2011 — Apr 14-16, Storms, wind, tornadoes, flash floods, AL, AR, MS, NC, OK, VA–46
— 48 Aon Benfield. Impact Forecasting…April & May 2011 Severe Weather… 2011, p. 8.[1]
— 46 Blanchard Tally Based on State Breakouts Below.[2]
— 45 AP. “US Storms Leave Dozens Dead in Destruction’s Wake.” 4-17-2011.
— 43 ABC World News. “43 Dead as Tornadoes Pound South, Midwest.” April 17, 2011.
— 40 CNN. “23 Reported Killed in North Carolina Storms.” Apr 17, 2011, 8:54 AM ET.
— 38 NOAA, Nat. Climatic Data Center. Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters. 6-17-2011.
Breakout of Fatalities by State
Alabama, April 15 ( 7)
–7 State. Aon Benfield. Impact Forecasting…April & May 2011 Severe Weather. 2011, p. 9.
–7 State. Brian Peters. “Tornado Death Toll.” Alabama WX Weather Blog, 4-16-2011.[3]
–3 Autauga Co., Boone’s Chapel, tornado. NWSWFO, Birmingham, AL. Tornado Outbreak.
–1 Marengo Co., Myrtlewood-Pinhook Tornado. NWSWFO, Birmingham, AL. Tornado Outbreak.
–3 Washington County (Tornado). NYT. “Storm Kills 7 Overnight in Alabama.” 4-16-2011.[4]
Arkansas ( 8)
— 8 State. Storm Prediction Center. SPC Storm Reports for 04/14/11. SPC, NWS, NOAA.
— 7 State. Aon Benfield. Impact Forecasting…April & May 2011 Severe Weather. 2011, p. 8
— 2 Garland Co., Crystal Springs, April 14. High wind; tree falls on mobile home killing 2.[5]
— 2 Pulaski Co., Geyer Springs (4 mi NNW), tornado, Apr 14. SPC Storm Reports for 04/14/11.[6]
— 2 Pulaski County, Little Rock (6 mi W of), April 14. High Wind; tree falls onto house.[7]
— 1 St. Francis Co., Colt (Anderson).[8] Wind, April 14. Double wide home lifted and rolled.[9]
— 1 White Co., Bald Knob (Adams).[10] Wind, April 14. Tree fell on house killing occupant.[11]
Mississippi ( 1)
–1 Leakesville tornado, Apr 15. NWS WFO, Mobile/Pensacola. April 15, 2011 Tornado…[12]
–1 Leakesville, Green Co. (Tornado). WKRG News 5. “Damage…Leakesville, MS.” 4-16-2011.
North Carolina (24)
— >24 State. Aon Benfield. Impact Forecasting…April & May 2011 Severe Weather. 2011, 10.
— 24 “ Blanchard tally of county and locality breakouts below.[13]
— 24 “ Randy D. Kearns. Disaster Medicine. “North Carolina Tornadoes 2011.”[14]
— 23 “ April 16. CNN. “23 Reported Killed in North Carolina Storms.” 4-17-2011.
–22-23 “ “ ABC World News. “43 Dead…Tornadoes…” April 17, 2011.
–21-23 “ “ AP. “US Storms Leave Dozens Dead in…Wake.” 4-17-2011.
— 22 “ “ NCNN. “Damage Assessment and Recovery Proceeds.” 4-18-2011.
— 22 “ “ NCNN. “Governor Views Tornado Devastation.” 4-17-2011, 18:36.
— 22 “ “ NYT. “Tornadoes: 3 Days, 14 States.: Apr 17, 2011.
— 22 “ “ Reuters. “Death Toll Hits 39 After U.S. Tornadoes, Storms.” 4-17-2011.
— 21 “ “ SPC Storm Reports for 04/16/11.
County and locality breakouts.
— 14 Bertie County, tornado, Apr 16. NYT. “Tornadoes: 3 Days, 14 States.: Apr 17, 2011.[15]
–11-14 “ “ “ CNN. “23 Reported Killed in North Carolina Storms.” 4-17-2011.
— 12 Bertie County tornado NWS. April 16, 2011 – Tornado Damage Survey (website).[16]
— 11 Bertie County, April 16 EF3 tornado. SPC Storm Reports for 04/16/11.
— 3 Bladen Co., Ammon, (Tor.) Apr 16. WECT6, Wilmington NC. “Ammon…” 4-18-2011,
— 3 Bladen County
–2 Bladen County, 12 mi N of Elizabethtown, 2025, Apr 16.[17]
–1 Bladen County, Bladenboro, April 16 (20:58) tornado.[18]
— 1 Cumberland Co, 2 mi WNW of Godwin (Vault Field Rd., Linden)[19], Apr 16. Tornado.[20]
— 1 Harnett Co., Dunn, Cedar Creek Mobile Home Park (tor.), AP. “US Storms…” 4-17-2011.
— 1 Johnston Co., Benson, Black Creek area,[21] April 16 tornado.[22]
— 2 Lee County, Broadway, April 16 tornado. (>30 homes and Lowes hardware destroyed.)[23]
— 1 Moore County, Lemon Springs Road. 2:53 pm tornado strikes vehicle.[24]
— 3 Wake Co., 2 mi ENE of Raleigh, April 16 tornado. Mobile homes destroyed.[25]
— 1 Wake County. April 19 death of April 16 critically injured 6-month old infant.[26]
Oklahoma ( 2)
— 2 Tushka, Atoka Co., Apr 14 tornado. SPC. SPC Storm Reports for 04/14/11. NWS, NOAA.[27]
Virginia, April 16 ( 6)
— 7 State, Apr 16. AP. “US Storms Leave Dozens Dead in…Wake.” 4-17-2011.[28]
— 7 “ Apr 16. WJLA, ABC7, Washington, DC. “Tornadoes, flooding kill…7…” 4-17-2011.
— 6 “ “ Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below.[29]
— >5 “ “ Aon Benfield. Impact Forecasting… 2011, p. 12.
— 5 “ “ National Post (Can.). “US Rushing Aid After Tornadoes Kill 45.” 4-18-2011
— 5 “ “ Richmond Times-Dispatch. “Cleanup…Tornadoes…Flooding…” 4-18-2011.
