On This Date in 2007

March roared in like a lion on this date in 2007 across the Deep South as a powerful storm system triggered an outbreak of 56 tornadoes from Missouri and Illinois into Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and northern Florida. A total of twenty people died in the storms, including 10 in Alabama. Five of the tornadoes were rated as EF-3 or EF-4.

The outbreak actually began on the 28th of February in Kansas, where an EF4 tornado was reported.

Doppler radar image of the Enterprise Tornado.

By far, the worst damage and majority of fatalities came from South Alabama and Southwest Georgia. An EF4 tornado struck a high school in Enterprise, Alabama around 1:10 p.m. Eight students and another man died in the tragedy. The fatalities occurred when a concrete wall collapsed on a group of students huddled in a hallway at the school. A controversy arose as national media outlets questioned whether school administrators should have dismissed school early, but nearly all local residents supported the decision to keep students at school.

A high risk outlook was issued early that morning and a PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) tornado watch was issued hours in advance. The National Weather Service Tallahassee issued a tornado warning a full eight minutes before the tornado struck the school.

Another devastating tornado struck the Millers Ferry area in Wilcox County here in Alabama, killing one man. That tornado also was rated as an EF4.

Just before 9:30 p.m., another tornado caused significant damage in Americus, Georgia. A hospital in Americus was heavily damaged.

A deadly tornado put an exclamation point on the day when it struck a mobile home community just north of Baker in Baker County, Georgia. Six people died in this twister, that occurred just before midnight.

The outbreak continued into the early morning hours of the 2nd in Georgia, South Carolina and Florida.

Here in our state, Alabama, other tornadoes touched down near Adamsville, in northern Tuscaloosa County near Samantha, in Arley in Winston County and in Fayette County. Twisters were also reported near Alabaster and in Lowndes and Montgeomery Counties.

After the outbreak, the tornado toll for the year across the United States stood at 43. That was the deadliest total observed in any year through March 1. Only 1949 was deadlier, when a deadly tornado struck Warren, AR in January killing 49.

So far this year in 2014, the death toll from tornadoes in the United States: zero.

Category: Met 101/Weather History, Severe Weather