Northern Alabama tornado tracks from April 27 2011

On April 27, Alabama was the center of a massive outbreak of tornadoes that affected nearly half the nation. 52 tornadoes are believed to have crossed the state, resulting in 238 deaths.

About 7,300 buildings were destroyed. Another 15,000 plus were damaged. Two fire stations and four schools were destroyed.

The State of Alabama Emergency Management Agency has an excellent website for additional information.

MONSON, Mass. – A home destroyed by a tornado is among the devastation witnessed by Maj. Gen. Joseph C. Carter, The Adjutant General, Massachusetts National Guard, during a damage assessment of residential areas here, June 3, 2011. Nearly 450 Massachusetts National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are assisting with damage assessment, debris removal, health and wellness checks, route clearance, traffic control points and road closures in the area to support local authorities. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Don Veitch

Central Massachusetts was hit by three tornadoes on June 1. The largest moved west to east through the center of Springfield. That has been rated an EF3. EF1 tornadoes hit the cities of Wilbraham and North Brimfield.

The EF3 tornado that hit Springfield was on the ground for an unusual 39 miles, reaching a half mile in width at times. Beginning in Westfield, it traversed West Springfield, Springfield, Wilbraham, Monson and to the Southbridge Airport, and finally vanished near Charleton. Four people were killed and about 200 injured.

Unlike recent tornadoes in other states, the Massachusetts folks seem to be a little behind when it comes to the use of the Internet and social media. The Facebook page for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, as one example, has the June 1 tornado warning as its last entry. Twitter is the same. Their website is just as devoid of news.

• Town of Monson website
• Town of Wilbraham website
• City of Springfield website

The map presents all supercell tracks from the historic outbreak of April 27, 2011. Tracks in BLACK are Non-Verified, radar indicated tracks that will be investigated soon. GREEN tracks are confirmed EF-1 tornadoes. ORANGE tracks are confirmed EF-3 tornadoes. RED tracks are Confirmed tornadoes that have been preliminarily been rated as an EF-3+, and will be further assessed by national experts. Tracks in PURPLE are significant tornado tracks that will continually be surveyed throughout the coming days by Weather Service Employees and national experts.

The tornado outbreak of April 26-28, 2011 is one of the two greatest outbreaks ever recorded in the United States. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a website with information on this deadly weather event. The estimate currently posted is that there were 288 tornadoes which killed 344 people throughout the affected area.

While the deaths, injuries and economic losses are still being tallied, we wanted to point out some of the assistance which is being given to the victims of the April 2011 tornado outbreak in the American South and Southeast.

This is not intended to be a comprehensive list but we hope it will provide a good look at the overall picture and some of the participants. Here is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) site.

Plus:

• Multiple tornadoes in New York State
• EF0 tornado near New Carlisle OH
• EF1 tornado in Jackson County Florida
• NWS confirms 11 tornadoes in NWS Baltimore/Washington forecast area
• NWS State College PA reports five tornadoes in Pennsylvania
• NWS reports EF1 tornado strikes Metropolis IL