2011 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado

{{Main|2011 Super Outbreak#Meteorological synopsis}}

The environmental conditions leading up to the 2011 Super Outbreak were among the "most conducive to violent tornadoes ever documented".{{cite journal|author=Kevin R. Knupp|display-authors=etal|journal=Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society|publisher=American Meteorological Society|date=July 2014|title=Meteorological Overview of the Devastating 27 April 2011 Tornado Outbreak|volume=95|issue=7|doi=10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00229.1|pages=1,041–1,062|bibcode=2014BAMS...95.1041K|s2cid=22335326 }} On April 25, a vigorous upper-level shortwave trough moved into the Southern Plains states.{{cite report|author=Ryan E. Jewell|publisher=Storm Prediction Center|date=April 25, 2011|accessdate=May 15, 2016|title=Apr 25, 2011 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2011/day1otlk_20110425_1200.html|location=Norman, Oklahoma}} Ample instability, low-level moisture, and wind shear all fueled a significant tornado outbreak from Texas to Tennessee; at least 64 tornadoes touched down on this day. An area of low pressure consolidated over Texas on April 26 and traveled east while the aforementioned shortwave trough traversed the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.{{cite report|author=Ryan E. Jewell|publisher=Storm Prediction Center|date=April 26, 2011|accessdate=May 15, 2016|title=Apr 26, 2011 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2011/day1otlk_20110426_1200.html|location=Norman, Oklahoma}} Another 50 tornadoes touched down on this day. The multi-day outbreak culminated on April 27 with the most violent day of tornadic activity since the 1974 Super Outbreak. Multiple episodes of tornadic activity ensued with two waves of mesoscale convective systems in the morning hours followed by a widespread outbreak of supercells from Mississippi to North Carolina during the afternoon into the evening.

Tornadic activity on April 27 was precipitated by a 995 mbar (hPa; 29.39 inHg) surface low situated over Kentucky and a deep, negatively tilted (aligned northwest to southeast) trough over Arkansas and Louisiana. A strong southwesterly surface jet intersected these systems at a 60° angle, an ageostrophic flow that led to storm-relative helicity values in excess of 500 m²s⁻²—indicative of extreme wind shear and a very high potential for rotating updrafts within supercells. Ample moisture from the Gulf of Mexico was brought north across the Deep South, leading to daytime high temperatures of {{convert|25|to|27|C|F|abbr=on|order=flip}} and dewpoints of {{convert|19|to|22|C|F|abbr=on|order=flip}}. Furthermore, convective available potential energy (CAPE) values reached 2,500–3,000 J/kg.

{{Multiple image

| direction = vertical

| image1 = Day11630UTCOlook.gif

| caption1 = The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center's Day 1 Convective Outlook for April 27, showing the Categorical Graphic

| image2 = Day1probotlk 20110427 tornado.png

| caption2 = The probability of a tornado within 25 miles of a point (cross-hatched area: 10% or greater probability of EF2+ tornadoes)

| alt1 = The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center outlined a high risk area for severe weather over central Alabama on this map.

| alt2 = This version of the map shows a 45% probability of a tornado within 25 miles of a given point in the highest risk area, and a 10% chance of a significant tornado.

}}

On the morning of April 27, a strong cold front with several areas of embedded low pressure extended from the Texas Hill Country northeastward towards the Arklatex and the Ozarks, and later into the lower Ohio Valley. Warm moist air was in place due to strong southerly flow ahead of the front over Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. An upper level disturbance sparked a broad area of showers and thunderstorms as it moved across the frontal boundary on the previous evening. The eastern edge of the line of showers and storms continued to move eastward, in concert with the upper disturbance, reaching the northwest Alabama border around 2:00 a.m. CDT.{{Cite web |last=US Department of Commerce |first=NOAA |title=Weather Setup: April 27th, 2011 Historic Tornado Outbreak |url=https://www.weather.gov/hun/hunsur_2011-04-27_setup |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association |language=EN-US}}{{source-attribution}}