— 3 Gloucester County tornado, April 16.[30]
–2-3 Gloucester County. Dan Goff. “April 16: Cataloging the damage.” RVAnews. 4-17-2011.[31]
— 2 Gloucester Co., Coke, Apr 16 tornado.[32] Aon Benfield. Impact Forecasting… 2011, p. 12.
— 1 Page County, Aug 16. AP. “US Storms Leave Dozens Dead in…Wake.” 4-17-2011.[33]
— 2 Waynesboro, Aug 16, flash flood. AP. “US Storms Leave Dozens Dead….” 4-17-2011.[34]
— 1 Wythe County, Apr 16, strong wind, Tree uprooted,[35] falls onto mobile home.[36]
Tornadoes (36)
High/strong Wind ( 7)
Flash Flood ( 2)
— 2 Waynesboro, Aug 16. AP. “US Storms Leave Dozens Dead….” 4-17-2011.
Unclear ( 1) (Page County, NC)
April 14-16, General
Aon Benfield: “One of the largest single-system tornado outbreaks in United States history occurred from Thursday, April 14 to Saturday, April 16, 2011. In what was temporarily an all-time tornado outbreak record, a confirmed 162 tornadoes touched down across 14 separate states – leaving behind substantial damage and fatalities in its wake. A total of 48 people were killed due to incidents stemming from tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding. At the time, the 38 fatalities recorded on April 16 became the largest number of fatalities in an outbreak in the U.S. since the February 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak that left at least 57 people dead….”
(Aon Benfield. Impact Forecasting. United States April & May 2011 Severe Weather Outbreaks. Chicago, IL: Aon Benfield, 6-22-2011, p. 8.)
April 16, NYT: “Officials at the National Weather Service said the storm system began Thursday [14th] and hit Oklahoma and Arkansas, then moved to Alabama and Mississippi.
“In Oklahoma, the storm killed two people and ripped the top off a school building on Thursday.
“Later that evening, it moved into Arkansas, leaving seven people dead, three of them young children. Most of them died when trees and heavy branches crashed into their houses and mobile homes. One victim, Devon Adams, 6, was asleep on a couch in his family’s home in Bald Knob, Ark., when an enormous tree tore through the ceiling and crushed him. Officials at the Bald Knob Police Department said that the tree was nearly 8 feet wide.
“So far, the only confirmed tornadoes have been in eastern Oklahoma, where the weather service reported that 12 touched down, said Michelle Schuldt, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. But officials are investigating storms in the other states, she said, and were “likely” to report tornadoes there as well. While this is the season for storms, Ms. Schuldt said, this storm system has been a “particularly bad one.”
“On Saturday, the storm had moved into South Carolina, North Carolina and West Virginia, as well as parts of Florida and Georgia….” (NYT. “Storm Kills 7…in Alabama.” April 16, 2011.)
April 17, AP: “The storm claimed its first lives Thursday night in Oklahoma, then roared through Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Authorities have said seven died in Arkansas; seven in Alabama; two in Oklahoma; and one in Mississippi.” (Associated Press. “US Storms Leave Dozens Dead in Destruction’s Wake.” 4-17-2011.)
April 17: “CNN — Powerful storms that have ripped across the Southeast killed more than 40 people over the past three days, according to the National Weather Service and reports from several states. The death toll across six states includes another nine in other parts of North Carolina; four in Virginia; seven in Alabama, two in Oklahoma, seven in Arkansas and one in Mississippi. “The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center said it received reports of at least 230 tornadoes across the region during the past three days, though some of those reports were likely sightings of the same twister.” (CNN. “23 Reported Killed in North Carolina Storms.” Apr 17, 2011, 8:54 AM ET.)
April 17, NYT: “More than 240 tornadoes have been reported since Thursday, including a “family” of 92 tornadoes that killed 22 people and left 84,000 without power in North Carolina on Saturday. Tornado activity has been heavier this year than last, according to the National Weather Service.
“Thursday – 23 tornado sightings in 5 States. Seventeen of the 23 tornadoes on Thursday were reported in Oklahoma. At least two residents of Tushka, in Atoka County, shown above, died when a twister touched down there. Most residents made it to shelters before the storms hit.
“Friday – 113 tornado sightings in 6 States. Alabama and Mississippi had the most tornadoes and damage, with 101 of the 113 sightings in those two states alone. At least seven people were killed in Alabama, and more than a dozen counties reported damage, including Autauga County…
“Saturday – 107 tornado sightings in 4 States. There were 92 tornadoes reported across North Carolina on Saturday night. At least 14 people were killed and 50 seriously injured in Bertie, N.C., according to state officials. Major avenues in downtown Raleigh were blocked by fallen trees. A Lowe’s store, in Lee County, above, was damaged extensively.” (NYT. “Tornadoes: 3 Days, 14 States.” Apr 17, 2011.)
April 18, NP: “Among seven people killed in Alabama were a mother and her two children sheltering inside their mobile home when it was thrown some 150 metres into the woods, landing on its roof. Seven others died in Arkansas, five in Virginia, and one in Mississippi. The storm system strengthened and expanded on Friday, whipping up hundreds more tornadoes that barreled through Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and North Carolina, before petering out in Virginia on Saturday night….
“The tornado outbreak led to a total of 241 tornado reports in 14 states over the three-day period, said Meghan Evans from Accuweather.com. “This will likely rank this tornado outbreak among the largest in history.” The meteorologist said there had been three main contributory factors: a powerful jet stream, abundant moisture and a strong cold front plowing across the South. A powerful jet stream helped to enhance the thunderstorm growth, while moisture surging in from the Gulf of Mexico acted as fuel for the thunderstorms. Though more fatalities occurred in tornado outbreaks in 2008 (57) and 1985 (76), experts believe this weekend could have set a new record for the number of twisters over a three-day period.” (National Post (Can.). “U.S. Rushing Aid After Tornadoes Kill 45.” 4-18-2011.)
