News DetailDamage assessments from Feb 5, 2008 tornado outbreak
Posted At: February 8, 2008 @ 10:11 AM
Posted By: Reed Timmer
Related Categories: Tornadoes
Here is a summary of the damage surveys produced by the affected National Weather Service offices from the February 5, 2008 tornado outbreak. The NWS offices included are Huntsville, AL; Nashville, TN; Memphis, TN; Paducah, KY; and Little Rock, AR. The information here will be updated as the final damage assessments are posted. Shown below is a graphical summary of the entire outbreak front the Storm Prediction Center:
Huntsville, AL NWS:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hun/stormsurveys/2008-02-06/index.php
1. EF4 in Lawrence and Morgan Counties, AL: Tornado was on the ground between 3:00 and 3:20 am CST. Large trees up to 4 feet in diameter were completely snapped, and a 16.7 mile long damage path was produced. Several houses were damaged in Aldridge Grove, AL, including a 2300 square foot, brick, 2-story home that was nearly leveled off its foundation.
2. EF4 in Jackson County, AL: Tornado was on the ground between 5:17 and 5:34 am CST, with estimated winds up to 180 mph.
Nashville, TN NWS:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ohx/surveys/images/020508/poststorm_020508.php
Official damage surveys still pending. Preliminary reports are displayed below:
Memphis, TN NWS:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/meg/events/20080205/stormSurvey.php
1. EF4 in Hardin County, TN: This tornado touched down at around 7:40 pm and was on the ground until 7:57 pm CST, producing a 15 mile long damage path 1/2 mile in width at times.
2. EF4 in Madison County, TN: This tornado produced EF4 damage at Union University in Jackson, TN, and also damaged a rest stop on Interstate 40. The path width of the Union U tornado was 150 yards.
3. EF3 tornado in Lafayette County, MS: Touched down about 4 miles north fo the town of Oxford, MS, and had a 1/2 mile wide damage path in an industrial area.
4. EF3 in N Fayette County, TN
5. EF2 in northeast Shelby Co and southeast Tipton Co, TN: This was the tornado that touched down in the south side of Memphis and continued northeast through southeast Tipton Co producing a non-continuous damage path of EF0 to EF2 damage. Memphis International Airport and a mall were heavily damaged.
Huntsville, AL NWS:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hun/stormsurveys/2008-02-06/index.php
1. EF4 in Lawrence and Morgan Counties, AL: Tornado was on the ground between 3:00 and 3:20 am CST. Large trees up to 4 feet in diameter were completely snapped, and a 16.7 mile long damage path was produced. Several houses were damaged in Aldridge Grove, AL, including a 2300 square foot, brick, 2-story home that was nearly leveled off its foundation.
2. EF4 in Jackson County, AL: Tornado was on the ground between 5:17 and 5:34 am CST, with estimated winds up to 180 mph.
Nashville, TN NWS:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ohx/surveys/images/020508/poststorm_020508.php
Official damage surveys still pending. Preliminary reports are displayed below:
Memphis, TN NWS:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/meg/events/20080205/stormSurvey.php
1. EF4 in Hardin County, TN: This tornado touched down at around 7:40 pm and was on the ground until 7:57 pm CST, producing a 15 mile long damage path 1/2 mile in width at times.
2. EF4 in Madison County, TN: This tornado produced EF4 damage at Union University in Jackson, TN, and also damaged a rest stop on Interstate 40. The path width of the Union U tornado was 150 yards.
3. EF3 tornado in Lafayette County, MS: Touched down about 4 miles north fo the town of Oxford, MS, and had a 1/2 mile wide damage path in an industrial area.
4. EF3 in N Fayette County, TN
5. EF2 in northeast Shelby Co and southeast Tipton Co, TN: This was the tornado that touched down in the south side of Memphis and continued northeast through southeast Tipton Co producing a non-continuous damage path of EF0 to EF2 damage. Memphis International Airport and a mall were heavily damaged.