This produced the last and most violent round of severe weather, which began around 2:30 p.m. CDT for northern Alabama as supercells began to line up to the southwest of the area. During the early afternoon hours, the potential for destructive tornadoes was highlighted by the Storm Prediction Center's upgrade to a high risk for severe weather around 1:00 p.m. CDT. This prompted a particularly dangerous situation (PDS) tornado watch, which was issued for northern Alabama and portions of southern Tennessee at 1:45 p.m. CDT. The bulletin that accompanied the watch read:{{Cite web |last=Center |first=Storm Prediction |title=Storm Prediction Center Tornado/Severe Thunderstorm Watch Page |url=https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/2011/ww0235.html |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Storm Prediction Center |language=EN-US}}

{{Blockquote|text=THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF: MUCH OF ALABAMA, NORTHWEST GEORGIA, SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI, SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE, EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 145 PM UNTIL 1000 PM CDT.

{{red|...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...}}

DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.}}

The potential for tornadoes ramped up from noon through 9:00 p.m. CDT. During this period, much of Mississippi and Alabama experienced numerous supercell thunderstorms that produced violent tornadoes, including four EF5 tornadoes, one being the Hackleburg tornado.{{Cite web |last=Morgan |first=Leigh |date=2022-04-27 |title=18 hours of horror: A look back at the tornadoes of April 27, 2011 |url=https://www.al.com/news/2022/04/18-hours-of-horror-a-look-back-at-the-tornadoes-of-april-27-2011.html |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=AL |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2015-11-25 |title=Remembering April 27, 2011 in photos |url=https://www.wvtm13.com/article/remembering-april-27-2011-in-photos/3827940 |access-date=November 7, 2024 |website=WVTM 13 |language=en}}

The tornado initially touched down in Marion County, Alabama about {{convert|5|mi|km}} west-southwest of Hamilton around 3:05 p.m. CDT and tracked to the northeast, causing significant tree and roof damage. Damage at the beginning of the path ranged from EF1 to EF2. The tornado reached EF4 strength as it approached US 43. Along Highway 43, the tornado destroyed several homes and collapsed the exterior walls of a brick residence. The tornado would claim its first life as it moved over Highway 43 a second time, striking a vehicle and killing the occupant, Bridgett Cantrell.

File: 2011 Hackleburg-Phil Campbell Tornado Damage (NWS).jpg

As it approached Hackleburg, moving parallel to US 43, the tornado further strengthened to EF5 intensity and widened to {{convert|0.75|mi|km}}, sweeping away numerous homes along the highway.{{cite web |date=August 19, 2011 |title=Hackleburg Tornado |url=https://www.weather.gov/bmx/event_04272011hackleburg |accessdate=27 March 2023 |publisher=National Weather Service Birmingham, AL}} Several homes to the southwest of Hackleburg were swept away as the tornado moved to the northeast, where it would rip the roof off of an underground cinderblock tornado shelter, and nearby roads would be scoured from the ground. The tornado would also drain a {{convert|5|acre|ha|abbr=|adj=on}} pond of water, and trees nearby were debarked. Later surveys found a mobile home and several other vehicles in the pond basin, and would also find the remains of a victim.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

The tornado would move over populated areas as it entered into the southwestern side of Hackleburg, where a man would be killed after refusing to take cover in a storm shelter. A dog that was owned by the man was found over a mile away with serious injuries.{{Cite web |last=Zucchino |first=David |date=2011-04-30 |title=In a small town, tornado took all there was |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2011-apr-30-la-na-tornado-hackleburg-20110501-story.html |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} A woman who was sheltering in the same home would sustain a rare root canal injury; this is the only known case of a tornado rupturing a root canal as the result of an extreme pressure drop.{{cn|date=April 2025}} As the tornado impacted Hackleburg, it ripped asphalt out of the ground and obliterated an elementary and high school, while tearing at least two poorly-built concrete storm shelters out of the ground and dislodging the steel door of another. Two occupants of a well-built storm shelter were injured when the tornado tore the door off of its hinges; the home that the shelter rested under was completely destroyed. The tornado dropped a car into the kitchen of another home, but the owner of the home survived.{{Cite web |date=2011-07-10 |title=Alabama tornadoes: Devastated Hackleburg mulls future (with slideshow) |url=https://www.al.com/spotnews/2011/07/alabama_tornadoes_devastated_h.html |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=AL |language=en}}

