Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak

Presented by: Catherine Smith, Colleen Smith, Trevor Smith, Andrew Smith

Overview

• February 5-6, 2008• 87 tornadoes, 9 states, 15 hrs.• 57 fatalities in 4 states (AR, TN, KY, AL)• Largest fatal outbreak since May 31, 1985.

Meteorological SynopsisFebruary 3, 2008• Favorable tornado conditions began

developing• Low surface & air pressure system

consolidated over Rockies, and a surface high pressure moved toward east coast.

• southerly flow off of Gulf of Mexico• Dew pt. near 65°F• unstable air mass• Midday• low-level jet stream• Gulf of Mexico and MS Valley

February 4, 2008• Surface low pressure and cold front over

Rockies• moved to E. Oklahoma by February 5

afternoon

February 5, 2008• Unstable atmosphere

• isolated supercell T-storms formed ahead of cold front

• Southerly low-level jet stream• ~ 70 mph

• Westerly winds• ~ 90 mph

• Strong vertical wind shear conducive to tornado development• Surface low-pressure and cold front = warm sector

• area between cold front and warm front• great distance storms, long track tornadoes, multiple tornadoes along path.

Notable Tornadoes

North-Central Arkansas

• EF4 tornado, 122 mile track• 13 fatalities, 139 injuries• Longest single tornado track in Arkansas since tornado records began (1950).• ~200 homes and businesses destroyed

Memphis Metropolitan Area

• EF2 tornado from 5:30 pm and 6:00 pm• Warehouse collapsed killing 3 people

Jackson, Tennessee • EF4 tornado• Directly hit Union Campus

– 51 injuries– 2009 NOAA assessment of tornado credited the National Weather Service

with a timely warning, and the university’s “detail, practiced plan” for preventing any loss of life.

Damage

• Damaged estimated to be around $520 million.• All fatalities occurred within a 12-hr period.• All tornadoes producing fatalities were preceded by

tornado warnings with a mean lead time of 17 minutes.

• 55 mph forward motion presented challenges for warning forecasters.

• 126 reports of large hail & 267 reports of wind damage• Union University• Oakdale Dam

Who Did What

Catherine: Aftermath information, damageColleen: Meteorological synopsis information

(February 3-4), slideshowAndrew: Meteorological synopsis information

(February 5)Trevor: EF Scale and Notable tornadoes