#april27th #tornado #outbreak #EF5tornado WAFF coverage of the storm that moved through Marshall County and went on to produce the EF5 Tornado in Rainsville. This tornado would be on the ground over 33 miles with peak winds over 200 mph. Tragically 25 people would die in this tornado. Many residents were without power from the storms that hit earlier that morning and afternoon. Our own Live radar was destroyed earlier that afternoon and the NEXRAD in Hytop was down due to loss of power. The radars used to track the storms were from Birmingham and Nashville. Here is some of the survey information from the National Weather Service office in Huntsville.
The tornado path is likely to have begun in the Lakeview community northeast of Geraldine before tracking northeastward, generally parallel to and just east of State Route 75. Along this line, the tornado passed through Fyffe, Rainsville, Sylvania, and eventually into northern DeKalb County south of the Cartersville community. On the first day of surveys, the survey team noticed intial damage in the Lakeview community where the path width was generally around 50 yards. This initial damage included mostly felled and snapped trees and structural damage to small buildings. Extensive damage was noted especially in the Rainsvile and Sylvania communities where the path width was estimated to be up to 1/2 mile wide. Damage in Rainsville included houses that were completely removed from foundations, with debris scattered for about one mile. Near this location, trees were debarked and a few mobile homes were completely destroyed, with debris strewn for about a mile downstream. In the Sylvania community, a similar situation occurred with houses completely removed from foundations and debris blown far downstream. Some of these houses were connected to their foundations with anchor bolts and foundation straps, indicating a stronger construction of the homes.
On the second day of surveys, information was received from DeKalb County EMA, who conducted several areal surveys and determined that the tornado damage path was indeed continuous from the Lakeview community through Rainsville, Sylvania, and then to south of the Cartersville area in northeastern DeKalb County. Further damage was observed to the north of Cartersville and into Northwest Georgia, but this was later determined to be another tornado track from earlier in the day. Ground surveys were conducted from the Blake community into southeast Sylvania, then through Henagar, Ider, and to the Cartersville area. The tornado damage continued along the path from the Blake community, intersecting County Road 27 and continuing to the northeast, running parellel between Hwy 75 and Interstate 59 through Henagar, Ider and then to south of Cartersville. In the Blake community, the tornado damage width was estimated to be one half to as much as three-quarters of a mile wide. Along County Road 27 just southeast of the Sylvania community, significant damage was observed. All exterior and interior walls of several homes were completely destroyed with partial block and mortar foundations remaining. In one instance, a concrete slab that served as a porch was displaced a few feet and broken in half. Some hardwood trees in the area were stripped with no stubs of any branches remaining and were partially debarked. The Mountain View Baptist Church, which was just inside the Sylvania community also sustained significant damage. An old, one-story portion of the church dating to 1902 and constructed of a brick and mortar exterior on wood frame walls was completely destroyed. A recent two-story addition to the church constructed in 2004 and consisting of similar building materials was partially destroyed, with most exterior walls and nearly all interior walls fallen. A concrete block and mortar foundation was all that remained of a hallway adjoining the two buildings.
More information. www.weather.gov/hun/4272011_d...
24 апр 2023