The tornado maintained EF5 strength as it struck a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, a shopping center, and a Wrangler Jeans plant, tossing cars as far as {{convert|200|yd|m}} from where they originated. At least one of the homes swept away in Hackleburg was bolted to its foundation, and a brick home in the city's southwest portion had its poured concrete stem walls sheared off at ground level. Extensive wind-rowing of debris was also noted in the area. Jeans from the Wrangler plant reportedly fell from the sky in Courtland, Alabama, roughly {{convert|40|mi|km}} away. Photographs were recovered as far away as Tennessee.{{cite web |last1=Davidson |first1=Osha Gray |date=April 29, 2011 |title=What Tornadoes Carried Off, Facebook May Help Return |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/oshadavidson/2011/04/29/what-tornados-carried-off-facebook-may-help-return/ |access-date=March 3, 2025 |website=Forbes}}

Several buildings in downtown Hackleburg were badly damaged as well. According to the Red Cross, 75% of the town was destroyed. A total of 18 people died in the Hackleburg area.{{cite news |author=Ott |first=Tayna |date=May 3, 2011 |title=In Small Towns Hit By Twisters, 'You Feel Ignored' |url=https://www.npr.org/2011/05/03/135936478/in-small-towns-hit-by-twisters-you-feel-ignored |accessdate=May 25, 2011 |newspaper=NPR}}{{Cite web |title=Event Report: EF5 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=309488 |website=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}} While the damage was initially rated EF3, after further analysis of the damage in and around Hackleburg, the rating was increased to EF5, making it the first F5 or EF5 tornado in Alabama since the 1998 Birmingham tornado. The presence of well-built homes swept away, extensive wind-rowing, and cars thrown hundreds of yards were the main factors that led to the EF5 rating in Hackleburg.{{Cite web |url=http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=BMX&product=PNS&issuedby=BMX |title=National Weather Service Text Product Display |access-date=2011-04-30 |archive-date=2011-05-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501145640/http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=BMX&product=PNS&issuedby=BMX |url-status=dead }}

The tornado would damage several small homes as it neared the Franklin County line. Eighteen people were killed in the Hackleburg area, and 150 others would sustain various degrees of injuries. The tornado damaged 495 structures along a {{convert|25.14|mi|km|adj=on}} path.{{Cite web |title=Hackleburg tornado event in Marion County |url=https://www.weather.gov/bmx/event_04272011hackleburg |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=National Weather Service |language=EN-US}} At 3:28 p.m. CDT, the tornado crossed into Franklin County, moving to the northeast at an estimated forward speed of {{convert|69|mph|km/h|adj=off}} while having a maximum width of {{convert|2125|yd|m|adj=off}}. After passing through approximately three miles of vegetation and trees, the tornado crossed Woodward Road, located to the southwest of Phil Campbell. Several homes in the area were completely destroyed, and trees were set aloft by the tornado. The tornado ripped the roof off of another concrete storm shelter as it entered into Phil Campbell, where twenty-one people would be killed. Several homes in Phil Campbell were swept away, some of which even had their block foundations destroyed as well. A {{convert|25|ft|m|adj=on}} section of pavement was scoured from a road in Phil Campbell, with chunks of asphalt scattered up to {{convert|1/3|mi|km}} away, and numerous trees were completely denuded and debarked, one of which had a car wrapped around it. Three churches were destroyed, one of which was reduced to a bare slab. Multiple mobile homes were obliterated as well, with their mangled frames tossed up to {{convert|50|yd|m}} away.{{cite web |date=May 1, 2011 |title=Franklin (AL) / Lawrence / Morgan / Limestone / Madison / Franklin (TN) EF-5 |url=https://www.weather.gov/hun/4272011_franklin-al_lawrence_limestone_madison_franklin-tn_counties |accessdate=May 5, 2011 |publisher=National Weather Service Huntsville, AL}}