Paducah, KY NWS:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pah/?n=Feb508tornadoes
1. EF3 in Muhlenberg County, KY: Tornado began about 4 miles southwest of Greenville, KY at 7:44 pm CST, and produced a 12 mile lone damage path averaging 325 yards in width.
2. EF2 in Christian County, KY: Tornado was on the ground between 7:09 pm and 7:25 pm CST.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pah/?n=Feb508tornadoes
1. EF3 in Muhlenberg County, KY: Tornado began about 4 miles southwest of Greenville, KY at 7:44 pm CST, and produced a 12 mile lone damage path averaging 325 yards in width.
2. EF2 in Christian County, KY: Tornado was on the ground between 7:09 pm and 7:25 pm CST.
Little Rock, AR NWS:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/html/svr0208.htm
1. Storm #1: Likely produced several tornadoes, but possibly 1 long-track tornado with a pathlength of over 120 miles! This storm produced at least EF3 damage in several communities, and will possibly be assigned a higher rating depending on another damage survey expected today (Friday, Feb 8). Several damage areas have still not been assessed due to impassable roads and rough terrain, but should be reached today as well. The communities of Atkins (Pope Co), Clinton (Van Buren Co), Mountain View (Stone Co), Ash Flat and Highland (Sharp Co) sustained horrible damage, and sadly, 13 fatalities were reported from this tornado(es). The width of the damage path was over 1/2 mile at times.
2. Storm #2: A second supercell further north produced severe damage in the community of Gassville as the tornado moved from Marion to Baxter County, AR. 1 fatality was caused by this storm as well.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/html/svr0208.htm
1. Storm #1: Likely produced several tornadoes, but possibly 1 long-track tornado with a pathlength of over 120 miles! This storm produced at least EF3 damage in several communities, and will possibly be assigned a higher rating depending on another damage survey expected today (Friday, Feb 8). Several damage areas have still not been assessed due to impassable roads and rough terrain, but should be reached today as well. The communities of Atkins (Pope Co), Clinton (Van Buren Co), Mountain View (Stone Co), Ash Flat and Highland (Sharp Co) sustained horrible damage, and sadly, 13 fatalities were reported from this tornado(es). The width of the damage path was over 1/2 mile at times.
2. Storm #2: A second supercell further north produced severe damage in the community of Gassville as the tornado moved from Marion to Baxter County, AR. 1 fatality was caused by this storm as well.
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Wow...some of those sure looked long lived :X I can see why they did so much damage. How sad!!
Side note: we're under a windchill warning...
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/index.php?product=alerts&placecode=cask0261®ion=wwcask0004
It's really bad down here.
I am not trying to sound depressing or whatever, but it is very bad.
There are places in Zion alone where nothing has really even been touched since it happened, because those people are still in the hospital. My neighbor is a nurse and she was working from the Batesville hospital yesterday (which is the closest to this part of the damage path) and she said that there were easily 120 people there who were tornado victims, many with horrific injures that do not need to be described.
Remember what it looked like on TV after Katrina? with the animals all dirty and beat up and lost looking, wandering around in debris? That's what I saw this morning.
There is a pretty big relief effort set for tomorrow, with supplies being brought to the Izard Co. fairgrounds. What is really needed is manpower: people to help clean up. I can't explain to you how much debris there is here. And I haven't even been to Highland or Mt. View or Clinton, or, or...
Just an update.
By looking at the over all larger map i believe i count 4-6 long track supercells, and that produced multiple tornadoes, through out there life.
I also find it amazing how the tornado's that occured in Alabama, did not cause any known fatalities, being as how early morning/late night they were.
One final question....Heidi, is it possible trying to describe, you location, compared to the tornado track, and was it the longlived cell, or the smaller track you were affected by.
I lied...One more question...Reed, Joel, Donny, Heidi, and anyone else with a opinion, what are you guys thoughts/feelings, on what the model is showing for next week. I did notice that on the 12z the precip has changed a little bit...possibly shifting more east...but further south.
