Tornadoes of 2007
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This article or section contains information about an ongoing meteorological event or phenomenon. Information may undergo major changes as events occur. |
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| tornado outbreak year: | January-December 2007 |
| Maximum rated tornado: | EF4 tornado |
| Tornadoes caused: | ≥112 |
| Damages: | Not yet avalible |
| Fatalities: | 47 |
| Tornado Years: | |
| Tornado Years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 |
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This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2007, primarily (but not entirely) in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally, particularly in parts of neighboring southern Canada during the summer season. Some tornadoes also take place in Europe, e. g. in the UK or in Germany.
As of March 27, there have been 232 reported tornadoes in the US (of which at least 112 were confirmed), with 46 confirmed fatalities. In addition, one fatality has been reported in South Africa for a worldwide total of 47.
Notably, the system for classifying tornado damage changed from the Fujita scale to the Enhanced Fujita Scale on February 1.[1]
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[edit] Synopsis
The winter months of January and February are generally quiet in terms of tornadic activity as the warm weather needed to produce such is generally confined to the tropics and subtropics, where cold fronts are infrequent to very rare. However, some outbreaks take place during those months, especially in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. The Southern Hemisphere would naturally be in a peak season then (being summer there), but apart from Australia, reported tornadoes are quite rare in the Southern Hemisphere. Activity quickly picks up in late February.
The peak season for tornado activity is from March to May in the Southern United States, while activity shifts northward to the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions in the summer months from June to August. A secondary peak occurs in October and especially November farther south. In addition, during hurricane season, many tropical storms and hurricanes produce tornadoes across the southern and eastern US.
However, there is no real "tornado season"; tornadoes, including violent ones, can happen at any time of year if the conditions are favorable.
[edit] Events
[edit] January
29 tornadoes were reported in the US in January, of which at least 17 have been confirmed.
[edit] January 4-5
The first severe weather event of 2007 was a scattered but deadly tornado event in the U.S. Gulf Coast region on January 4. At least three people were killed in New Iberia, Louisiana. Several others were missing but later found, and at least 15 were injured, some critically. Many mobile homes were destroyed in the area. It was confirmed to have been an F1 as all the severe damage took place to mobile homes. At least four other tornadoes have been confirmed. One of them was an F2 tornado near Blackwater, Mississippi that injured nine people.[2] [3]
The activity continued farther east into Georgia and the Carolinas on January 5, with at least one, and likely more, possible tornadoes. At least 15 people were injured in a tornado in Liberty, South Carolina.[4]
[edit] January 7
More severe weather developed in the South on January 7. Several tornadoes were reported, with the worst damage taking place in the Lake Blalock area in Coweta County, Georgia. One house was destroyed and many others damaged. Fortunately, no one was injured by the F2 tornado.[5] Several other tornadoes were reported, including an F1 tornado confirmed in Barbour County, Alabama.[6]
[edit] January 13
Before the winter storm hit Texas on January 13, a tornado touched down in the central Texas town of San Marcos. It registered F1 by local weather and police authorities. No one was reported injured or killed, but moderate damage was sustained, including damage near the local police station and a light fixture manufacturing business. No other tornadoes were reported from the storm. The tornado was an estimated 100 yards wide and three-tenths of a mile long. [7]
[edit] January 18
The cold front of severe winter storm "Kyrill" spawned several tornadoes in Germany, three of which are confirmed as of February 22. The first one caused severe damage in the city of Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt. It hit at about 6:40 p.m. local time (5:40 p. m. UTC). Roofs were blown away and trees virtually torn apart. It is estimated to have been an F2 to F3 tornado. [8] [9] Two more tornadoes are confirmed from Brandenburg (see previous reference). Several more possible tornados of that day in Germany are still under investigation.
[edit] February
89 tornadoes were reported in the US in February, of which at least 35 were confirmed.
February 1, 2007 also marked the changeover to the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
[edit] February 1-2
In the early morning hours of February 2, three separate tornadoes ran across Central Florida. The most severe damage occurred in Lake County, where 21 people were killed. Two of the tornadoes were rated EF3 on the new Enhanced Fujita scale.
[edit] February 12-13
Beginning in the late evening hours of February 12 and overnight into February 13, at least 14 tornadoes touched down across southern Louisiana and Mississippi. The most significant were around Lafayette, Louisiana and in Greater New Orleans. Some of the tornadoes produced significant damage, including one in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana which killed one woman and left dozens injured. [10]
More tornadoes developed across Alabama in the late afternoon of the 13th with several reports of damage across the state.
[edit] February 23-24
A moderate severe weather event took place on February 23 and 24 across the south-central United States. It was expected to have been much larger, on February 23, as a moderate risk of severe weather was issued by the SPC for both days over large areas.
The activity on February 23 was quite modest due to a late start and low dewpoints. Six tornadoes were reported, and no significant damage was reported. The area primarily affected was the southern High Plains.
