The storm system responsible for the historic tornado outbreak on April 27
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Type |
Tornado outbreak Extratropical cyclone Flood |
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Duration | April 25–28, 2011 |
Tornadoes confirmed | 362 confirmed (Record for a continuous outbreak) |
Max rating1 | EF5 tornado |
Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 3 days, 7 hours, 18 minutes |
Highest winds |
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Largest hail | 4.5 inches (11 cm) in diameter in Saltville, Virginia on April 27 |
Damage | ~$11 billion (2011 USD) (Costliest on record for a tornado outbreak) |
Casualties | 324 fatalities (+24 non-tornadic), 2,200+ injuries |
Areas affected | Southern United States, Midwest, Eastern United States |
1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado Part of the tornado outbreaks of 2011 |
1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado
The 2011 Super Outbreak was the largest, costliest, and one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks ever recorded, affecting the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States and leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake. The event affected Alabama and Mississippi the most severely, but it also produced destructive tornadoes in Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia, and affected many other areas throughout the Southern and Eastern United States. In total, 362 tornadoes were confirmed by NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) and Government of Canada's Environment Canada in 21 states from Texas to New York to southern Canada. Widespread and destructive tornadoes occurred on each day of the outbreak, with April 27 being the most active day with a record of 218 tornadoes touching down that day from midnight to midnight CDT (0500 – 0500 UTC). Four of the tornadoes were destructive enough to be rated EF5, which is the highest ranking possible on the Enhanced Fujita scale; typically these tornadoes are only recorded about once each year or less.