April 24-27, 2011: Tornado Outbreak Hits the Four State Region

News Headlines

Text-Based Hazardous Weather Outlook Will be Discontinued on December 1st, 2024

Overview

Severe weather hit the Four State Region beginning during the late night hours of April 24, 2011, and continuing until the early morning hours of April 27, 2011. Multiple tornadoes have been confirmed across the area. This event was part of a much larger and historic outbreak that occurred across the Southeastern United States, most notably in Alabama. Many other areas suffered damage from straight-line winds and flooding. Storm surveys were conducted to evaluate the damage that occurred. The below report is presented in chronological order. Not all of the tracks are available for viewing on the damage map.

TOTAL TORNADO COUNT = 26

EF0 = 14

EF1 = 8

EF2 = 4

Tornado Table

Damage Map

TOR. #	LOCATION	RATING	PEAK WIND	START TIME	END TIME	LENGTH/ WIDTH	FATALITIES/ INJURIES	REMARKS
APRIL 24, 2011
#1	Near Umpire, Howard County, AR	EF1	90-100 mph	10:54pm CDT	10:59pm CDT	3.52 miles/ 75 yards	None	An EF-1 tornado first touched down just northeast of Umpire along SR 84 with a path width of 75 yards. The storm paralleled SR 84 snapping and/or uprooting large trees until it lifted as it crossed Midway Road in the Mineola community. There, the tornado hit a brick home where nearly half of the roof was completely removed. A large storage building was completely destroyed with an adjacent chicken house suffering severe damage.
APRIL 25, 2011
#2	Near Fulton, Hempstead County, AR	EF0	75-80 mph	9:05am CDT	9:13am CDT	7.58 miles/ 100 yards	None	An EF-0 tornado first touched down northeast of Fulton along Hwy 195 where several pine trees were snapped in a pine thicket. The tornado was at its widest point at this time, approximately 100 yards wide. The storm then continued on an east northeast track snapping trees as it crossed CR 10. The storm then lifted just to the west of CR 15.
#3	5 miles SW of Broken Bow, McCurtain County, OK	EF0	75-85 mph	2:02pm CDT	2:12pm CDT	9 miles/ 75 yards	None	An EF-0 tornado touched down 5 miles southwest of Broken Bow. The tornado continued northeast crossing Hwy 70 about 1 mile south of Broken Bow, then continued northeast ending 4 miles east of Broken Bow on Hwy 70. Damage consisted mainly of trees being snapped and uprooted.
#4	6 miles SW of Troup, Cherokee County, TX	EF1	85-95 mph	3:32pm CDT	3:38pm CDT	8 miles/ 75 yards	None	An EF-1 tornado snapped multiple trees along an 8 mile track just south of the Smith/Cherokee County line. The tornado touched down 6 miles southwest of Troup on Hwy 135 and continued northeast crossing Hwy 110 before ending just north of FM 13. A small outbuilding was rolled.
#5	1 mile NNW of Eagletown, McCurtain County, OK	EF0	75-85 mph	5:18pm CDT	5:21pm CDT	2.5 miles/ 50 yards	None	An EF-0 tornado touched down 1 mile north northwest of Eagletown on Hwy 24, then continued east for 2.5 miles ending just north of Hwy 24. Damage consisted of multiple trees snapped and uprooted and a small convenience store had roof and awning damage.
#6	4 miles SW of Horatio, Little River County, AR	EF0	75-85 mph	5:37pm CDT	5:45pm CDT	7 miles/ 70 yards	None	An EF-0 tornado touched down 4 miles southwest of Horatio along State Hwy 41. The tornado continued northeast into Sevier County ending 3 miles east northeast of Horatio on Hwy 24. Damage consisted mainly of trees being snapped and uprooted.
#7	Wells, Cherokee County, TX	EF1	110 mph	9:37pm CDT	10:04pm CDT	10 miles/ 0.25 miles	None	An EF-1 tornado began in the extreme southeast corner of Cherokee County where it caused roof damage to a home along CR 2829. The storm continued into Angelina County where it snapped and uprooted several trees along FM 1819 and CR 13. Several homes suffered roof damage and outbuildings were destroyed. The storm crossed Choppin Road near Winter Lane and then lifted on the west side of the Pollock community. Wind damage was also noted up to one half mile north of the path of the tornado in association with inflow into the north side of the circulation. A 2-mile swath of severe wind damage was found in association with the rear-flank downdraft from the Wells tornado. Minor roof damage occurred to homes along fm 1819. The old Redtown School and senior citizen center both lost parts of their metal roofs. A barn and several outbuildings on Choppin Road lost their roofs. Hundreds of trees were blown down from Redtown to Pollock along FM 1819, Hwy 103, Hwy 7, and Hwy 69. Winds were estimated from 90 to 110 mph.
