with this system.
The 2011 Philadelphia,Mississippi Tornado was a violent EF5 tornado that touched down in eastern Mississippi on the afternoon of April 27,2011. Part of the historic 2011 Super Outbreak,the largest tornado outbreak on record,this was the first of four EF5 tornadoes to touch down that day and the first such storm in Mississippi since the 1966 Candlestick Park tornado. While on the ground for 30 minutes,it traveled along a 28.28-mile (45.51 km) path through four counties,leaving behind three deaths,eight injuries,and $1.1 million in damage.
The 2011 Smithville,Mississippi tornado was an extremely violent and fast-moving EF5 wedge tornado that devastated areas of rural Mississippi and Alabama,including the town of Smithville,Mississippi during the afternoon of April 27,2011,resulting in catastrophic damage and 23 fatalities. This tornado was a part of the 2011 Super Outbreak,the largest tornado outbreak in United States history,and the third of four EF5 tornadoes to touch down on April 27,2011,during the outbreak's most prolific day for tornadoes. The tornado reached an estimated maximum width of 3⁄4 of a mile with estimated wind speeds up to 205 mph (330 km/h).
Throughout the evening hours of April 9,2015,an extremely violent and long-lived multiple-vortex tornado tore through the communities near Rochelle and in Fairdale,Illinois. Part of a larger severe weather event that impacted the Central United States,the tornado first touched down in Lee County at 6:39 p.m. CDT (23:39 UTC). It progressed through the counties of Ogle,DeKalb,and Boone before finally dissipating at 7:20 p.m. CDT. Along the tornado's 30.14-mile (48.51 km) path,numerous structures were heavily damaged or destroyed,especially in the small town of Fairdale where two fatalities and eleven injuries were recorded. A few well-constructed homes were swept completely away,indicative of peak winds near 200 mph (320 km/h),the upper bounds of an EF4 tornado. In the aftermath of the event,hundreds of citizens assisted in cleanup and recovery efforts. Economic losses from the tornado reached $19 million.
The 2011 El Reno–Piedmont tornado was a long-tracked and deadly EF5 tornado that struck central Oklahoma on the evening of May 24,2011. The tornado impacted areas near or within the communities of El Reno,Piedmont,and Guthrie,killing nine and injuring 181. After producing incredible damage in several locations along a path of more than 60 miles (97 km),the El Reno–Piedmont tornado was given a rating of EF5,the highest category on the Enhanced Fujita scale,as well as being the highest rated tornado on the scale since its implementation in 2007,with estimated peak winds >210 mph (337 km/h). It was also the first tornado rated EF5 or F5 to strike Oklahoma since the 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado. A mobile radar found that the tornado possessed possible wind speeds of up to 295 mph (475 km/h).
The 2008 Parkersburg–New Hartford tornado was an extremely powerful EF5 wedge tornado that devastated portions of northeast Iowa,most notably the town of Parkersburg,during the afternoon of May 25,2008,resulting in catastrophic damage and nine fatalities.