At least 12 tornadoes were reported on February 24, with several of them being destructive. The strongest tornado was reported in Dumas, Arkansas, where many buildings have been destroyed or flattened, including an entire industrial park. At least 40 people were injured, but remarkably, no one was killed. Extensive looting was reported in the community after the tornado hit. The main employer in the town was also badly damaged by the EF3 tornado.[11] Several other tornadoes were recorded across Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana, with the strongest being EF2.
[edit] March
As of March 27, 114 tornadoes have been reported in the US in March, of which at least 60 have been confirmed.
[edit] February 28-March 2
A large storm system spawned a significant tornado outbreak, which began February 28 in Kansas and Missouri and continued March 1 in Alabama and Georgia. On February 28, a moderate risk was issued for both days, and on March 1 a high risk was issued for western Alabama, eastern Mississippi, the Florida Panhandle and southern and central Georgia. It was the first such issuance since April 7, 2006.
On February 28, 12 tornadoes were reported, eight in Kansas and four in Missouri. One of them destroyed a house in Linn County, Kansas and the tornado associated with this has been rated EF4. Structural damage has also been reported near Adrian, Missouri, from a different, less powerful tornado.[12] Hail as large as baseballs were also reported.[13] Remarkably, no one was injured.
As of March 4, there have been at least 53 tornadoes reported that day. Significant damage has been reported near Caulfield, Missouri, and at least one person has been killed in a mobile home there.[14] In the early afternoon, supercells became widespread across the region.
A tornado in Enterprise, Alabama, heavily damaged a high school and several homes while killing as many as nine people when the roof of the school collapsed. One other person was killed in Alabama as well as nine in Georgia including six in a single tornado in Baker County[15] [16] A total of 34 tornadoes have been confirmed during the outbreak which killed at least 20. This outbreak was part of a large storm that produced a winter storm across the Midwest states, the Great Lakes, Quebec, Ontario, the Canadian Maritimes and the US Northeast killing an additional 19 people.
[edit] March 3
A tornado killed one and injured 350 in suburbs of Klerksdorp, South Africa. [17]
[edit] March 23-24
A severe weather event developed on the afternoon of March 23 across West Texas into the Texas Panhandle and particularly across eastern New Mexico. Several of the cells formed into tornadic supercells that evening, with at least 15 tornadoes reported and 11 tornadoes confirmed. A tornado rated EF2 hit Clovis, New Mexico, with as many as 12 injuries reported, and a tornado rated EF1 hit Logan, New Mexico, where three people were injuries and many campers and mobile homes were destroyed.[18][19][20] In total, sixteen people were injured, and one person died several days after the tornadoes.[21]
Severe activity was not as widespread as expected on March 24. Four tornadoes were reported in northeastern Colorado, one of which was reported to be a multiple vortex tornado.[22]
[edit] March 28-April 1
A slow-moving system developed across the High Plains on the dry line on March 28. A moderate risk of severe weather was issued by the SPC as widespread severe weather, including tornadoes, were expected throughout the afternoon and evening. In all, 65 tornadoes were reported in the region, with several destructive and large tornadoes taking place in numerous communities across the region.[23] Many other severe weather reports came in, including hail as large as softballs. Damage reports are still coming in, and there have been reports of injuries and at least two fatalities.
The system gradually moved east on March 29, but the squall line leftover from events the previous night prevented a major outbreak. Even so, four tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma, two in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, which injured several people.
The SPC has issued a moderate risk again for March 30 over portions of southern Texas.
[edit] See also
- List of tornado events by year
- 2007 Atlantic hurricane season
- List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- Winter storms of 2006-07
[edit] References
- ^ Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage. Storm Prediction Center (2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-20.
- ^ http://www.weather.gov/view/validProds.php?prod=PNS&node=KJAN
- ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/070104_rpts.html
- ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/070105_rpts.html
- ^ http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/html/cowetator1707.shtml
- ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/070107_rpts.html
- ^ http://www.weather.gov/view/validProds.php?prod=PNS&node=KEWX
- ^ http://www.wetter-zentrale.com/cgi-bin/webbbs/wzarchive.pl?noframes;read=1064621
- ^ http://www.tornadoliste.de
- ^ http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/02/13/new.orleans.tornado.ap/index.html
- ^ http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/02/24/arkansas.storm/index.html?section=cnn_latest
- ^ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=eax&storyid=6417&source=0
- ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/070228_rpts.html
- ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/070301_rpts.html
- ^ http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/03/01/severe.weather/index.html
- ^ http://beta.abc3340.com/news/stories/0307/401822.html
- ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=14&click_id=14&art_id=iol1173075847203T653
- ^ http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=6273210&nav=menu429_1
- ^ http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=6273372
- ^ http://www.srh.noaa.gov/abq/quickfeatures/March2007/Mar23SvrWxEvent.php
- ^ http://www.klbk.com/news/default.asp?mode=shownews&id=2135
- ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/070324_rpts.html
- ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/070328_rpts.html
