Spatial and temporal analysis of the 27 April 2011 tornado outbreak in Central Alabama

Abstract

This study investigates the spatial and temporal patterns of the 27 April 2011 tornado outbreak in Central Alabama. Disasters, and vulnerabilities to such events, vary across space and time. The 2011 Super Outbreak was the largest, most costly, and one of the most deadly tornado outbreaks ever recorded in U.S. history. In this study, the results of 29 documented tornado tracks (889 data points total) in Central Alabama reveal findings related to complex topography and its effects on tornado intensity and damage. The temporal patterns of this particular outbreak are consistent with other studies’ evidence that suggests a small peak in nocturnal tornado activity in the southeast U.S. These are a few of the many factors that contribute to tornado vulnerability in the Deep South.