EF4 and EF5 damage continued as the tornado exited Phil Campbell and tore through rural areas, sweeping away additional homes as it roughly followed County Roads 81 and 82. The tornado then reached its maximum intensity as it tore through the rural community of Oak Grove, with the damage intensity reaching well into the EF5 range and a path width over a mile wide. Oak Grove suffered a large swath of total devastation as large and well-built brick homes with extensive anchoring were swept completely away, with the debris strewn and wind-rowed long distances through nearby fields. A Corvette was thrown {{convert|641|ft|m}} and severely mangled, and a vehicle missing from one residence was never found. A large metal chicken house completely vanished, with nothing recovered at the site but a single piece of metal truss, and numerous large trees in this area were completely debarked. A total of 27 people were killed in Franklin County, mainly in and around Phil Campbell.{{Cite web |title=Event Report: EF5 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=301811 |website=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}

The tornado continued into Lawrence County and maintained EF5 strength as it struck the small town of Mount Hope, where significant devastation was incurred to single-family homes and a restaurant. Nothing but the foundation and a pile of debris remained at the restaurant site, and a small portion of the restaurant's foundation slab buckled. Thousands of hardwood and softwood trees were snapped, with a significant number of trees twisted and debarked with only stubs of branches remaining. Many mobile homes were also destroyed with the frames mangled, and a single-family home was completely destroyed, with the walls and contents strewn over a hundred yards. WAAY-TV meteorologist and Mount Hope resident Gary Dobbs spotted the tornado from his front window but was unable to get to his storm shelter because he was giving a live report to viewers of WAAY. While the house was destroyed around him, Dobbs was thrown {{convert|40|ft|m}} from his residence. The door of the storm shelter on the property was torn off, but no friends therein were seriously injured. Dobbs required hospitalization.{{cite web | url=http://www.dailyhome.com/view/full_story/13052378/article-C-burg-native-suffers-injuries-in-north-Alabama?instance=home_right | title=C'burg native suffers injuries in north Alabama | publisher=The Daily Home | date=April 29, 2011 | accessdate=April 30, 2011 | author=Holland, Lindsey}}{{cite web | url=http://www.31alumni.com/garydobbs.htm | title=Gary Dobbs | publisher=31 Alumni | accessdate=April 30, 2011 | author=Dobbs, Gary}}

Past Mount Hope, the tornado weakened to EF3 strength. More trees were found snapped and twisted before the tornado reached SR 24. At this location, four chicken houses were completely destroyed with much of the debris wrapped around debarked trees. TVA high voltage power line trusses were also destroyed at this location. The tornado continued northeast at EF3 strength as it struck Langtown, where multiple homes lost their roofs or had only interior walls left standing, and a gas station and a store sustained significant damage.{{Cite web |date=2011-05-08 |title=132 Miles of Devastation: EF-5 tornado deadliest in United States in last 56 years |url=https://www.al.com/breaking/2011/05/132_miles_of_devastation_ef-5.html |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=AL |language=en}}

The tornado re-intensified to high-end EF4 strength as it passed northwest of Moulton and Trinity, completely destroying multiple homes and mobile homes. Several cars were tossed into fields and wrapped around debarked trees along County Road 291 and 292. Tree and mobile home damage continued along County Roads 217 and 222, where a handful of large high voltage TVA power poles were destroyed, cutting off electricity delivery from Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant. EF4 damage continued northeast towards SR 20, where a restaurant was completely destroyed and two single-family houses were significantly damaged. A total of 14 people were killed in Lawrence County.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=301846|title=Storm Events Database - Event Details | National Centers for Environmental Information|website=www.ncdc.noaa.gov}} Tree damage continued into extreme northwestern Morgan County.

