April 27, 2011

2.9 SE Crane Hill - 1.4 NE Hebron A violent long track tornado developed on the north side of Lewis Smith Lake along County Road 310 where some light damage was found. The tornado tracked northeast and snapped numerous large trees and caused significant structural damage to residences along County Roads 222 and 436 near Grandview. The tornado tracked northeast into the city of Cullman. Some of the worst damage occurred just northeast of U.S. Highways 31 and 278. Several small retail buildings were completely destroyed, along with the near total destruction of a large church. The tornado tracked across State Highway 157, then caused additional damage north of State Highway 69 between Simcoe and Pleasant View. Just north of Fairview along County Roads 1559 and 1564, 2 homes were destroyed with significant portions of the homes not found. Further northeast along County Road 1589, the tornado caused major structural damage to several old (early 1900s) homes. Numerous hardwood trees were debarked. A 1/4 to 1/2 mile wide corridor of significant damage persisted between Fairview and the Morgan County Line. A violent tornado tracked from Cullman County into extreme southeast Morgan County near the town of Hulaco. Peak wind speeds of up to 175 mph caused significant damage between Hyatt Bottom Road and Blocker Road, just east of State Highway 67. Several cinder block and old construction homes were destroyed, and numerous trees were snapped and sheared toward the base. A violent tornado with peak wind speeds of 190 mph crossed into northwest Marshall County. The most severe damage occurred on either side of U.S. Highway 231 north of Arab, particularly in the Ruth Community and along Hog Jaw Road. Along Hog Jaw Road, a large storage shed with farm equipment was destroyed with some of the large machinery tossed 10 to 20 yards around the shed. In the Ruth Community, Mount Oak and Frontier Roads were hardest hit where a cinder block/cement home was nearly wiped clean. Debris from a home on Frontier Road was thrown 50 to 100 yards away. A family of 9 was in this house and 5 were killed. A trailer was missing and a metal-bolted garage was wiped clean of its foundation. Along Frontier Road, a large brick home was nearly wiped clean off its foundation with several large trees ripped out of the ground and missing. Further northeast along the path, along Walnut Ridge, a one-story home was severely damaged with the roof missing and a trailer that was tossed into a tree. Several concrete power poles were bent over as the tornado crossed U.S. Highway 231, some bent at the base. On the east side of Highway 231, a gas station building was completely demolished and two gas pumps were ripped from the ground and missing. The canopy over the pumps remained mostly intact. The tornado continued toward Union Grove. The degree of damage weakened somewhat but several homes had significant damage where the top stories and roofs were destroyed and the external walls had collapsed. Along County Road 240, a double-wide manufactured home was destroyed and a large garage collapsed but the well-built roof remained intact. The tornado significantly weakened as it crossed the Tennessee River. On the other side of the river, the tornado snapped and uprooted numerous trees as it crossed Walker Road and just across U.S. Highway 431 before it lifted just northeast of Highway 431. Start: 34.0757/-87.0097 End: 34.4935/-86.3628

NWS EF Scale: F4

Part of 59-tornado outbreak on April 27, 2011