Also, i know i was the one wanting a blizzard bad and so fourth, well i've decided, the snow storm i got was good enough, and i'm sick of winter, i'm ready for it to be over...not because of shoveling or the cold, just i'm tired about hearing about all these fatal weather related accidents, and it eclipsed, when i lost our neighbor the othernight. He death was ruled a drowning, and Coroner, has told the family, he was unconcious, but being with his son, and seeing the truck yesterday, we both find it very hard to believe that he was unconcious. The cab of the vehicle, was fairly well intact still, with the heaviest damage on the front passenger side, where he hit the guard rail, before catpulting straight up and over, upside down into the water...there was a amazing amount of room left in the cab. NO cave in. He was said to have severe bruising on the rightside of the his upper arm/shoulder, which would be result of flipping and coming down hard on it/shoulder ramming the window trying to break out, but very minor blunt force trauma, described by the corner. With a few broken ribs.
His son believes he was concious because his dad was a very big man, and from knowing him, he was verry tough. He believes, being a smoker, and also disoriented, from flipping and being upside down, in fridgid water were contributing factors to his dad not escaping...When you hit 30-40 degree water, it sucks the air out of you from the shock. The only thing not under water of the truck was the back wheels.
Blah sorry for ranting, just had to get this stuff off my back.
More snow today, blah.
*hugs Heidi*
It'll be ok, give things a little time to repair themselves...
I'm sure if Greensburg can rebuild and live through it your comminty can too :)
Hey guys, I check this site out alot...really awesome stuff. I found this video and I hadn't seen anyone post it yet of the large Arkansas tornado from Tuesday.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uEVmCvA6ujc&feature=related
http://weather.cod.edu/analysis/analysis.upr.html
Ben, try this site out to look at the CAPE forecast..it gives ya the SBCAPE/MLCAPE/MUCAPES
@ Ben - Ours was the long-lived one, basically from sw of Atkins, AR, to ne of Highland, AR. The other one (through Baxter Co) was the county just to my sw. ... Sorry about your neighbor. :-(
I have not looked at the models. I really don't want to, actually. I probably will sometime over the weekend. We're in that phase around here where our mets. don't even want to say the word thunderstorm.
I forgot to say, on a brighter note - I saw maybe the most awesome Kelvin-Helmholtz waves ever this morning when I was driving back from the damage path. The one day all week I've left home without the camera. It was a nice sight, though. :)
Blizzard Warning just added to that Windchill Warning!!! I have no more classes, so I'll keep my eyes open and maybe risk that frostbite-in-10-mins warning to get some videos!!
That sounds terrible Heidi....probably very similar to the scene we witnessed on May 3, 99...with animals wandering around everywhere. We saw horses just walking aimlessly down the highway, semi-trucks thrown through buildings, etc.
The 100s injured is horrible...there has to be a better way to get the word out before these massive nighttime outbreaks. Maybe a mass weather radio distribution is in order...We could definitely organize a campaign like this on tv.net - I'd definitely be willing to donate a significant amount to purchase weather radios. Maybe we could work out some kind of weather radio drive on the store.
Just speculating here, but I'm getting the distinct sense that the Little Rock NWS office may be sitting on a potential EF-5 rating. That office has seen (E)F-4 damage in the recent past, and it's not a usual occurrence for an office to actually request a quick response team. And the level of devastation in the area (not to downplay damage in other regions) sounds *especially* severe.
(I've heard a lot of speculation that part of the reason for the lack of F5 tornadoes between 1999 and 2007 was the formation of the QRT, and that, at least in some events, the local office did not go for a higher rating because that meant a group of experts would be flown in to review their work. There are a number of "high-F3" events with multiple casualties from that era that deserve a second look. I guess you just can't get away from politics...)
At this point, though, it really doesn't (or shouldn't) matter if that tornado was a 4 or a 5 or if it was one long track event or a family. It still killed 13 people and devastated some many lives, and those people need all the help they can get.
Simon E.