The tornado continued a short stretch through the northwest corner of Morgan County, crossing Wheeler Lake, and into Limestone County, coming within approximately {{convert|2|mi|km}} of Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant and toppling nearly a dozen high voltage power lines in Limestone County, snapping concrete power poles at their bases. These power lines delivered electricity from Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant, and without the outlet, the plant had to be shut down. The tornado continued towards the small community of Tanner.{{cite news|last=Sohn|first=Pam|title=TVA loses all power transmission lines in Alabama and Mississippi, Browns Ferry Nuclear plant forced into emergency shutdown|url=http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/apr/28/tva-losses-all-power-transmission-lines-alabama-an/|accessdate=April 28, 2011|newspaper=Chattanooga Times Free Press|date=April 28, 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110521065159/http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/apr/28/tva-losses-all-power-transmission-lines-alabama-an/| archivedate= May 21, 2011 }}{{cite web|url=http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=HUN&issuedby=HUN&product=PNS&format=CI&version=1&glossary=0 |title=Public Information Statement |publisher=National Weather Service, Huntsville |date=May 1, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110620093231/http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=HUN&issuedby=HUN&product=PNS&format=CI&version=1&glossary=0 |archivedate=June 20, 2011 |accessdate=May 2, 2011 |url-status=dead }}

Tanner experienced a large swath of EF4 damage and a narrow corridor of "high-end EF4 to near-EF5 damage". The storm completely swept away several well-constructed homes with anchor bolting. One home was scattered over {{convert|300|yd|m}} with large items carried completely away. Intense ground scarring occurred in this area. The storm also tossed a large cargo container approximately 600 yards and carried several cars airborne for hundreds of yards. Several homes, a mobile home park, and a church that were destroyed by the 1974 Tanner tornadoes and later rebuilt, were destroyed once again by this tornado.{{Cite web |title=EF5 Tornado Track: Franklin (AL) to Franklin (TN) |url=https://www.weather.gov/hun/4272011_franklin-al_lawrence_limestone_madison_franklin-tn_counties |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=National Weather Service |language=EN-US}}

File:Toney2011.jpg

As it crossed US 72 in eastern Limestone County, the tornado destroyed a privately owned radar and tower camera operated by NBC affiliate WAFF and continued into East Limestone, a more populated area of Limestone County where numerous homes were damaged or destroyed, with several leveled at high-end EF3 intensity in a subdivision at the corner of McCulley Mill Road and Capshaw Road. (Imagery from WAFF's radar, as seen during the station's coverage of the tornado outbreak, showed the graphical linear "sweep" indicating the scanning antenna dish briefly swaying violently in a ~70° horizontal curve as the tornado blew the dome and equipment off the radar tower. The tornado was viewed on the camera shortly before it was destroyed.) The tornado then crossed into Madison County, tearing through the suburban communities of Harvest and Toney. Many homes in Harvest were damaged or destroyed, especially in the Anderson Hills subdivision.

Numerous two-story homes were destroyed at that location, with a few that were flattened or reduced to their block foundations. Numerous trees were snapped and debarked, and several mobile homes were swept completely away. The tornado destroyed a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Harvest, and also severely damaged a convenience store and local bank, which was shut down for months following the event. Damage in Harvest was rated low-end EF4.{{cite web | url=http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/04/at_least_7_dead_scores_injured.html | title=Harvest & Toney, AL Destruction | publisher=Skywarn256 | date=July 9, 2011 | accessdate=July 9, 2011}} In Toney, the Carter's Gin subdivision was devastated as multiple poorly-anchored homes were leveled at high-end EF3 strength. The tornado then weakened significantly, twisting irrigation equipment and producing only intermittent EF0 tree damage southwest of Hazel Green and through rural areas. The tornado would rapidly weaken after this, with damage being inflicted near the community of Gladstone before dissipating at 4:50 p.m. CDT (21:50 UTC). In all, hundreds of homes received moderate to major damage along the path from Limestone to Madison County with many of these being total losses, and thirteen people were killed.{{Cite web |title=Event Report: EF4 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=301902 |website=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}{{Cite web |title=Event Report: EF4 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=309095 |website=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}

Initially, the tornado was thought to have continued into Tennessee. However, updates to the Damage Assessment Toolkit (DAT) and analysis by damage surveyors, including a 2022 re-analysis of the outbreak by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), determined that the Hackleburg tornado lifted in Madison County and assessed the portion in Tennessee to be a separate EF3 tornado.{{cite web |date=April 28, 2011 |title=Damage Assessment Toolkit |url=https://apps.dat.noaa.gov/StormDamage/DamageViewer/ |accessdate=December 19, 2014 |website=Damage Assessment Toolkit}}{{cite web|url=https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/47474/noaa_47474_DS1.pdf|title=Observed Characteristics of the Tornadic Supercells of 27–28 April 2011 in the Southeast United States|first1=Anthony W.|last1=Lyza|first2=Matthew D.|last2=Flournoy|first3=Erik N.|last3= Rasmussen|work=University of Oklahoma, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Severe Storms Laboratory|date=May 16, 2022|access-date=April 12, 2025}}

