Severe WX Severe Weather Threat April 7-10, 2021

[TH2002]

Here are some preliminary counts from Palmetto:

• 1 fatality
• 7 injuries
• 8 homes destroyed

Damage:

 

[Jetstream]

Sister in law visiting Orange Beach was awakened about 3 am by baseball size hail and high wind. Her car had bad hail damage, with back window completely Atmospheric Anti-Climax out.

 

[CheeselandSkies]

Here are some preliminary counts from Palmetto:

• 1 fatality
• 7 injuries
• 8 homes destroyed

Damage:

The "armchair surveyor eyeball test" on this one suggests EF2-3. The homes that are completely leveled appear to have been block foundation, not well anchored (if at all) and some cars are overturned/moved but not mangled into unrecognizable balls or stripped to the frame in high-end violent tornado fashion.

However, the slabbed house at 3:50 gives me a little pause. It appears to have been more substantial than the others, and the ground level scenes beyond that show a muddy field (possible scouring) strewn with debris that, while not exactly granulated, is broken into some impressively small pieces. That might at least push it solidly into the EF3 category.

 

[Bama Ravens]

This is wild video of someone in a condo taking a direct hit from the waterspout/tornado as it came on shore in PCB.

 

[David in SW Blount]

This is wild video of someone in a condo taking a direct hit from the waterspout/tornado as it came on shore in PCB.

I love how they run off and leave the baby by the windows.

 

[buckeye05]

Looks like there were at least two separate strong tornadoes in the Florida Panhandle today. One in Panama City Beach, and the other in Wewahitchka.

 

[buckeye05]

Wewahitchka


Panama City Beach

 

[CheeselandSkies]

Despite some pretty dramatic videos of large tornadoes, I haven't heard of any damage reports out of Mississippi last night. SPC LSR page also still shows zero tornado reports for yesterday despite those videos and the damage in Louisiana.

 

[Brice Wood]

The "armchair surveyor eyeball test" on this one suggests EF2-3. The homes that are completely leveled appear to have been block foundation, not well anchored (if at all) and some cars are overturned/moved but not mangled into unrecognizable balls or stripped to the frame in high-end violent tornado fashion.

However, the slabbed house at 3:50 gives me a little pause. It appears to have been more substantial than the others, and the ground level scenes beyond that show a muddy field (possible scouring) strewn with debris that, while not exactly granulated, is broken into some impressively small pieces. That might at least push it solidly into the EF3 category.

Some person on YouTube suggest this tornado was rated EF4 or an EF5, which is highly unlikely, but I’m with you I’d say this looks to be a mid range EF3 unless they see something I don’t to rate this higher

 

[buckeye05]

The "armchair surveyor eyeball test" on this one suggests EF2-3. The homes that are completely leveled appear to have been block foundation, not well anchored (if at all) and some cars are overturned/moved but not mangled into unrecognizable balls or stripped to the frame in high-end violent tornado fashion.

However, the slabbed house at 3:50 gives me a little pause. It appears to have been more substantial than the others, and the ground level scenes beyond that show a muddy field (possible scouring) strewn with debris that, while not exactly granulated, is broken into some impressively small pieces. That might at least push it solidly into the EF3 category.

Sounds like NWS Lake Charles has rated it EF3.

Overall, this one was a little more violent than I expected. Some of those cars look like they were thrown considerable distances, and the debris pattern is fairly impressive. Also, the tree damage at 3:55 is impressive, with some clear denuding and debarking.

 

[Flyboy70]

A couple of frame grabs from the dash mounted GoPro last night around 20:35 local. Storm was just NE of Walnut, Ms. I only saw it for one second during the lightning flash so did not observe rotation. There was a weak velocity couplet on this storm showing on the Columbus, Ms radar. Not seeing any reports of damage from NWS Memphis.

 

[NXStumpy_Robothing]

Pretty nasty cell complex around Hickory, NC at the moment.

 

[WhirlingWx]

Man that is one unlucky car

 

[buckeye05]

Man that is one unlucky car

Right? Man, that thing hit fast too! I'm sure that was a very confusing and scary experience for the driver.

 

[MattW]

How fast do the winds have to be going to do that to a car that quickly!?!?

 

[pohnpei]

Man that is one unlucky car

The video tells us some tornados don't need three seconds to go through one place, maybe even far less than one second. Using 3s winds for them was meaningless and was like using 3 day average wind to a hurricane.

 

[WhirlingWx]

Man that is one unlucky car

OMG I just realized you can hear the song "Best Day of My Life" playing in the background

 

[buckeye05]

Has anybody heard about a rating for the Wewahitchka, FL apparent tornado in Gulf County? It pretty much destroyed the second floor of a house, but I can't find a single public information statement or any survey info. Maybe it wasn't a tornado at all?