Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado
During the afternoon of April 27, 2011, a large, long-lived and deadly EF5 tornado, commonly known as either the Hackleburg tornado or the Phil Campbell tornado, devastated several towns in rural northern Alabama before tearing through the northern suburbs of Huntsville. It was the deadliest tornado of the 2011 Super Outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak in United States history. The second of four EF5 tornadoes to touch down on April 27, along with the Philadelphia, Mississippi, Smithville, Mississippi, and Rainsville, Alabama tornadoes; the tornado reached a maximum width of 1.25 miles (2.01 km) and was estimated to have had peak winds of 210 mph (340 km/h), and a total path length of about 102 miles (164 km), making it the third-longest-tracked tornado of the entire outbreak after the Cordova–Blountsville EF4 tornado and Enterprise, Mississippi, EF4 tornadoes.
What was the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado?
The Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado served as a violent, long-lived EF5 storm during the 2011 Super Outbreak. It struck northern Alabama on the afternoon of April 27, 2011, tearing through rural towns and residential areas. The tornado devastated the communities of Hackleburg and Phil Campbell before tracking into the Huntsville suburbs. It ranks as the deadliest single tornado in Alabama history. This event also stands as the deadliest U.S. tornado since 1955.
What was the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado wind speed?
The tornado attained estimated peak winds of 210 mph (340 km/h). Meteorologists determined this intensity based on the severe level of destruction observed across its path. Damage included well-built homes swept completely off their foundations and the stripping of concrete stem walls. The structural analysis placed the event firmly in the EF5 category. Such extreme wind speeds reflect the intensity of the supercell environment during the outbreak.
What was the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado path?
The tornado touched down at 3:05 p.m. CDT southwest of Hamilton, Alabama, in Marion County. It tracked northeast for approximately 102 miles (164 km) across five counties. The path crossed through Hackleburg, Phil Campbell, Mount Hope, and Trinity before passing near the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant. The storm lifted just south of the Alabama-Tennessee border at 4:50 p.m. CDT. This long, continuous ground track lasted nearly two hours.
How many people died in the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado?
The tornado caused 71 fatalities across five counties. In the Hackleburg area alone, 18 people died during the impact. Phil Campbell sustained a significant loss of life, with 21 individuals killed. Another 14 people died in Lawrence County. In addition to the fatalities, hundreds of residents sustained injuries throughout the path of the storm.
What did the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado destroy?
The tornado obliterated hundreds of homes, sweeping many completely off their foundations. It damaged schools, a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, and a Wrangler Jeans plant in Hackleburg. The storm destroyed three churches in Phil Campbell and leveled chicken houses in Lawrence County. Infrastructure damage included the destruction of high-voltage power line trusses connected to the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant. The storm caused $1.29 billion in damage.
What caused the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado?
A powerful upper-level shortwave trough interacting with a surface low over Kentucky created ideal conditions for the storm. High convective available potential energy values reached 2,500 to 3,000 J/kg, fueling extreme instability. A strong southwesterly jet produced storm-relative helicity values exceeding 500 m2s-2. This extreme wind shear triggered the development of violent supercells. Moisture flowing from the Gulf of Mexico provided the necessary fuel for the outbreak.
What happened after the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado?
The total destruction of power lines forced the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant to shut down. Red Cross assessments indicated that 75 percent of the town of Hackleburg sustained destruction. The storm left residents to recover from the loss of entire neighborhoods and public infrastructure. Residents salvaged personal items, such as photographs, that were carried as far away as Tennessee. Authorities managed the resulting debris removal in the months following the outbreak.
Hackleburg-Phil Campbell Tornado Track
The mapped ground track below shows the surveyed touchdown point, damage corridor, and dissipation coordinates recorded by NWS field crews. The Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado traveled 102 miles across Northern Alabama. Coordinates are derived from the official SPC historical tornado database.
Was the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado an EF5?
Yes, it was a long-lived EF5 tornado, the second of four to touch down on April 27, 2011.
How long was the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado on the ground?
The tornado remained on the ground for approximately 102 miles, lasting nearly two hours.
How many people were killed by the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado?
The tornado resulted in 71 deaths across five counties in northern Alabama.
What was the path width of the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado?
The tornado reached a maximum width of 1.25 miles (2.01 km) during its life cycle.