Damage from the tornado amounted to $1.29 billion (2011 USD), making this one of the costliest tornadoes in U.S. history. This tornado also had the second-longest track of any tornado in the outbreak, with its path extending {{convert|102|mi|km}} across Northern Alabama.{{cite web |date=July 9, 2011 |title=2011 Super Outbreak NWS-HUN Warning Summary |url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hun/?n=stormsurveys_summary |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806024804/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hun/?n=stormsurveys_summary |archive-date=August 6, 2011 |accessdate=July 9, 2011 |publisher=Skywarn256}}

In total, the tornado killed 71 people,{{efn|name=Fatalities|The initial results claim 72 fatalities, but this was corrected to 71 after one death of a Phil Campbell resident in Hackleburg was mistakenly counted twice.}} all in Alabama.{{cite web |date= |title=Annual Fatal Tornado Summaries |url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/torn/fataltorn.html |accessdate=November 1, 2011 |publisher=NOAA}} This made it the deadliest single tornado ever to strike the state of Alabama{{cite web|url=http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/worstts.htm |title=The United States' Worst Tornadoes |publisher=Tornadoproject.com |accessdate=November 1, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514002740/http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/worstts.htm |archivedate=May 14, 2008 }} as well as (at the time) the deadliest in the United States since the 1955 Udall, Kansas tornado that killed 80 people, until the 2011 Joplin tornado a month later killed 158.{{cite web |date=August 31, 2010 |title=The Udall Kansas Tornado: May 25, 1955 |url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ict/udall/udall.php |access-date=November 1, 2011 |work=National Weather Service Huntsville, AL |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}{{cite web |title=The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes |url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/killers.html |access-date=July 14, 2013 |work=Storm Prediction Center |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}

In response to the damage in Phil Campbell, one of the hardest hit communities, writer Phil Campbell organized a fundraising and relief effort composed of 20 people with the name Phil Campbell or variations thereof. They traveled to the community from places as far away as Australia to aid in the cleanup effort. Many of these people had planned to attend a convention in June, 2011 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the city's incorporation.{{cite web|title=30 Phil Campbells clean up tornado-ravaged town called Phil Campbell|url=http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2011/06/19/30-phil-campbells-clean-up-tornado-ravaged-town-called-phil-campbell-102039-23210408/|publisher=The People|accessdate=28 August 2012|date=June 19, 2011}}{{cite web|title=Phil Campbells helping tornado-hit Alabama town of Phil Campbell|url=http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/jun/17/phil-campbells-helping-tornado-hit-alabama-town-ph/?partner=RSS|publisher=The Henderson Gleaner|accessdate=28 August 2012|date=June 17, 2011}}

• List of F5, EF5, and IF5 tornadoes
• List of tornadoes in the 2011 Super Outbreak
• 2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado – A similarly deadly tornado that was part of the same outbreak.
• 2011 Cordova–Blountsville tornado – Another large and long-tracked tornado that touched down the same day.
• Tornado records

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{F5 and EF5 tornadoes}}

{{2011 Super Outbreak}}

{{2011 tornado outbreaks}}

{{10 costliest US tornadoes}}

{{Alabama tornado events}}

{{Coord|34.1043|-88.1479|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2011-04-27 Tornado, Hackleburg-Phil Campbell}}

Category:F5, EF5 and IF5 tornadoes

Category:Tornadoes in Alabama

Category:Tornadoes in Tennessee

04-27,Hackleburg - Phil Campbell, Alabama

Tornado,2011-04-27,Hackleburg - Phil Campbell, Alabama

Tornado 04-27

Tornado 04-27

Tornado, 27

Category:Huntsville-Decatur, AL Combined Statistical Area

Category:Marion County, Alabama