Oklahoma, April 14-15
April 15, KSBY: “At least nine people have been killed in overnight storms that spun tornadoes across part of Oklahoma and Arkansas. As many as two dozen others were injured by the storm system, which is now making its way towards the southeast. Trees, power lines, and tractor-trailers tossed by the powerful tornado forced officials to close the main highway into Tushka Oklahoma, hampering emergency crews from reaching victims. Sunrise showed the devastating aftermath.” (KSBY, CA. “9 Dead in Oklahoma and Arkansas Storms.” Apr 15, 2011.)
April 16, ABC: “….Two elderly sisters were killed when a tornado struck Tushka, Okla., late Thursday night [14th] a twister chewed a path a mile wide and nine miles long through the southeast Oklahoma town….Tushka Public School Principal Matt Simpson said the twister leveled five school buildings, including the town’s only elementary and high schools….” (ABC News. “Weather: Tornado, Winds, Kill at Least 17 in Southern States.” 4-16-2011.)
April 18, NP: “Raleigh, North Carolina — U.S. authorities Monday rushed aid to southern states after powerful tornadoes cut a path of death and destruction, killing at least 45 and reducing entire towns to piles of rubble. The tragedy began late Thursday in Oklahoma, where a giant twister almost flattened the small town of Tushka — population 350 — tearing up most of its homes and businesses and killing two elderly residents.” (National Post (Can.). “U.S. Rushing Aid After Tornadoes Kill 45.” 4-18-2011.)
Arkansas, April 14-15
April 15, KSBY: “The same storm system [as hit OK earlier] then moved into Arkansas where it knocked a tree into a mobile home killing an 18-month-old girl and her father.” (KSBY, CA. “9 Dead in Oklahoma and Arkansas Storms.” Apr 15, 2011.)
April 15, NYT: “….In Arkansas, most of the fatalities were caused by trees and heavy branches falling on mobile homes, state emergency management officials said. Among the victims was a 6-year-old boy, Devon Adams, of Bald Knob in White County, who was sleeping on a couch in his family’s house when an enormous tree crashed through the ceiling and crushed him, the authorities said. In St. Francis County, in eastern Arkansas, a double-wide trailer was sent airborne by the fierce winds, killing a woman and injuring her husband, the authorities said. In Pulaski County, the storm killed one man, James Loftis, 56, whose recreational vehicle was crushed by a tree.” (NYT. “A Warning, and 68 Minutes Later a Killer Touches Down.” April 15, 2011.)
April 16, ABC: “In Arkansas, the death toll increased to seven after Little Rock police spokes-man Terry Hastings said a mother and her 8-year-old son were killed overnight by a tree that fell on their home. A boy, 6, in Balk Knob, Ark., was killed when a tree fell on his home. In Garland County, a 24-year-old man and his 18-month-old daughter were killed after a tree struck by lightning fell on their mobile home….In eastern Arkansas, Lardelah Anderson, 64, of the town of Colt, was killed when strong winds during a thunderstorm flipped her double-wide trailer onto its roof. Her 65-year-old husband was taken to the hospital with injuries….” (ABC News. “Weather: Tornado, Winds, Kill at Least 17 in Southern States.” 4-16-2011.)
April 16, CNN: “Rescue crews found a 34-year-old woman in bed with her 7-year-old, whom she had apparently come to comfort during the overnight storm, said Little Rock Fire Department Capt. Randy Davenport. The two were killed when a giant oak tree fell on the home, Davenport said. An 18-month-old child in another bedroom survived.” (CNN. “Storms, Tornadoes Kill at Least 17 Across the South.” April 16, 2011.)
April 16, Reuters: “Six of the seven fatalities in Arkansas were caused when uprooted trees smashed into houses, National Weather Service meteorologist John Robinson said. Robinson said he could not recall a time in recent memory when so many fatalities occurred because of fallen trees in Arkansas. [Greg] Carbin [National Storm Prediction Center] said this type of storm system in the South was not unusual for April, as moist, spring air meets the remnants of cold winter air. “You have just the right combination of ingredients for severe weather,” Carbin said. “This is a dangerous time in the southern United States.” Tornado season typically runs from March to early July in the United States, moving from south to north as the year progresses. The storms kill an average of 70 people a year. “Not all of the deaths from the storms would be officially counted as tornado deaths, as some were likely due to high winds, Carbin said.” (Reuters. “Tornadoes, Storms Kill at Least 16 in South.” 4-16-2011.)
Alabama, April 15
NWS WFO, Birmingham: “As part of a system which wreaked havoc across the eastern half of the United States (April 14-16), the following is an account of the tornado outbreak of April 15th, 2011, in Central Alabama. A surface low, which had developed across the Central Plains on Thursday, the 14th, deepened as it moved into the Mid-Mississippi Valley. In response to this deepening, surface dew points in the middle to upper 60s surged northward into Central Alabama and deep vertical wind shear increased. By the morning of Friday, the 15th, it was evident environmental conditions were going to be perfect for tornadic supercell development. The Storm Prediction Center issued the first Tornado Watch for Central Alabama prior to 8 am and supercell development began just after 11 am across central Mississippi. These storms crept across the Mississippi and dropped multiple damaging tornadoes. The first tornado warning in Central Alabama was issued at 1152 am in Marengo County and warnings were issued until 1215 am the next morning.” (NWS Weather Forecast Office, Birmingham, AL. Tornado Outbreak of April 15th, 2011. “Event Summary for Central Alabama.” 7-22-2012 modification.)
Mississippi, April 15
April 16, NCC: “In Greene County, Mississippi, one death and six injuries were reported, officials said. The city of Clinton, Mississippi, suffered “extensive damage” when a tornado touched down, according to Mississippi’s Emergency Management Agency. The city’s mayor said no one was injured in the storm, which tore the roof from a hotel and caused major damage to a bank and numerous homes. It narrowly missed an elementary school and a church daycare center packed with about 650 children between them, she added. “We have a lot to be grateful for,” Mayor Rosemary Aultman said. “It could have been a lot worse.” The storm also tossed cars on Interstate 20, Aultman said. The tornado in Clinton was one of several reported Friday in Mississippi and Alabama that cut a wide path of destruction….
