Issue 11: Tornado Outbreaks in Southern and Eastern US – May 2011

The National Weather Services estimates that between 4/26-4/28, 312 tornadoes hit the southern US. There were over 600 tornadoes during the month of April, setting a record for total number of tornadoes during any month. The current death toll is over 350, but this number is sadly expected to rise over the next few weeks as clean-up continues. Scientists rate the strength of tornadoes using the Enhanced F-scale. An EF0 tornado is the weakest and an EF5 is the strongest, most destructive tornado. In the recent tornado outbreak two EF5 tornadoes have been confirmed, one in Mississippi, one in Alabama.

Issue 11 – Event Overview and Lesson Instructions (.pdf)

   SciNews Lesson Materials

• Student Worksheet: How Do Tornadoes form? (⇓.pdf  -or- .doc)
• Maps of tornadoes across the south: NY Times interactive map (.jpg)  &  Map of tornado tracks – NSSL/Google Earth  (⇓.jpg)
• Tornado Videos and Interactives (see below)

• 4/27/2011 – Tuscaloosa, AL Tornado – WBMA-TV Newscast  [3:50 min] (⇓ – 14 MB; source)
• 4/27/2011 – Tuscaloosa, AL Tornado – Amazing video taken from a car  [6 min] (⇓ – 23 MB; source)
• 4/27/2011 – Tuscaloosa, AL Tornado – Close-up HD video from car (Crimson Tide Prod.)  [1 min] (⇓ –  6 MB; source)
• Aftermath of the Tuscaloosa, AL Tornado in HD [1 min] (⇓ – 18 MB; source)
• 4/27/2011 – Philadelphia, MS Tornado – from Discovery Channel Storm Chasers [2:20 min] (⇓ – 5 MB; source)