Wasn’t there a home in Hackleburg that had concrete stem walls sheared off at something like 2-4 inches AGL? I feel like that may have been the only legitimate home in Hackleburg rated EF5.
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Significant Tornado Events
- Thread starter locomusic01
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Shelby
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Here is Smithville kinematics. I am not sure that I have seen its equal?
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Western_KS_Wx
Member
Here’s some examples of homes swept away in EF5-fashion. Not sure how convincing the construction quality is on these ones however.
(I’m pretty positive this photo is from the Hackleburg tornado, but I’m not 100% on that)
Aerials of probable EF5 damage.
These were homes rated EF5 by the survey team. The first one is highly questionable and was rated EF4 by Tim Marshall (rightfully so), while the latter 2 are from the home in Oak Grove often cited as having higher-quality construction. That can also come into question, as it appears the foundation is a CMU foundation.
It is also worth noting just how extreme the damage was to the Wrangler plant. In my opinion this is a level of destruction that could warrant an EF5 rating.
sripey
Member
The vegetation damage in that second photo is incredibly impressive. Also of note is the the near "wood chip" level of granulation surrounding that foundation.
If that's the large brick home/mansion that was swept away in Oak Grove, it also had "extensive" anchoring per the survey team. It's hard to tell what the CMU blocks are used for there.
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re: The Hackleburg survey was indeed weird, and on the DAT it's a freakin' mess. Some DI's were highballed, others were lowballed.
The home @slenker mentioned that had its concrete stemwalls pulled off is on the DAT as an EF3 DI with an estimated wind speed of 200MPH, for some reason.
Some EF5 DI's say "threshold of visible damage". Others say "debris not blown from slabs". And yet, not a single swept slab home in Tanner was rated EF5, just to give a few examples.
Spots with genuine (in my opinion) EF5 damage...
Phil Campbell:
Mount Hope: CMU framed restaurant. Slab not entirely swept clean, but a portion of the slab itself was sucked up.
Tanner: multiple slab homes swept clean, some well-built and anchored per NWS Huntsville
Other areas where plausible EF5 damage occurred:
US 43 SW of Hackleburg: Many poorly constructed homes, but at least a few that seemed like stronger EF5 candidates. Details unknown due to the fact that NWS Huntsville used blanket DIs here.
Wrangler duplexes in Hackleburg: buildings on poured slabs, but level of anchoring unknown.
Cornelius Dr, Phil Campbell: entire cul-de-sac obliterated with three fatalities. Homes swept from slabs, but construction details unknown.
Woodard Rd, Phil Campbell: At least one slab home swept, but details unknown. To say the DAT is a mess here would be an understatement.
The home @slenker mentioned that had its concrete stemwalls pulled off is on the DAT as an EF3 DI with an estimated wind speed of 200MPH, for some reason.
Some EF5 DI's say "threshold of visible damage". Others say "debris not blown from slabs". And yet, not a single swept slab home in Tanner was rated EF5, just to give a few examples.
Spots with genuine (in my opinion) EF5 damage...
Phil Campbell:
- home at intersection of Hwy 237 and Pinion Dr: Block foundation brick home. Grass on and near property scoured to bare soil. Carport slab twisted out of place.
- Phil Campbell Housing Authority on Stalcup Circle: four unit apartment building leveled and at least 50% slabbed. Well built and anchored.
- Exact location unknown, but possibly near Woodard Rd: the infamous swept home where a storm shelter on the property had its concrete roof torn off
Mount Hope: CMU framed restaurant. Slab not entirely swept clean, but a portion of the slab itself was sucked up.
Tanner: multiple slab homes swept clean, some well-built and anchored per NWS Huntsville
Other areas where plausible EF5 damage occurred:
US 43 SW of Hackleburg: Many poorly constructed homes, but at least a few that seemed like stronger EF5 candidates. Details unknown due to the fact that NWS Huntsville used blanket DIs here.
Wrangler duplexes in Hackleburg: buildings on poured slabs, but level of anchoring unknown.
Cornelius Dr, Phil Campbell: entire cul-de-sac obliterated with three fatalities. Homes swept from slabs, but construction details unknown.