“Numerous power poles were snapped in Jackson along the storm’s path, leaving more than 23,400 customers without power, utility company Entergy Mississippi said. Choctaw County Sheriff Todd Kemp reported structural damage and trees down near the site of a tornado in State Line, Mississippi….” (CNN. “Storms, Tornadoes Kill…17 Across the South.” 4-16- 2011.)
April 16, WKRG: “Leakesville, Mississippi – Mississippi Highway Patrol confirms that wind damage from a tornado passed through Leakesville in Greene county Friday evening (4/15). Greene County Mississippi Sheriff says one woman was killed in apparent tornado that hit the Leakesville area Friday night around 8:00. Six other people reported minor injuries. Other buildings were damaged, including the Piggly Wiggly and Family Dollar. Both stores received heavy damage. People who needed help gathered at the community center. Late night reports say there was no power in the Leakesville area.” (WKRG News 5, Mobile, Pensacola. “Damage: News 5 Crew in Leakesville, Miss.” 4-16-2011)
Texas and Kansas, April 15
“In North Texas, strong thunderstorms interrupted power to about 90,000 homes and businesses. And rough weather hit Kansas with high winds reported in far western areas of the state.” (ABC News. “Weather: Tornado, Winds, Kill at Least 17 in Southern States.” 4-16-2011.)
April 16 – General
“Jackson, Miss. — Storms continued moving through the Deep South Friday night, bringing the death toll to 16 by early Saturday. The storms began in Oklahoma on Thursday where at least five tornadoes touched down. The storms have since rolled through Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia and Oklahoma, with gusts of wind ripping down power lines, tossing mobile homes and toppling trees. Seven people have been confirmed as dead in Alabama where Autauga County Chief Deputy Sheriff Joe Sedinger says the search for more victims continues.” (WTMA 1250. “Southern Storms…More Than a Dozen Dead.” 4-16-2011.)
Alabama, April 16
ABC News, April 16: “Powerful storms snapped power lines, uprooted trees and smashed cars across the south this week. Seven deaths were reported in Alabama Saturday, raising the storm’s total death toll to at least seventeen. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency for the state on Friday….In Boone’s Chapel, Ala., three adult family members were killed on Friday night when a tornado ripped through homes in the community…. ‘The tornado hit and jumped and hit and jumped again,’ said Autauga County Chief Deputy Sheriff Joe Sedinger to The Associated Press….
“Since Thursday there have been reports of 116 tornadoes across 8 States, and four separate tornadoes hit west-central Alabama in less than 6 hours, according to emergency management director Kevin McKinney. The deadly line of storms ripped through the South starting on Thursday in Oklahoma, where five tornadoes were reported before moving to Arkansas….” (ABC News. “Weather: Tornado, Winds, Kill at Least 17 in Southern States.” 4-16-2011.)
April 16, CNN: “Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency Friday after reports of tornado touchdowns in at least six counties. Multiple injuries were reported in Sumter and Marengo counties, with at least one fatality in the latter, he said….
“Flood warnings were issued across portions of western Alabama Saturday, as earlier rains raised water levels along the Tombigbee River, the service said. Mississippi Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant and Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin similarly ordered states of emergency Friday for 14 Mississippi counties and 26 Oklahoma counties, respectively. But by Saturday, hazardous weather warnings were taken down across the states, the weather service reported.” (CNN. “Storms, Tornadoes Kill at Least 17 Across the South.” April 16, 2011.)
April 16, NYT: “A punishing storm system that began Thursday evening continued to pummel parts of the Deep South into the early hours of Saturday morning. Tornadoes and vicious winds left 17 people dead across four states, officials said. The storm killed seven people in Alabama overnight Friday, according to the governor’s office. All were in their homes at the time. The Alabama Emergency Management Agency said that more than a dozen counties throughout the state were reporting damage. In southwest Alabama, a mother and her two adolescent children were killed when their double-wide mobile home was lifted off its foundation and thrown about 100 yards, landing upside down. The structure was crushed. Nothing on the mobile home was over knee high,” said Terry Beasley, the chief deputy sheriff of Washington County. “It was just flattened.” Three people died in Autauga County, in the central part of the state. “It looks like you took a rag and twisted it — that’s what the trees look like,” said Joe Sedinger, the chief deputy sheriff of Autauga County. “The wind got it and twisted it around and around.” (NYT. “Storm Kills 7…in Alabama.” April 16, 2011.)
April 16, Reuters: “All the Alabama deaths were in the southern part of the state and were caused when mobile homes were blown off their foundations, according to Alabama Emergency Management spokeswoman Yasamie Richardson August. They included an elderly man in Marengo County, a mother and two children in Washington County, and a father and his two adult children who lived near each other in Autauga County….” (Reuters. “Tornadoes, Storms Kill at Least 16 in South.” 4-16-2011.)
South Carolina, April 16
“In South Carolina, a Tornado cut through Berkeley County, destroying a church and injuring six people, the weather service said.” (CNN. “Deadly Storms Tear Through NC, VA.” 4-17-2011.)
North Carolina, April 16
April 17, ABC News: “At least 43 people have been confirmed dead after a furious storm that has reportedly spawned over 100 tornadoes during the past week tore through the Midwest and moved on to southern states, ravaging parts of North Carolina and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, according to the Associated Press.
“Rescue workers are searching for victims across hard-hit areas of North Carolina, where ten people were confirmed dead in Bertie County according to county manager Zee Lamb.
“People in large patches of the Midwest and the South had to contend with flash floods and hail the size of softballs as the storm that has been described as ‘hell or earth’ pushed through their communities.
“In Raleigh, N.C., apartment buildings had entire roofs torn off while three family members died in a mobile home park, according to Wake County spokeswoman Sarah Williamson-Baker….
“Thousands across North Carolina are still without power as of Sunday, and Governor Beverly Perdue has declared a state of emergency. Perdue has said that state emergency management officials told her that more than 20 have been killed since the storm bore down on North Carolina, but the emergency management agency said it had reports of 22 deaths, and the National Weather Service claims 23 died in the state.” (ABC World News. “43 Dead as Tornadoes Pound South, Midwest.” April 17, 2011.)
