The 2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado was an EF4 multiple-vortex tornado that destroyed portions of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama, as well as smaller communities and rural areas between the two cities, during the late afternoon and early evening of April 27, 2011. It is one of the costliest tornadoes on record. It was one of the 360 tornadoes in the 2011 Super Outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak in United States history. The tornado reached a maximum path width of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) during its track through Tuscaloosa, and once again when it crossed Interstate 65 north of Birmingham, and attained estimated winds of 190 mph (310 km/h) shortly after passing through the city. It then went on to impact parts of Birmingham as a high-end EF4 before dissipating. This was the third tornado to strike the city of Tuscaloosa in the past decade, and the second in two weeks.
Meteorological synopsis
On April 23, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) began monitoring the potential for a substantial severe weather outbreak in the extended range. As a shortwave trough tracked across portions...