page_title: 2011 Super Outbreak
section_title: Hackleburg–Phil Campbell–Tanner–Harvest, Alabama/Huntland, Tennessee
hierarchical_section_title: 2011 Super Outbreak / Notable tornadoes / Hackleburg–Phil Campbell–Tanner–Harvest, Alabama/Huntland, Tennessee
caption_attribution_description: English: Damage from an EF-5 tornado which struck the town of Phil Campbell, Alabama during the April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak. Photo is taken from Oliver Street, looking east towards the Post Office.
context_page_description: The 2011 Super Outbreak was the largest, costliest, and one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks ever recorded, taking place along the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States and leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake. The event not only affected Alabama and Mississippi the most severely, but also produced destructive tornadoes in Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia, and affected many other areas throughout the Southern and Eastern United States. In total, 360 tornadoes were confirmed by NOAA's National Weather Service and Government of Canada's Environment Canada in 21 states from Texas to New York to southern Canada. Widespread and destructive tornadoes occurred on each day of the outbreak, with April 27 being the most active day with a record of 216 tornadoes touching down that day from midnight to midnight CDT. Four of the tornadoes were destructive enough to be rated EF5, which is the highest ranking possible on the Enhanced Fujita scale; typically these tornadoes are only recorded about once each year or less.
context_section_description: This devastating, long-tracked, violent EF5 wedge tornado was the deadliest of the outbreak. It first touched down in Marion County, Alabama, about 5 miles (8.0 km) west-southwest of Hamilton around 3:00 p.m. CDT (2100 UTC) on April 27, leaving massive damage along its track. The storm would eventually reach the Hackleburg area, completely leveling many homes and businesses, including a large Wrangler, Inc. factory. Most of the structures in downtown Hackleburg were badly damaged and Hackleburg High School was destroyed. Well-built homes were wiped cleanly from their foundations, extensive wind-rowing of debris occurred, trees were completely debarked, and cars were thrown hundreds of yards. According to the American Red Cross, 75 percent of the town was destroyed. While initially rated as an EF3, the rating was increased to EF5 after further analysis of the damage, making it the first F5/EF5 tornado in Alabama since the Birmingham tornado of April 8, 1998.
  Soon after crossing into Franklin County,  the town of Phil Campbell experienced significant devastation of the same magnitude as Hackleburg. Numerous homes, some of which were well-constructed, were swept away as the tornado tore through town. At least three churches along the path sustained significant damage, with one church in the town being completely destroyed and having only the foundation slab remaining. Mobile homes throughout the path were completely destroyed, and their mangled frames were tossed at least 25 to 50 yards (23 to 46 m). Cars were tossed and destroyed throughout the path of the tornado, with one car wrapped around a debarked tree. A 25-foot (7.6 m) section of pavement was torn from a road in this area as well. The most intense damage along the path occurred northeast of Phil Campbell in the rural community of Oak Grove, where vehicles were carried long distances and mangled beyond recognition, large trees were completely debarked, and large brick homes with extensive anchoring were obliterated with the debris wind-rowed hundreds of yards away. The tornado continued into Lawrence County, impacting the Mount Hope community, where significant devastation was incurred to single-family homes and a restaurant. Nothing but the foundation and a pile of debris remained at the restaurant site, and a small portion of the restaurant's foundation slab buckled.
  The tornado moved northeast, producing EF3 damage in and around Langtown. The tornado re-intensified to EF4 strength as it passed near Moulton and Trinity, debarking trees, mangling, and leveling homes. It then continued through the northwest corner of Morgan County, crossed Wheeler Lake, and moved into Limestone County, coming within 2 miles (3.2 km) of Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant. The tornado caused power outages in the area, and the plant had to be shut down. The tornado continued towards the small community of Tanner. Tanner  experienced a large swath of EF4 damage and a narrow corridor of "high-end EF4 to near-EF5 damage". The storm "completely wiped clean" several well constructed homes with anchor bolting. As the storm crossed U.S. Highway 72 in eastern Limestone County, the tornado destroyed a Doppler radar operated by NBC affiliate WAFF (channel 48) and continued into East Limestone, a heavily populated area of Limestone County where homes in subdivisions were damaged or destroyed at high-end EF3 strength. As the storm crossed into Madison County, it approached the densely populated suburban communities of Harvest and Toney, where it either damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes, especially in the Anderson Hills and Carter's Gin subdivisions. Many homes were reduced to rubble, and the damage in this area was rated mainly EF3 with a small pocket of EF4 damage in Harvest. The tornado completely destroyed a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Harvest and severely damaged a convenience store and local bank, which was shut down for months following the event. The storm progressed across Pulaski Pike in northwest Madison County, damaging many homes. In all, hundreds of homes received moderate to ma
caption: EF5 damage in Phil Campbell, with homes swept away and grass scoured from hillsides.
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