April 17, AP: “Raleigh, N.C. (AP) — Rescue crews searched for survivors in wind-blasted landscapes Sunday in North Carolina, the state hardest hit by a storm system that spawned dozens of tornadoes from Oklahoma to Virginia and left dozens dead. The spring storm, North Carolina’s deadliest in two decades, spun off 62 tornadoes in that state alone Saturday night. Eleven people were confirmed dead in rural Bertie County, county manager Zee Lamb said. Another four were confirmed dead in Bladen County, bringing the state’s death toll to at least 21. Deaths reported by officials in five other states brought the U.S. toll to 45. In the capital city of Raleigh, three family members died in a mobile home park, said Wake County spokeswoman Sarah Williamson-Baker….
“Gov. Beverly Perdue said Sunday that state emergency management officials told her more than 20 were killed by the storms in North Carolina. However, the far-flung damage made it difficult to confirm the total number of deaths. The emergency management agency said it had reports of 22 fatalities, and media outlets and government agency tallies did not all match. The National Weather Service said 23 died in the state, including one in Johnston County, but an emergency management chief there told The Associated Press nobody died in that area….
“In North Carolina, the governor declared a state of emergency and said the 62 tornadoes reported were the most since March 1984, when a storm system spawned 22 twisters in the Carolinas that killed 57 people — 42 in North Carolina — and injured hundreds.
“Daybreak brought news of a horrific death toll in Bertie County, a place of about 21,000 people about 130 miles east of Raleigh. The tornado moved through about 7 p.m. Saturday, sweeping homes from their foundations, demolishing others, and flipping cars on tiny rural roads between Askewville and Colerian, Lamb said. At least three of those who died were from the same family, he said….As dawn broke, dozens of firefighters, volunteers and other officials were meeting in a makeshift command center to form search teams to fan out to the hardest-hit areas. “There were several cases of houses being totally demolished except for one room, and that’s where the people were,” he said. “They survived. Pretty devastating.” The aftermath of the storm left the county commission chairman unable to recognize areas from the county where he grew up, graduated high school and lived most of his life. L.C. Hoggard said the storms were another terrible blow to the county that was devastated by flooding last October. The water submerged the county seat of Windsor, damaging 200 homes and businesses. No one lost their lives in the flooding. But Hoggard said the tornado was going to have a staggering emotional impact. “You might not recognize a name. But you recognize faces and families,” Hoggard said. “That’s how it is in rural communities.”
“Scenes of destruction across the South looked eerily similar in many areas. Police and rescue crews began conducting house-to-house searches later Saturday at a mobile home park in north Raleigh, where the storm snapped some trees in half, ripped others out of the ground and tossed some trailers from one side of a street to the other.
“At the Cedar Creek Mobile Home Park in Dunn, one woman died while another man was critically hurt when a car was blown atop him outside his home, said Police Chief B.P. Jones. More than half the 40 homes in the park were unrecognizable piles of debris Sunday morning. A bulldozer was scooping up wood beams and piling them up in a different part of the park. In one home, all that was left was the seat of a recliner — the back gone — and a bathtub.
“In Bladen County, the dead included a 92-year-old father and his 50-year-old son. They were killed when they were thrown from their adjacent mobile homes in the town of Ammon. A 52-year-old woman also died in Ammon, and a 50-year-old man died in Bladenboro — both also thrown from their homes, County Medical Examiner Kenneth Clark said. Bladen County emergency management chief Bradley Kinlaw said 82 homes were damaged and 25 destroyed in Saturday’s storms. The path of destruction was narrow — but at least six miles long, he said.
“In Sanford, about 40 miles southwest of Raleigh, a busy shopping district was pummeled by the storms, with some businesses losing rooftops in what observers described as a ferocious tornado. The Lowe’s Home Improvement Center in Sanford looked flattened, with jagged beams and wobbly siding sticking up from the pancaked entrance. Cars in the parking lot were flipped by the winds. Remarkably, no one was seriously injured at the Lowe’s, thanks to a quick-thinking manager who herded more than 100 people into a back area with no windows to shatter. “It was really just a bad scene,” said Jeff Blocker, Lowe’s regional vice president for eastern North Carolina. “You’re just amazed that no one was injured”.” (AP. “US Storms Leave Dozens Dead in Destruction’s Wake.” 4-17-2011.)
April 17, AP: “Dunn, N.C. (AP) – At least 21 people were killed when tornadoes hit North Carolina over the weekend. The state was hardest hit by a storm system that spawned dozens of tornadoes from Oklahoma to Virginia. Here are a few stories of survival.
“Twenty-1-year-old Jonathan Robinson saw the tornado moving toward his mobile home in Dunn, grabbed his cousin’s 3-month-old son and dashed for a closet in his bedroom. But as he dove for safety, the twister took his home apart around him and swept the baby into the dark, swirling afternoon sky. “As soon as I jumped in the closet, it came down and that little baby flew out of my hand,” he said. “I seen him leave my arms. That’s how strong the wind was.” Immediately after digging himself out, Robinson joined family members at the Cedar Creek Mobile Home Park frantically digging through the rubble all around them for little Ayden. “I thought he was lost,” Robinson said. Several long minutes later, someone found the boy under a wooden board, unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital, where miraculously emergency room workers found only minor injuries. “He’s really blessed to be here right now,” said Ayden’s mom, 21-year-old Ciera Robinson, as the boy’s grandmother sat nearby giving the baby a bottle. “He’s good now. He ended up with a lump on his head”.” (AP. “Tales of Survival Amid NC Tornado Destruction.” April 17, 2011.)
April 17, CNN: “A CNN meteorologist called the storms’ impact on North Carolina “epic.” Among the worst-hit places was Bertie County, North Carolina, a rural area in the northeast part of the state. The weather service reported 14 deaths in the county. Zee Lamb, county manager, said there were 11 fatalities. More than 50 people were taken to hospitals in Greenville, and between 50 and 70 homes were destroyed, Lamb said….” (CNN. “23 Reported Killed in North Carolina Storms.” Apr 17, 2011, 8:54 AM ET.)