#8	NW of Lufkin, Angelina County, TX	EF0	80 mph	10:13pm CDT	10:15pm CDT	1 mile/ 25 yards	None	An EF-0 tornado touched down along Richardson Road northwest of Lufkin. Minor roof damage occurred to a mobile home at Royce Oliver Road and Richardson Road. Another home suffered minor roof damage at the FM 706/Hwy 69 intersection. Multiple trees were snapped and uprooted as well. A one-half mile wide damage path in association with the rear-flank downdraft of the Lufkin tornado resulted in several trees uprooted or snapped blocking portions of Blue Rock Lane, Richardson Road, and Hwy 60. Wind speed was estimated up to 70 mph. A NWS storm survey noted a few trees and numerous tree limbs were blown down along Hwy 69 from south of Huntington in Angelina County to the Jasper County line. This was in association with thunderstorm wind damage with winds estimated at 60-70 mph. A NWS storm survey noted that numerous trees were snapped and uprooted along and east of Hwy 63 in Angelina County to the western shore of Lake Sam Rayburn to just north of the Jasper County line. This was in association with thunderstorm wind damage with winds estimated near 75 mph.
APRIL 26, 2011
#9	NW of Lindale, Smith County, TX	EF0	75-85 mph	6:04pm CDT	6:20pm CDT	7 miles/ 60 yards	None	An EF-0 tornado moved out of Van Zandt County and continued along a 7-mile track in extreme northwest Smith County. Multiple trees were snapped 1 mile south of I-20. The storm then crossed I-20 2 miles east of the county line then lifted approximately 4 miles northwest of Lindale on FM 16.
#10	SW of Tatum, Rusk County, TX	EF1	80-85 mph	6:35pm CDT	6:54pm CDT	13.8 miles/ 100 yards	None	A few trees were snapped at their base and had large limbs broken off with the initial touchdown along CR 2138 southwest of Tatum. It continued along a northeast path where it destroyed a storage outbuilding and uprooted several trees at the intersection of FM 2187 and Hwy 149. The tornado continued to the northeast where it uprooted several trees and ripped off the tops of several more along CR 2216 and CR 2221. The tornado continued to the northeast where numerous tree damage along a parallel path with Hendricks Lake Road was noted. The tornado then briefly crossed into Panola and Harrison Counties knocking over a few trees along Hwy 43, where the tornado then lifted.
#11	7 miles W of Hawkins, Wood County, TX	EF0	75-85 mph	7:00pm CDT	7:05pm CDT	3 miles/ 50 yards	None	An EF-0 tornado snapped multiple trees along a 3 mile track just north of Hwy. 80. The tornado touched down 7 miles west of Hawkins and continued east northeast ending on CR 3840.
#12	4 miles SSE of Marshall, Harrison County, TX	EF2	120-125 mph	7:04pm CDT	7:14pm CDT	5.5 miles/ 400 yards	None	A few trees were snapped at their base and had large limbs broken off with the initial touchdown along FM 2625 just west of Hwy 59. The tornado paralleled FM 2625 causing sporadic tree damage until it reached the intersection of FM 2625 and Taylor Road. The tornado strengthened rapidly in a short time frame, causing EF-2 damage to two residential homes and EF-1 damage to a third. One house completely lost its roof while another had an entire room destroyed. The third home had its metal roof peeled off while sustaining partial wall failure. Numerous trees in the vicinity of the homes were completely toppled or had their tops sheared off. The tornado continued to the northeast where it intersected Blocker Road near FM 2625 snapping and uprooting numerous trees. The tornado continued to the northeast dissipating over a logging road a mile to the east of Blocker Rd.
#13	Jonesville, Harrison County, TX	EF0	70-75 mph	7:24pm CDT	7:34pm CDT	5.94 mies/ 70 yards	None	A few trees were snapped with the initial touchdown along and just north I-20, near the Hwy 80 exit just west of Waskom. The tornado continued northeast causing sporadic tree damage along Bellview Road. The tornado then continued northeast where it toppled several large trees and knocked down large limbs along Concord Road between FM 134 and Owen George Road. The tornado continued northeast where it took the tops off of a few trees along Owen George Road. The tornado continued northeast knocking over a few trees along FM 9, where it finally dissipated.
#14	Benton, Bossier Parish, LA	EF0	70-75 mph	7:34pm CDT	7:39pm CDT	3.57 miles/ 50 yards	None	Several large trees were toppled and a few large limbs were broken off trees at the entrance of the Magnolia Chase subdivision along Benton Road just south of the city of Benton. The tornado continued to the north-northeast where it broke off large limbs on a few trees along Benton Road near Jacobs Trail. The tornado continued to the northeast where it snapped a tree at its base and knocked down a few large limbs along Palmetto Road south of Benton. The tornado continued northeast where it toppled a large tree near the intersection of Larkin Street and Palmetto Road and finally dissipated.
