Nearly three decades ago, a monstrous F5 tornado tore through multiple Birmingham suburbs, wiping out dozens of structures, claiming the lives of 32 people and injuring hundreds.

A mile-wide tornado that ultimately damaged or destroyed 12.5 percent of the city moves across Tuscaloosa on April 27, 2011, as captured by former News photographer Michelle Lepianka Carter.

From the moment a mile-wide tornado destroyed 13% of the city on April 27, 2011, the Tuscaloosa News has been reporting on the deadly storm and its aftermath. Here’s an example of our past ...

Fred Goossen, a Tuscaloosa News fine arts critic and composer, died as an indirect result of the April 27, 2011, tornado. Goossen suffered a stroke after frantically searching for his wife ...

which rated tornadoes from F0 to F5, based on estimated wind speeds and observed damage. Then, in 2007, the weather service adopted the Enhanced Fujita scale, which better reflected actual storm ...

If you live in Ohio, you may have woken up to thunder, heavy rain, and tornado sirens last night. Due to severe weather and rain forecasted for the rest of the week, around 55 Ohio counties remain ...

which rated tornadoes from F0 to F5, based on estimated wind speeds and observed damage. Then, in 2007, the weather service adopted the Enhanced Fujita scale, which better reflected actual storm ...

SO TRUE. PREPARATION IS KEY TO SAFETY. WE HEAR ABOUT TORNADOES RATED ON A SCALE EF ZERO TO EF FIVE, BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND HOW IS THAT DETERMINED? METEOROLOGIST CAITLIN HARVEY EXPLAINS.

Texas has seen fewer tornadoes in 2025 than in 2024, but the season is still active. Seeking shelter under an overpass during a tornado is dangerous, and finding a ditch or low-lying area is safer.