SEVERE DAMAGE IN OKLAHOMA AND NORTH CAROLINA

HIGHLIGHT 3-DAY, 15- STATE TORNADO OUTBREAK

145 TORNADOES; 44 DEATHS

THURSDAY, APRIL 14- SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2011

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of

North Carolina, USA

2011’S APRIL MAY BE ON TRACK TO BECOME THE WORST APRIL EVER FOR

TORNADOES

During the past 30 years, the United States has averaged 135 tornadoes in April, the

highest number being 266 in 1974 (National Climatic Data

Center)

THE CAUSATIVE STORM: APRIL 14, 2011

CHRONOLOGY

• FROM THE PACIFIC TO OKLAHOMA, TO ARKANSAS, TO MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA, TO NORTH CAROLINA, AND POINTS IN BETWEEN.

This storm system, which first developed over the

Pacific, intensified when it got to the central Plains on

Thursday where the dry western air collided with the

warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico.

From there, the storms developed as expected over

Oklahoma, with double vortex funnel clouds in some

cases..

Overnight, the storms merged into a fast-moving front

crossing Arkansas and into the Mississippi River Valley,

drawing fuel from daytime heating, before moving on into Mississippi and Alabama and

the Appalachians on Saturday.

Then the storm strengthened again as a

result of the daytime heat for the third day of tornadoes that hit North Carolina hard..

TUSHKA, OKLAHOMA DEVASTATEDTUSHKA, OKLAHOMA DEVASTATED

TUSHKA, OKLAHOMA: MOBILE HOME DESTROYED

TUSHKA, OKLAHOMA: MOBILE HOME DESTROYED

TUSHKA, OKLAHOMA: CAR OVERTURNED; BUILDING DESTROYED

TUSHKA, OKLAHOMA: CAR OVERTURNED; BUILDING DESTROYED

COLERAIN, NORTH CAROLINA: DAMAGE

COLERAIN, NORTH CAROLINA: DAMAGE

RAYLEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: DOWNED TREE

RAYLEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: DOWND POWER LINES

RAYLEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: DOWND POWER LINES

RAYLEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: DEBRIS IN STREETS

RAYLEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: DEBRIS IN STREETS

SANFORD, NORTH CAROLINA: LOWES HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE

SANFORD, NORTH CAROLINA: LOWES HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE

SANFORD, NORTH CAROLINA: DAMAGE TO LOWES

SANFORD, NORTH CAROLINA: DAMAGE TO LOWES