Reed... I've spoken to a few of the Canwarn (our version of Skywarn) people, and the idea of mass weather radio distribution has come up many times. When combined with other warning broadcasts (e.g. Amber Alerts, boil water advisories) it could be argued that it would be a safety device akin to a fire alarm.
Not sure what the cost is in the States, but up here, a weather radio goes for at least $50 (and possibly $80), so I think its a combined issue of cost and public awareness.
Simon E.
Hey guys! I have the day off from school today, not because of the weather though. Just a teacher inservice ;) Heidi, it's tough, yes, but it'll be fine.
Simon: That sounds like a great idea to me. There were several instances in Greensburg where people had gone to bed early, and didn't have a weather radio to warn them. Since their TVs were off also, there was no way they knew how bad the storm really was. I would try to push that idea with the local government...
Simon...the tornado you speak of, the one which killed 13 people...well it sounds like NWS preliminary surveys are indicating that was in fact one long tracked tornado that ended up entering KY, and was responsible for at least 24 deaths. From the sounds of it, it was one nasty mother of a storm (The governor, after searching the area, said that the damage looked as if "the good lord had scoured the earth with a brillo pad"). This was truly a tragedy that I hope is never repeated, and I have to honor a sincere thank you and congratulations for all of those affected that still too time to help the others around them that were in need.
Heidi lol, you will be fine, i promise:)
I don't like the models for next week... I think we need a break from severe weather.
i think reed is right, we need better more effective way to get tornado warnings out to the public....especially in nightime outbreaks. This is defentintly going to be a looong tornado season.
Amen, Evan, amen.
This whole thing is really eerie...
Heidi mentioned some areas that are essentially abandoned at this point because residents are still in hospital... this coupled with the fact that the damage survey team has not been able to reach some areas. Has everyone actually been accounted for? It's a horrifying thought, but I think the full extent and severity of this event hasn't had a chance to fully come into focus yet.
Simon E.
The stats on that thing are absolutely frightening.....
From that storm alone, 24 people have been killed, with well over 100 injured....and even more erie, over 200 people remain unaccounted for.
Heidi, it always amazes me to see the true defining strength of people like yourself and those around you. Instead of mulling over all that you lost, you are taking charge of helping others in need. There is no other way to describe it other than awe-inspiring. The world would be a much better place with more people like you in it.
That sounds like an amazing idea Reed!! I will definitely try to pitch in on that!! My moneys tight right now, but I will still do my best for that!! Count me in on that!! Sounds like something tv.net and competition can work towards!! Would be a great gesture too!!
I agree Evan and Simon. I doubt that the full extent of this disaster will be known for quite some time. At least the President took a trip to Tennessee, and comforted people there. Maybe this time responsive action will be taken...
Ahhh O-M-G tonight with windchill, -51 C / -60 F !!!!!!!!!
i havn't looked a models today yet ben-i really don't want to- i like a good t-storm as much as the next peson but this just takes the cake- and the sad truth zach is no matter how much dvanced the warning system is- it's up to the people to take shelter- you can't force them to
Reed, some communities distribute the warning radios to people in the town free of charge, like my former city of Richmond, KY. The reason of that though was more because of the army depot with the degrading WWII weapons about 10 mins away, but they also work for all the weather bulletins as well.
Heidi, really bad to hear about all the people still trying to heal from the storms in your area. It's kinda like what occurred here last June, except where those tornadoes hit was sparsely populated. I have to wonder if there is also a line like the 40mile-long track tornado made through the NE Wis forests.
-On a side note, Heidi, I couldn't help but notice your last name. My geology professor at my alma school has the same name, though I think he's possibly from NY.
Jeri, although that is true, even those programs are flawed. The main flaw is that most only implement programs like4 that AFTER a major tornado even has already taken place in the area.
Donny, you bring up a good point. Even though we may issue a million warnings, there will still be someone who doesn't heed to them. We can't do anything about that either, and it just tears you up knowing that. All we can do is our job, and hope people respond responsibly.
Jeri: I'd be more scared to live near an old munitions depot than I am to live in Tornado Alley. lol.