#15	West of Keachi, LA (Panola County, TX)	EF2	110-115 mph	7:46pm CDT	8:39pm CDT	42 miles/ 0.5 miles	2 injuries	A long-track tornado began in Panola County, TX, and continued northeast through De Soto, Caddo, and Bossier Parishes in Louisiana. Most of the damage along the path consisted of EF-0 to EF-1 type damage. A few locations near Keachi, Longstreet, and Frierson exhibited low end EF-2 damage. Trees were snapped and uprooted, and as many as 3 dozen homes sustained minor damage with a few moderately damaged homes where carports were peeled back or trees fell on them. Several barns were knocked over or destroyed as well. The heaviest damage was located in the community of Frierson where widespread tree damage occurred, and the tornado was at its widest point. Other damage along and just south of the tornado track is related to rear flank downdraft otherwise known as straight line winds. The tornado tracked from eastern Panola County near FM 3359 northeast into De Soto Parish across Belle Bower Texas Line Road...State Route 3015 where trees were snapped off 4 to 6 feet off the ground and 2 tanks from a gas well were overturned. The tornado continued northeast crossing State Route 5 between Keachi and Longstreet, then crossed Smyrna Road knocking over trees onto and around homes. The tornado crossed Hwy 171 south of the Hwy 5 and 171 intersection and followed along Jessie Lattin where several homes were damaged and barns destroyed. The storm continued northeast crossing I-49 where Red Bluff Road crosses under. Numerous trees were downed and increased in coverage as the storm moved into Frierson. The tornado continued northeast crossing the intersection of Ellerbe Road and Hwy 1 where several pecan trees were snapped then across the Red River into Bossier Parish and across Atkins Clark Road where a mobile trailer was flipped at a gas well injuring the occupants. The tornado continued northeast crossing Hwy 154 and 157 intersection damaging trees and power lines before weakening and lifting near Lake Bistineau.
#16	3 miles NW of Tyler, Smith County, TX	EF0	75-85 mph	7:49pm CDT	7:54pm CDT	3 miles/ 60 yards	None	An EF-0 tornado snapped and uprooted multiple trees along a 3 mile track just inside the northwest Loop 323 and north of MLK Blvd. The tornado touched down 2 miles northwest of downtown Tyler on Cecil Street and moved east ending near the intersection of north northeast Loop 323 and CR 376.
#17	Near Dubberly, Webster Parish, LA	EF1	95-105 mph	8:54pm CDT	8:57pm CDT	? / 150 yards	None	Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted south of Sibley east of 371. The tornado continued northeast into Dubberly where several homes sustained roof damage. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted along Hwy 531 north of Dubberly. The tornado lifted as it approached Interstate 20. The storm responsible for this tornado is the same cell that produced a 42 mile long track across De Soto Parish.
#18	6 miles SSE of Grambling, Jackson Parish, LA	EF0	70-75 mph	9:31pm CDT	9:41pm CDT	6 miles/ 80 yards	None	An EF-0 tornado blew down trees along Hwy 818 between Clay and Woodville in far northern Jackson Parish. The storm then paralleled Hwy 167 knocking down trees before dissipating near the Ruston Golf and Country Club in the southern sections of Ruston.
#19	4 miles SSW of Junction City, Union Parish, LA	EF1		9:45pm CDT	10:15pm CDT	26 miles/ 100 yards	None	The tornado first touched down about 4 miles south southwest of Junction City, AR, in Union Parish, LA, and lifted 30 minutes later about 2 miles northeast of Lawson, AR, in Union County, AR. The damage consisted of numerous trees snapped and uprooted...with the worst of the tree damage near Lawson, AR. About 6 homes sustained minor damage.
#20	5 miles N of Eros, Jackson Parish, LA	EF0	80-85 mph	9:50pm CDT	9:56pm CDT	5 miles/ 70 yards	None	An EF-0 tornado took out trees and power lines west of the intersection of Hwy 556 and 144. The storm continued along 144 into western Ouachita Parish snapping trees near the Indian Village community. The storm dissipated just west of Calhoun north of Hwy 80.
#21	Swartz, Ouachita Parish, LA	EF0	70-75 mph	10:33pm CDT	10:39pm CDT	2 miles/ 50 yards	None	An EF-0 tornado touched down just southwest of the Hwy 594/139 intersection taking down several trees. The storm moved north northeast along Hwy 139 where trees were uprooted along Trichel Lane and Vinwood Road. The tornado dissipated just north of the intersection of Hwy 139 and Stubbs Vinson Road where minor roof damage occurred to a home.
#22	Hall Summit, Red River Parish, LA	EF1	85-90 mph	10:55pm CDT	10:56pm CDT	? / 125 yards	None	A couple of barns were destroyed west of town north of State Route 514. The tornado continued east snapping and uprooting trees along 514. Several homes in town sustained minor to moderate roof damage. The tornado crossed 514 east of Hall Summit where numerous trees were snapped onto the road. The tornado continued east crossing 371 knocking over a few trees before lifting east of 371. A sheriff deputy witnessed the tornado crossing the hwy east of Hall Summit and was blocked in from falling trees.
