April 25-28, 2011 Tornado Outbreak Part 1

April 25, 2011 was the first day of the Mega Tornado Outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak in recorded history. The SPC had highlighted a moderate risk area over parts of the south.

At 3:25PM CDT, a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Tornado Watch was issued over parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana, among several other watches issued that day.

At 7:24PM CDT, a Tornado Emergency was issued for Vilonia, Arkansas, for what would later be determined to be an EF2 tornado that severely damaged part of the city. This was the only Tornado Emergency issued that night.

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL CLEBURNE...
SOUTHWESTERN WHITE...EAST CENTRAL FAULKNER AND EXTREME NORTHWESTERN
LONOKE COUNTIES UNTIL 800 PM CDT...

...TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR VILONIA...

AT 720 PM CDT...STORM SPOTTERS AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A CONFIRMED TORNADO WITH REPORTS OF
DAMAGE. THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY TORNADO WAS LOCATED 5 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF VILONIA...OR 7 MILES EAST OF LAKE CONWAY...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO INCLUDE...
SEARCY... VILONIA... ROSE BUD...
MT VERNON... HIGGINSON... GRAVEL HILL...
ENOLA... CROSBY... SIDON...
ROMANCE... OTTO... LETONA...
JOY... FLOYD... EL PASO...
CENTER HILL... ARMSTRONG SPRINGS... ALBION...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...A VIOLENT TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. THIS IS AN
EXCEPTIONALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THIS STORM IS PRODUCING A LIFE
THREATENING...CONFIRMED TORNADO CAPABLE OF SIGNIFICANT DESTRUCTION!
TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY!

This is what the tornado looked like on radar. The bright purple at the end is the debris ball.


Another tornado, an EF3, touched down in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. There were also several other tornadoes in this area. There were four fatalities in Faulker County, AR, Vilonia's county, from the outbreak. 

Tomorrow, part 2: April 26.