April 17, NYT: “There were 92 tornadoes reported across North Carolina on Saturday night. At least 14 people were killed and 50 seriously injured in Bertie, N.C., according to state officials. Major avenues in downtown Raleigh were blocked by fallen trees. A Lowe’s store, in Lee County, above, was damaged extensively.” (NYT. “Tornadoes: 3 Days, 14 States.: Apr 17, 2011.)
April 17, Reuters: “For North Carolina, “When the storm count is finalized, this will likely be an historic tornado outbreak,” said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. “It is quite unusual to have this many supercell tornadoes of this intensity strike the area”….
“The deaths in North Carolina included three people in Raleigh who were killed in mobile homes, the weather service said. In eastern North Carolina, two people died near Ammon, one was killed in the Bladenboro area and another died in the Benson and Black Creek area, the weather service said.”
“At Camp Lejeune, according to a news release, roughly a dozen homes were destroyed and as many as 120 were damaged following a series of tornadoes that touched down near a housing area Saturday evening.” (CNN. “23 Reported Killed in NC Storms.” Apr 17, 2011, 8:54 AM)
April 17, Reuters: “Statewide, high winds destroyed 60 houses and damaged 400 others, said Julia Jarema, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management….” (Reuters. “Death Toll Hits 39 After U.S. Tornadoes, Storms.” 4-17-2011.)
April 17, NCNN: “Raleigh – Gov. Bev Perdue concluded a 6½-hour tour of tornado damage with a sidewalk press conference near hard-hit Shaw University in downtown Raleigh. During the tour she spoke with President Obama, who pledged “whatever it takes to rebuild North Carolina.”…. The estimated death toll has been revised down to 22 from 23, according to unconfirmed reports from communities across North Carolina. About 130 people are reported as injured, with most transported to hospitals for care. More than 130 homes have been destroyed and more than 700 are reported as damaged, some severely.” (NCNN. “Governor Views Tornado Devastation.” 4-17-2011, 18:36.)
LiveWeatherBlocgs.com:
“Tornado Reports [NC]
“Time Location County Comments
“1925 Broadway Lee 2 Fatal, 1 inj…Over 30 homes destroyed along with
a Lowes hardware….
“2005 2 WNW Godwin Cumberland 1 Fatal…Numerous homes damaged to destroyed
near Linden. One Fatality…numerous…injuries.
“2005 2 ENE Raleigh Wake 3 Fatal…mobile homes destroyed near Brentwood
Dr. in Raleigh…Stonybrook Mobile Home Park….
“2025 12 N Elizabethtown Bladen 2 Fatal…EM confirms another fatality in Ammon
area bringing the total to 2….
“2025 1 SE Benson Johnston 1 Fatal…widespread damage with homes damaged
to destroyed in the Benson and Black Creek area.
One confirmed fatality on Juniper Church Road….
“2058 Bladenboro Bladen 1 Fatal…significant structural damage and 1 fatality
in Bladenboro area….
“2300 Askewville Bertie 14 Fatal…numerous trees down…homes damaged.
NWS storm survey will be conducted Sunday….”
(LiveWeatherBlocgs.com. “Deadly Day of Severe WX in NC.” April 17, 2011, 1:47 am.)
April 18, NP: “It’s the most significant damage by a tornado since the early 80s,” Governor Beverly Perdue told reporters in Raleigh, capital of worst-hit North Carolina, where 23 people died….The biggest toll in one area was 14 in North Carolina’s Bertie County, which has a population of less than 20,000, according to the last census figures….” (National Post (Can.). “U.S. Rushing Aid After Tornadoes Kill 45.” 4-18-2011.)
April 18, NCNN: “Raleigh — The Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected in North Carolina all this week to assess damage from a barrage of storms, including tornadoes that claimed 22 lives across the Tar Heel State. In addition to the state of emergency declared by Gov. Beverly Perdue, More than a dozen counties also have declared local States of Emergency. The governor has also waived weight and size restrictions for large trucks so supply vehicles and recovery crews could maneuver easily throughout the state. The Red Cross from the western region of North Carolina is deploying to assist in the clean-up and recovery. North Carolina public safety spokeswoman Julia Jarema said Monday morning that storms destroyed about 130 homes while damaging another 700. At least 26 counties sustained significant damage from tornadoes and high winds in central and eastern parts of the state. Emergency management officials urge motorists in heavily-damaged areas to allow extra time for commutes to allow for detours or road closures.” (NCNN. “Damage Assessment and Recovery Proceeds.” 4-18-2011.)
April 18, WECT: “Ammon, NC (WECT) – Residents of a mobile home park in Ammon in Bladen County where three people died Saturday are starting the recovery process after the weekend’s storms….Three people died as the storm moved through Saturday night — Mark Avery, Tony Avery and Darleen Zupo. We spoke with the owner of the only mobile home left standing. Mike Powell tells WECT.com he found the victims after the storm left. He rode out the storm inside his home. “Basically I made it,” Mike Powell from Ammon said. “I[t] picked the trailer up. They spun it around. They dropped it. That’s all I can…they picked it up, spun it around twice, dropped it and moved it about thirty feet from where you see it now.” FEMA is expected in Bladen County as early as Monday to assess the damage for federal assistance.”(WECT 6, Wilmington, NC. “Ammon Starts Recovery Process.” 4-18-2011.)
April 18, WNCT: “Bertie County, NC…. Grandma “Helen White” turned 90 in March. An old photo album near her front steps show family memories because of how far debris is scattered they may not be their own. Grandma lived next door to her daughter Barbara Lafferty and her son-in-law Roy Lafferty. All three died in the storm. Their brick house is now pushed into the woods… Broken into pieces… Only a foundation remains….
“The National Weather Service confirmed that two tornadoes were on the ground in Bertie County. An assessment team determined that the Bertie County tornado became two. According to their reports, the two tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously for five miles. At least 11 people are dead in Bertie County as a result of the tornadoes….
“Officials say the deaths occurred within an 8 to 10 mile radius. Several deaths were reported at an assisted living facility. There was a family of three killed.” (WNCT 9, Eastern NC. “Bertie County: Tornado Kills Three in One Family.” April 18, 2011.)