APRIL 27, 2011
#23	Zwolle and Many, Sabine Parish, LA	EF2	110-120 mph	12:27am CDT	12:43am CDT	17 miles/ 300 yards	None	The NWS conducted a storm survey from Zwolle, LA, eastward to north of Many, LA, and concluded that damage was the result of an EF-2 tornado. The tornado first touched down along CR 3229 knocking over trees and destroying a shed. The storm continued east crossing Highway 191 where a 200 foot communications tower was bent to the ground and trees were snapped and uprooted near some homes. Further east along Highway 171, two homes were completely destroyed. One home was destroyed by a large tree while the other was by the wind alone. The tornado continued east along Parish Road 1216 snapping trees and damaging roofs to homes. A few homes had their roof peeled back. At least a dozen home sustained damage along 1216. What appears to be a downburst occurred near the intersection of 1216 and 175 feeding northeast into the tornado track which continued along Cedar Grove Road. The tornado began to occlude near the area around Cedar Grove Road and Rocky Springs Road.
#24	SW of Robeline, Sabine Parish, LA	EF1	95-105 mph	12:42am CDT	12:50am CDT	14 miles/ 0.5 miles	None	A multi-vortex EF-1 tornado occurred in Sabine and Natchitoches Parishes in Louisiana near Robeline . The tornado first touched down northeast of Many along Highway 6 and primarily paralleled Highway 6 to just southwest of Robeline where it turned right and continued on a more eastward track along Robeline Provencal Road where the heaviest damage occurred. Along Highway 6, numerous homes were damaged largely from falling trees. However, a few homes sustained roof damage from winds. Numerous carports were tossed or flipped. Numerous trees were snapped and/or uprooted along the path as well. Southeast of Robeline along Robeline Provencal Road, numerous trees fell on homes and cars where several homes were nearly destroyed. The tornado continued east snapping trees and moving into largely forested areas north of Big Hill Fire Tower Road. The tornado lifted shortly before reaching Hagewood south along Highway 117. This is one of two tornadoes which affected Natchitoches Parish where it is estimated that at least 100 homes received damage from the storms.
#25	N of Flora, Natchitoches Parish, LA	EF2	110-120 mph	12:56am CDT	1:14am CDT	26 miles/ 0.5 miles	None	The NWS conducted a storm survey in Natchitoches and Winn Parishes and found evidence of a strong downburst with high end EF-1 winds and an EF-2 tornado. Maximum winds 100-110 mph in the downburst. The tornado first touched down north of Flora along Highway 120 and headed northeast snapping and uprooting trees. The tornado crossed and eventually paralleled Highway 478 just south of Natchitoches snapping trees and power lines and knocking a tree into a brick home. The tornado knocked down power lines onto Highway 1 and ripped up trees eastward along Lateral Road where one mobile home was moderately damaged by falling trees. The tornado weakened slightly as it crossed the Cane River and knocked over a few trees. The track continues eastward across the Red River into Winn Parish near the intersection of Highway 71 and 477. It continued on a more east track along Harrisonburg Road snapping and uprooting trees. The heaviest damage occurred near the community of Wheeling where the tornado grew to nearly a half mile wide and nearly snapped all the trees in its path. Several homes were severely damaged along Harrisonburg Road including a trailer which was flipped and destroyed. The tornado continued east crossing Highway 34 snapping trees and power lines. The tornado knocked trees onto Highway 471 before lifting to the east. Evidence of a significant downburst occurred near Natchez in the community of Bermuda and Point Place. The width of the downburst is approximately 2 miles across from near point place to Bermuda with dozens of homes damaged and numerous trees snapped and uprooted. The worst of the damage was concentrated along Riverview Drive where moderate roof damage occurred to several homes, including large trees into homes. Many homes sustained shingle damage; however, a few had portions of their roofs peeled. The winds from this downburst continued east and affected the community of Montgomery in Grant Parish knocking over trees and damaging a few homes.
#26	Near Tullos, La Salle Parish, LA	EF0	70-75 mph	1:36am CDT	1:45am CDT	9 miles/ 100 yards	None	The tornado first touched down on the southwest wide of Tullos where an old building was destroyed when a wall collapsed and the roof caved in. Several trees were snapped off on both sides of Highway 165. The tornado continued east across Highway 84 east of Tullos snapping a few trees. Trees were snapped sporadically along the track which ended near Highway 127 between Summerville and Olla.

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