Even though a lotta people don't listen to warnings, a lotta people still do!! also we need to consider peoples abilities to take cover! Older folks like to go to bed usually just after dark! Unless they have a way to wake em up!! They would never know sometimes!! Or it may take them too long to seek safety!! That's what worries me about weather!!
I also feel that since I am a younger able body person, it should be my duty to head into the weather to report or respond if needed!!
I second that motion Brady. Although, you still need to book some plane tickets down here, and catch a ride with us on a storm chase some time this summer ;) haha
Now if I had children of my own and family that needed me! MY first priority would be them!! Next my community and so forth! But I don't have any children to protect and my mom and bro are quite capable of taking proper precautions! ( not saying I don't worry about them)!! So people should really quit rolling their eyes at me for driving around looking at clouds!! ... Sorry, had to go on a lil rant der!!
i agree third what brady said
It's going to be okay. Garentee it. You all would be surprised at how well Greensburg, KS is coming back. What I do find interesting about how Greensburg is coming back is that alot of residents are deciding not to have basements this time and go with the safe rooms in the master bedroom closets. Personally, I have been in both situations and I would rather be in the basement. Doesn't hurt your ears as much, at least that is my opinion.
On another note, looking over past years weather reports and compairing them to this year as of yet, We are in for a VERY VERY active season this year that is more than likely going to last well into October if not November. But then this is a country that the weather changes whenever it decides to. Especially Kansas. I love how we have a blizzard in one half of the state and then have tornado warnings in the other half of the state. I am refering back to 1999 and 2003. Got to love it.
Maybe I can get my $$ issues fix and get down there this summer AJ!! I wouldn't even mind the drive if gas prices wasn't such a storm chasers worst enemy! Maybe Tim n I will come down!! We'll have to see!! Sounds like a blast!!
haha. I remember that Stephanie... it was insane. I would've prefered the tornado warnings over a blizzard, but that's just me ;) And my personal preference as far as tornado shelters are concerned, would have to be underground cellars. We had one in my old house out in the country, and it worked extremely well when we needed it.
Brady: a plane ticket to Garden City, KS can't cost much ;) haha
lol, I'd almost bet that this severe weather will ladt into may/june, and then dry for the rest of the year. But that's mostly because I'm still not used to storms again after last year lol.
Preliminary ranking of the Atkins-Highland AR tornado has been upgraded fo EF-4.
The last tornado to hit here was november of 2000 I remebere I was only 3 years old. I was at a party at mu uncle's house and a big thunderstorm came rolling through we had no ida it produced a tornado. the city was about 6 miles from the city. there was a lot of lighning and thunder and wind I think we were in the RDF evean though I had no ida what a tornado was or haw it formed. I did'nt live near them I lived in indeanna at the time the tornado was rated an F1. I'm not sure about the wind but it did do some damage to te city. it went right through the city. for more infomation on the tornadoes that have hit my town go here
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/?n=tornado_climatology_woodford
i was just about to say that evan guess you got to it first- just glad everyone i know here made it threw good- i guess it's a shot of reality- ya know just going to show you how precious life and friends really are
Yeah, I know, but many people live around it anyway, enough to put my university I graduated from near it too. It's a pretty big place and they test it regularly but still run the drills. If there was a huge leak of stuff - this is poison gas munitions, not regular munitions- people have to go up to basically the next county over, if they arn't trapped in their homes, that is. The talks about getting the stuff disposed keep hitting delaying snags. Pretty glad I don't live there anymore.
Not looking forward to the weekend with the below-zero stuff and the wind chill advisories with -35 to -50 wind chills up here though. Good thing I get off early enough in the evening tomorrow and plan to watch the race. ^_^
Ahh, I see. That sounds more dangerous to me, but oh well... the only poisonous gas I have to deal with is the methane from the feed yards in our area. lol. Now that's dangerous ;)
Yeah, I agree Donny. There's no better reality check than that, even though it's a harsh one.
