Top 5 Weather Events of 2011

A pair of tornadoes (the first an EF-2, the second an EF-1) formed from the same supercell and wrought devastating damage on the Pulaski and Draper areas of Pulaski County, VA on the afternoon of April 8, 2011. The initial tornado touched down just west of the town of Pulaski, and proceeded to move through the town. Hundreds of homes were damaged, some losing roofing or entire top floors, with around 30 structures being completely destroyed. All told, nine injuries and an estimated $3.9 million worth of damage occurred in a path length of 1.9 miles. The second tornado formed near Draper just minutes after the first one dissipated and crossed over Interstate 81. While rated one category lower than its predecessor, major damage to a gas station and several homes was sustained and one mobile home was destroyed. These were the first tornadoes to be recorded in Pulaski County since records began in 1950.

Pictured: The damage swaths of the Pulaski/Draper tornadoes, as determined by an NWS Storm Survey Team.

A complex of severe thunderstorms propagated across much of the Tennessee Valley and into the Mid-Atlantic. Damaging winds and hail up to the size of golf balls was observed in almost every corner of our County Warning Area, from the NC High Country, to the VA Southside, and even the mountains of southeast WV. One particularly powerful thunderstorm even knocked over a few 100 ft tall oak trees! Many of these storms were slow moving, causing flash flooding in the Roanoke Valley. Pollard Street in Roanoke was washed out and took several days to repair. This event stands out due to the variety and widespread nature of severe weather phenomena.

Pictured: The severe weather outlook for June 21, 2011 overlaid with storm reports from that day. A cluster of wind (blue) and hail (green) reports are visible in southwest VA.

A cold front passed through southwest VA during the peak heating of the afternoon on April 16, 2011. This created a favorable environment for severe weather east of the Blue Ridge, largely affecting the Piedmont and Southside regions. Three tornadoes were observed: an EF-0 near Vesuvius, VA; an EF-1 in southern Caswell County, NC; and an EF-2 with maximum estimated winds of 120 MPH that traveled from west of Virgilina to the H. Kerr Reservoir on the Roanoke River (a path length of 16.6 miles!)

Pictured: Metal siding from a shed is wrapped around a tree after an EF-1 tornado in Caswell County, NC.

Combined, these tornadoes accounted for damage to dozens of single family homes. Four mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed, along with four injuries. The EF-2 tornado was responsible for leveling an estimated 60 to 100 acres of trees just within the Staunton River State Park.

Pictured: A large swath of trees destroyed by an EF-2 tornado in Staunton River State Park on April 16, 2011.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Lee passed to the west of southwest VA through the Tennessee Valley on September 5, 2011. Not only did this system drop 3-5 inches of rain along the Blue Ridge, causing several flash flood events, it also created a favorable tornado environment in the Blacksburg forecast area. Two tornadoes impacted the area near the southern Blue Ridge. The stronger of the two mainly affected Stone Mountain State Park in Wilkes County, NC, causing EF-1 damage and destroying over a dozen outbuildings, damaging three homes and felling numerous trees.

Pictured: Debris from outbuildings scattered amongst snapped and downed trees in Wilkes County after an EF-1 tornado on Labor Day 2011.