Virginia, April 16
April 17, ABC News: “In Virginia four deaths have been reported, but authorities have said that the number of casualties is likely to rise as crews search through leveled homes and businesses. Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokesman Bob Spieldenner told The Associated Press that one tornado ripped across 12 miles of Gloucester County, uprooting trees and demolishing homes in its path.
“Since Thursday there have been reports of 116 tornadoes across 8 states, and four separate tornadoes hit west-central Alabama in less than 6 hours, according to emergency management director Kevin McKinney. The deadly line of storms moved through the South on Thursday in Oklahoma, where five tornados were reported, before moving to Arkansas, where the death toll rose to seven after Little Rock police said a mother and her 8-year-old son were killed by a tree that fell on their home….” (ABC World News. “43 Dead as Tornadoes Pound South, Midwest.” April 17, 2011.)
April 17, AP: “In Virginia, local emergency officials reported seven storm-related deaths, said Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokesman Bob Spieldenner. Spieldenner said the state medical examiner’s office confirmed one person died in Gloucester, where a tornado hit; two died in flash flooding in Waynesboro; and one person died in Wythe County when a tree fell on a mobile home. Officials were still investigating another two deaths reported in Gloucester and one in Page County.” (AP. “US Storms Leave Dozens Dead in Destruction’s Wake.” 4-17-2011.)
April 17, CNN: “Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency “to direct all possible resources towards responding to this event.”” (CNN. “23 Reported Killed in North Carolina Storms.” Apr 17, 2011, 8:54 AM ET.)
April 17, Newport Daily Press: “Gloucester — Authorities released the names Sunday evening of all three men who died as a result of Saturday’s tornado that left a mile-wide path of destruction across the county. The first man killed in Saturday’s tornado was Periccis Gerasimos Koutsoumbinas, 60, of the 4900 block of Hummingbird Lane, said Lt. Scott Little of the Gloucester Sheriff’s Office. He was in his residence when the tornado struck his home, Little said. Hummingbird Lane is off of Hickory Fork Road a short distance from Page Middle School.
“The second man killed as a result of the tornado was Richard Lynn Ingram, 53, of the 4000 block of Shelly Road. Ingram was also in his residence when the tornado hit, Little said.
“A third man, Cecil Wray Page Jr., 90, suffered a medical emergency and his death was not related to the storm damage, Little said. Page lived in the 3600 block of Shelly Road.” (Daily Press, Newport News, VA. “Gloucester Authorities Identify Tornado Victims.” 4-17-2011.)
April 17, Reuters: “Dominion Virginia Power said the two nuclear reactors at its Surry Power Station in southeastern Virginia shut down automatically on Saturday when an apparent tornado touched down and cut off an electrical feed to the station….” (Reuters. “Death Toll Hits 39 After U.S. Tornadoes, Storms.” 4-17-2011.)
April 18, NP: “An 8-year-old girl and a 47-year-old woman “were swept off a bridge by flood waters” while walking in the Virginia town of Waynesboro, said state emergency management department spokeswoman Laura Southard. A second child was pulled to safety….” (National Post (Can.). “U.S. Rushing Aid After Tornadoes Kill 45.” 4-18-2011.)
April 18, Richmond Times-Dispatch: “The cleanup began in earnest Sunday across Virginia, a day after tornadoes and flash floods hammered the state, killing at least five people and causing horrific damage….“Gov. Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of Saturday’s severe weather that included tornadoes, high winds, flash flooding, power outages and a mudslide in Carroll County in Southwest Virginia.
“The National Weather Service on Sunday confirmed five tornadoes across Virginia: EF2 tornadoes in Halifax and Gloucester counties, EF1 tornadoes in Dinwiddie and Augusta counties, and an EF0 in Rockbridge. The tornado rating system runs from EF0-EF5, with 5 being the most damaging. An EF2 can have wind speeds up to 135 mph.
“Five deaths had been officially confirmed as weather-related by the office of the state’s chief medical examiner, and “a few more are being looked at,” said Laura Southard, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. The confirmed deaths included two in Gloucester; one in Wythe County, where a 31-year-old woman was killed when an 80-foot-tall oak tree fell onto a mobile home; and two in Waynesboro, where a 41-year-old woman and an 8-year-old girl drowned after slipping into a creek swollen with rainwater. Officials still were investigating a death in Page County and one more reported in Gloucester County to determine if they were directly storm-related….
“An apparent tornado touched down at Dominion Virginia Power’s Surry Power Station on Saturday, cutting power and causing the two nuclear reactors to shut down, the utility said. On Sunday, the plant was using an off-site power source and backup diesel generators to provide electricity to maintain both units. The apparent tornado came through the switchyard supporting the plant, cutting off the electrical connection from the power grid to the station, Dominion Virginia Power said. No injuries were reported, and no release of radioactive materials occurred. The utility also reported that tens of thousands of households lost electricity as a result of the storms, but most had their power restored by late Sunday. Most remaining outages were in the Gloucester and Northern Neck regions.” (Richmond Times-Dispatch. “Cleanup from Tornadoes and Flooding Underway.” 4-18-2011.)
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[1] This fatality figure might be accurate, but we do not use in that when we add up State/local breakouts we get 46.
[2] Depends on whether there were 5 or 6 storm-related deaths in VA. As of 4-18-2011 this was under investigation.
[3] Three in Autauga County, one in Marengo County, and three in Washington County. A note on the page writes that “Brian Peters is one of the television meteorologists at ABC3340 in Birmingham and a retired NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist.”
[4] Also: Brian Peters. “Tornado Death Toll.” Alabama WX Weather Blog, 4-16-2011
[5] SPC Storm Reports for 04/14/11. Norman, OK. Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service, NOAA.
[6] “Tornado tracked from just southwest of intersection of West Markham Street and John Barrow Road to the Sherrill Heights Neighborhood…ending above Rebs.” Notes time as 0657.
[7] SPC Storm Reports for 04/14/11. Norman, OK. Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service, NOAA.
[8] ABC News. “Weather…Winds, Kill…17…” 4-16-2011.