HMMMMM looking fowerd to this spring exsasally April and May that's our tornado seasons. we had a tornado warning in Febuary? really really really really rare to have one to touch the ground. evean to atleast have a severe thunderstorm warning is rare... and F5's and EF5's had happend in that month.
Reed usally late march through augest is your primary season. I think you already know that but usally in the winter the suthern states get hit. that's probaly why we did'nt see the tornadoes in the midwest. they call this Dixie alley. nexy week looks intresting they may have to issue a slight for the northorn states like indianna WI, and MN, we won't see our long lived supercell tornadoes like we saw 3 days ago. mainly hail and high winds. but you can never rule out a tornado
IMO Broadcast Meteorologist, like your local news station, The Weather Channel and major news channels like CNN and MSNBC, are limited as to what they can say in as far severe weather prediction.
Unlike a few of us in here we know when severe weather episodes can take place becuase we are always studying models, and other forcasting tools
Now if the general public was to know this information ahead of time as a whole the world would be alittle safer.
But... people don't have time for it, and may not be interested. AND Broadcast meteologist CANNOT say ANYTHING about severe weather outbreaks until they know for certain it is going to happen, and that is normally at best a couple of hours before it actually happens..
Now try and tell a whole state affected by potential severe weather in less then 2 hours... They really can't say the day before " Tomorrow we are expecting a massive tornado outbreak" They cannot say it.. They CAN say " Tomorrow is looking like we have a strong chance for some severe weather with some large hail and damaging winds, possible and maybe a tornado or two" .. They can't scare people because if the chance they are wrong the public will never listen to warnings or watches..
Go ask any person who you don't know.. Ask a few.. Ask them "Whats is a Tornado Watch?" most of the time they get it worng... Very sad isn't it..
There is alot of grey area..
Meteorologist go by
Truth Positives, False Positives
False Negatives, and Truth Negatives.
Whats ever situations falls into one of these catagories has a dramatic effect on how meteorologst are looked at either by the public or place of work.. It's very hard at times to control a situation to fall into the best catagory for this Situational Assesment.
But if we told everybody the potential risk a the next day could hold, it would hurt Economy, Education, Quality of life, ect...
So I think there needs to be a new organization where people can go to and it can be brought to them the day to day weather expectations where it is blunt and straitforward, and have a notice on 2 day severe weather outlooks that there is a high chance of torndao outbreaks and severe weather. But with a caution "this is only a prediction based off of our current information stay tuned in for the lates updates... Then people wouldn't freak out as much and when the day it said to happen and it does it will be much better prepared for... It would cost millions of dollars to do and how to do it exactly would take a large amount of time and money..
If Everybody in the US would tap into the SPC site and read the outlooks things maybe alot different as well. but most people don't know what the SPC is..
Weather happens every second of everyday, it's the air we breath, most people never even take the time to look up once in a while To be honest there isn't much we really can do.. but there is still is always a way, somebody just have to find it.
i just did some reaserch last time there was an EF-4 tornado in arkansas was in 1999 in clay county
Thanks for all your thoughts, guys. You all make some very good points and I LOVE the idea of the weather radios. I have to say, though, that there needs to be an "easy to use" (read: dummy proof) radio developed. Heck, I have one of the ones that's supposed to sound an alarm and I can't figure out how to make it go off. It would be cool if it was actually in the STYLE of a fire alarm, that way people would (hopefully) remember to change the batteries and it would be unobtrusive.
We have a huge relief thing going on tomorrow, but again, as far as I know it's mostly supplies. I really think the National Guard should be called in to help with debris removal. They're in Mt. View to prevent looting, but they ought to be more visible in Izard Co.
Oh, and Jeri, if I may ask, what is the name of the school (or the town?) where you had a teacher by that name? My husband is a teacher and has lived (and even taught geology) in a lot of places around the country.
His name is Stewart Farrar, and he teaches at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY. This is his website at the school - http://people.eku.edu/farrars/
Good luck there and hope things go well for everyone trying to regroup and rebuild.