This presentation was done by ABC3340 Chief Meteorologist James Spann
This Sunday marks the 16 year anniversary of the deadly Palm Sunday
Tornado Outbreak. Many of you know someone that was affected that terrible day. Let us pray for the survivors and remember the fallen this Sunday at 11:39am. We are expecting some thunderstorms this Sunday but it will be nothing of the magnitude of 1994.
On Sunday 27 March 1994, one of the
most deadly tornado outbreaks in
recent history
occurred in the
Southeastern United States. The deadliest storms
occurred in
northern Alabama
and northern Georgia, mainly during the late morning
and early afternoon
hours. Many of the
deaths occurred as the
largest tornado (ranked F4 on the Fujita Scale)
move northeastward
from
Calhoun County AL into Cherokee County AL, striking the Goshen
United
Methodist Church
at 11:39 AM CDT (1739 UTC) during a Palm
Sunday service. As a result,
the roof of the
building collapsed,
killing 20 people and injuring 90 (U.S. Dept of
Commerce 1994).
These storms were unique not only due to the unusually high death
toll,
but also due to the
unusual meteorological situation which prompted
them. The synoptic
weather situation, as seen
well in advance of
the outbreak, showed no signs which would lead to
such strong
tornadoes.
There was little, if any, upper air support at the time
of the outbreak.
No organized areas of
positive vorticity
advection (PVA) were present, and the jet stream was
located well
northwest
of Alabama. The surface analysis showed only a stationary
front
crossing through northwest
Alabama, with little movement
forecasted due to the upper level pattern.
It was not
until early on the morning of the outbreak when the
potential for
strong tornadoes
became clear. Many of the features which came
together to cause the
outbreak were subtle, low-
level features
which could not be forecasted well in advance of the
storms.
Furthermore, the
exact location of the storms would depend on
mesoscale focusing
mechanisms which would
develop during the
morning hours. A total of 27 tornadoes touched down in 4 states in 9
hour time frame.
Tracks and states affected during outbreak
Ariel view of Goshen UMC destruction
Monster F4 tornado that hit the Goshen UMC
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