Woodard Rd, Phil Campbell: At least one slab home swept, but details unknown. To say the DAT is a mess here would be an understatement.
The portion around the basement was CMU, the rest was poured slab. The home had a partial basement, meaning it didn't underlie the entirety of the home. Makes sense considering how large the Oak Grove mansion was.
In some ways I actually kind of like the way the "general scene" or "collective magnitude" seems to have been used to rate the Hackleburg and Phil Campbell damage EF5. The individual DIs are annoyingly inconsistent though.
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This. That is essentially why the tornado got rated EF5.
Honestly... during the 2013-2025 drought where EF5 ratings were dependent on an impossibly high construction standard, I don't think a single structure along the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell path would have passed EF5 muster. Pretty much all of the EF5-rated damage along the path may have (and probably would have) been nitpicked down to EF4. "CMU foundation", "not swept clean enough" or "not a valid DI" covers pretty much everything unfortunately - and that's exactly what went wrong with damage surveying for so long.
But during the EF scale's earlier years, it was indeed eligible for (and got rated) EF5. And post-Enderlin it would probably get that rating too.
Hopefully we're back on track.
SpotlightForRareTornadoes
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Which tornadoes are in those photos? I know one of them is the Sherwood-Antler, ND F4 from 1911!
Central Ohio Wx
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WeathermanLeprechaun
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How'd you find the first one? That's a third photo now of the wall cloud!
Central Ohio Wx
Member
Flickr; the image title doesn't include the words "Hackleburg" or "tornado" so it doesn't appear in results when you look up "Hackleburg tornado" (only way to find it is by looking up "April 27, 2011 Moulton"). There's several other images of the wall cloud and tornado on there, I'll pull them up in a bit.
WeathermanLeprechaun
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Oh yeah, I've checked Flickr but their new restrictions are stupid so you barely view any images for 5 minutes without popups. I've found some stuff on there, but it is admittedly frustrating to skim through.
Central Ohio Wx
Member
I'll note that there is a ton of 4/27 content on Flickr (including images of the Cullman tornado near Lake Guntersville and the Tuscaloosa tornado from the windows of the DCH medical center). I'll image dump here if y'all want, is that allowed?
Central Ohio Wx
Member
I’ll take that as a yes. Coming in a bit, need to compile them lol
Central Ohio Wx
Member
Tuscaloosa tornado seen from a window at the DCH; the tornado barely avoided hitting the building
Hackleburg storm near Moulton
Cullman tornado from Lake Guntersville
Rainsville tornado near Fyffe
Hackleburg tornado wall cloud near Hamilton
Hackleburg tornado’s initial stage from the 292 Quenton Road property in Hamilton
Hackleburg tornado near Harvest
More to come.
Central Ohio Wx
Member
Either the Lumpkin County EF2 or Lake Burton EF3
Unknown tornado
Tornado that moved through the Mulberry River and through I-65, if anyone could identify this tornado that’d be great
“Tornado-007”, no other information is attached
Birmingham tornado from the 17th floor of the Regions Herbert Plaza
Unknown tornado
Central Ohio Wx
Member
More Cullman:
From the Tennessee River
After wedging out
From the Holly Pond area
Rural Cullman County
Near Ruth, where 5 of the 6 deaths occurred
Another from Ruth
From the Tennessee River
After wedging out
From the Holly Pond area
Rural Cullman County
Near Ruth, where 5 of the 6 deaths occurred
Another from Ruth
Central Ohio Wx
Member
More Cordova:
On Interstate 22
In downtown Cordova; a relatively famous video was taken at around the same time
Near Parrish
Near Blountsville. Note that the last image does not have location information and may be a separate tornado.
On Interstate 22
In downtown Cordova; a relatively famous video was taken at around the same time
Near Parrish
Near Blountsville. Note that the last image does not have location information and may be a separate tornado.
Central Ohio Wx
Member
K, that’s enough for now, I’m lagging the thread at this point (lmao). One more:
Probably the Hackleburg tornado seen from the Huntsville area.
Probably the Hackleburg tornado seen from the Huntsville area.