[9] “Double wide mobile home was lifted up and rolled near County Road 267. The mobile home was completely destroyed. Winds were estimated at 70 to 80.”
[10] NYT. “Storm Kills 7 Overnight in AL.” 4-16-2011.
[11] SPC Storm Reports for 04/14/11. Norman, OK. Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service, NOAA.
[12] “The tornado touched down west of Leakesville just south of Highway 57. It crossed the highway strengthened and then turned east toward the city of Leakesville, paralleling Highway 57. The tornado damaged or destroyed numerous mobile homes…residences…and businesses in Leakesville. One fatality occurred in a destroyed mobile home. The tornado continued east northeast into extreme southwest Washington County…” Another source identifies the woman killed as Deborah McLemore Hill, 54, killed when a “…tornado picked up her mobile home “sometime before 9 p.m. and ‘threw it across the street,’ said Greene County Sheriff Kevin Fortinberry.”
[13] The reports noted below for 23 deaths were written before the Wake County infant died of injuries on the 19th.
[14] Writes that after the death of the 6-month-old girl on April 19 in Wake County, “the death toll…[of] 24…[was] being reported now by various news outlets.”
[15] Reporting on April 17 had the Bertie County fatalities at 11. (WRAL.com, NC. “Death toll at 2; 130 injured in NC storms.” 4-17-2011.)
[16] “Tornado #2…Bertie County NC Tornado Survey Results…location…1 mile south of Askewville, NC Northeast to about 3 miles east of Harrellsville. Date…April 16 2011. Estimated time…655 pm. ER-scale rating…EF3 / Preliminary…Estimated wind speed…136 to 165 mph. Path width…1/2 to ¾ mile. Path Length…18.0 miles. Injuries…50/estimated/ Deaths…12/confirmed.”
[17] SPC Storm Reports for 04/16/11. Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service, NOAA.
[18] SPC Storm Reports for 04/16/11. Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service, NOAA.
[19] WRAL.com, NC. “Death toll at 2; 130 injured in NC storms.” 4-17-2011.
[20] “Numerous homes damaged to destroyed near Linden. One fatality with numerous serious injuries.” (SPC Storm Reports for 04/16/11. Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service, NOAA.)
[21] CNN. “23 Reported Killed…” 4-17-2011.
[22] SPC Storm Reports for 04/16/11. Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service, NOAA.
[23] SPC Storm Reports for 04/16/11. Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service, NOAA.
[24] NWS, Raleigh, NC. News release. “…Tornado Confirmed near Sanford…Broadway…Holly Springs and Raleigh in Lee and Wake Counties North Carolina…”
[25] SPC Storm Reports for 04/16/11. Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service, NOAA. Another source writes: “Raleigh authorities confirmed that three family members died in the Stony Brook North mobile home park, off Brentwood Road. Christina Alvarez and four children hid inside a closet when the tornado swept through the area. But a tree fell on the home and three of the children – Daniel Nino, 9, Kevin Coronado, 3, and Osvaldo Coronado, 8 – were killed instantly…Alvarez was holding an infant girl, who was listed in critical condition [died on April 19]…Alvarez who was knocked out by the blast, is the mother of the infant and Nino. The Coronado boys are her nephews.” (Randy D. Kearns. Disaster Medicine. “North Carolina Tornadoes 2011.” Cites news sources.)
[26] Randy D. Kearns. Disaster Medicine. “North Carolina Tornadoes 2011.”
[27] “Numerous storm chaser and media reports that a large tornado began 5 miles west southwest of Tushka and continued northeast through the south and southeast.” Notes time as 0023.
[28] This includes two, as of April 18, which were not confirmed as storm-related deaths and were under investigation – the third tornado-attributed death in Gloucester and the Page County death. (Richmond Times-Dispatch. “Cleanup… Tornadoes… Flooding…” 4-18-2011.) A later Newport News Daily Press report that only 2 of the three deaths reported in Gloucester were actually tornado-related.
[29] It appears that the seventh death was later ruled to be a non-storm-related “natural causes” medical emergency.
[30] “Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokesman Bob Spieldenner says three people died in Gloucester County alone, where a tornado cut through 12 miles of land.” (WDBJ7.com, Roanoke, VA. “Governor declares a state of emergency after severe weather kills 5 in Virginia.” 4-17-2011.) Also: WJLA, ABC7, Washington, DC. “Tornadoes, flooding kill at least 7 in Virginia.” 4-17-2011.
[31] “The Virginia Department of Emergency Management reports that two people have died due from storms passing through the county. A third death was attributed to natural causes.” An AP report, while noting two tornado deaths in the county, writes that, according to State officials, “a third fatality was determined to be a medical emergency.” (Associated Press. “Cleanup Begins.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 4-19-2011, p. 1.)
[32] “Tornado #6 Surry County to Mathews County…including Gloucester County, VA.” NWS. April 16, 2011 – Tornado Damage Survey (website). And Daily Press, Newport News VA. “Gloucester…Tornado…” 4-17-2011.
[33] Also: WJLA, ABC7, Washington, DC. “Tornadoes, flooding kill at least 7 in Virginia.” 4-17-2011.
[34] Another source notes that one of the two flash flood fatalities was a young child. (WDBJ7.com, Roanoke, VA. “Governor declares a state of emergency after severe weather kills 5 in Virginia.” 4-17-2011.) Yet another source writes that “Flash flooding claimed the lives of a woman and eight-year-old child after they and a nine-year-old boy attempted to cross a bridge that had been overrun by a rain-swollen Rockfish Run Creek.” (Goff, Dan. “April 16: Cataloging the damage.” RVAnews. 4-17-2011.) Goff provides a link to Newsleader.com (Megan Williams). “Police recover second drowning victim.” 4-17-2011, which identifies the victims as Lacy Elizabeth Taylor, 8, and Tina Marie Allen, 41.
[35] NWS WFO Blacksburg, VA. “Three confirmed tornadoes in Blacksburg County Warning Area: Part of historic tornado outbreak in Carolinas and Virginia on April 16th, 2011.” 4-22-2011 modification.
[36] Associated Press. “US Storms…Dozens Dead…” 4-17-2011.