Jump to content

2007 Enterprise tornado

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2007 Enterprise Tornado
Clockwise from top: The tornado as it tracked through Enterprise; A radar scan of the tornado at peak intensity; FEMA assisting victims of the tornado.
Meteorological history
FormedMarch 1, 2007, 1:08 p.m. CST (UTC–06:00)
DissipatedMarch 1, 2007,1:18 p.m. CST (UTC–06:00)
Duration10 minutes
EF4 tornado
on the Enhanced Fujita scale
Max width400 yd (0.23 mi; 370 m)
Path length10.33 mi (16.62 km)
Highest winds170 mph (270 km/h)
Overall effects
Fatalities9
Injuries50
Damage$307 million (2008 USD)
Areas affectedCoffee County, Particularly Enterprise, Alabama
Part of the Tornado outbreak of February 28 – March 2, 2007 and Tornadoes of 2007

During the midday hours of March 1, 2007, a supercell produced a tornado that track along a 10.3-mile-long path through Enterprise, Alabama, causing heavy damage. The tornado would be part of a larger outbreak that lasted from February 28 to March 2. The tornado would inflict severe damage to the Enterprise High School, where it would kill 8 students. This tornado would be the deadliest tornado to strike a school since the Belvidere tornado in 1967. This would be the deadliest tornado in the outbreak as well. The tornado would spend much of it's 10 miles (16 km) in Enterprise, flattening many homes and businesses. While school was to be dismissed at 1:00 p.m., but the tornado struck before much of the school could be dismissed. The tornado would cause 50 significant injuries as well.[1]

Meteorological synopsis

[edit]
The sever weather outlook outlined by the National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center for March 1, 2007.

On February 28, a low-pressure formed across the Midwestern United States, moving east. A low level trough was present, bringing in warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. Temperatures reached 70 °F (21 °C). Dewpoints were as high as 60 °F (16 degrees Celsius), leading to rapid storm development. because of this, a moderate risk was issued for across the southwest.[2] As March first came around, the Moderate risk was placed over the Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri interjection. a 15% hatched risk for tornadoes were over much of the same place.[3] By 8 a.m., the moderate risk had formed to a L shape, with Illinois to the north, and stretching as far as South Carolina. A high risk was outlined directly over the Mississippi and Alabama, with a 30% hatched risk had been outlined mostly in Alabama.[4] at around 1800 UTC (12:00p.m., CST), the 500 Millibars had showed a negatively tilt over Iowa. A 115-mph jet stream at this level stretched from north-central Texas across southeast Missouri into central Illinois. At the 850 mb level, a 58-mph jet stream of warm, moist air flowed from the Louisiana Gulf Coast across central Alabama into eastern Tennessee.[5] At this time, tornadic supercells had formed, strengthening as they moved into Alabama. The first tornado touched down at 7:30 a.m., an EF0.[6] A single supercell formed around midday, heading towards Enterprise. The cell was warned with a tornado warning at 12:47 p.m.[7]

Tornado summary

[edit]
City wide damage in Enterprise.

At 1:08 p.m., a tornado touched down just south of Enterprise, initially inflicting light damage to the Enterprise Municipal Airport before destroying several chicken coops.[8] As it moved toward Enterprise, the tornado rapidly intensified, striking the south side of town. Taking the form of a large wedge tornado, it briefly became visible before reaching maximum intensity directly over the high school, where it caused catastrophic destruction. Nearly every hallway sustained damage, including one where eight students sheltering inside were killed when a concrete wall collapsed on them.[9][10] The high school was the site of most of the injuries, with at least 40 people hurt. Continuing northeast, the tornado caused further EF4-level damage, severely impacting Hillcrest Elementary School.[11] In the aftermath, uninjured students from both schools were escorted by emergency personnel to Hillcrest Baptist Church, which was unharmed, to reunite with their distressed parents. Emergency responders also focused on transporting the most seriously injured to local hospitals while providing on-site care to others. The tornado then destroyed a house, killing an elderly woman, before weakening and dissipating a few miles northeast of Enterprise.[12] In total, the storm left nine people dead and at least 50 severely injured. Numerous homes and businesses suffered extensive damage, with some completely flattened. Several other schools and the local YMCA were among the damaged buildings. According to the Red Cross, 239 homes were destroyed, and 374 sustained major damage.[13][14]

Aftermath

[edit]
United States President George H.W Bush surveying the Enterprise High School from Marine One.

Recovery efforts

[edit]

Shortly after the tornado had dissipated, Governor Bob Riley dispatched over 100 National Guard troops, with several more on standby.[15] President George W. Bush declared Enterprise a Disaster Area, and FEMA heavily assisted cleaning up and providing temporally shelters. A curfew was implemented from dawn to dusk.[16][17] Following the tornado, an investigation was conducted to determine whether students should have been dismissed prior to the storm

The Alabama National Guard being deployed for recovery efforts.

striking the school. However, a survey by the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee indicated that the death toll could have been significantly higher due to the severe damage sustained in the parking lot and surrounding areas. Furthermore, earlier thunderstorm activity in the region, including two other rotating supercells toward Enterprise late that morning, rendered evacuation unsafe.[18]

Assessments and rating

[edit]

A subsequent service assessment conducted by the NWS concluded that the school had implemented appropriate safety measures to minimize and prevent potential loss of life as the tornado approached and confirmed that the students were situated in the safest area of the building. Nevertheless, the assessment recommended the inclusion of hardened “safe rooms” with reinforced construction to mitigate future disasters in the event of large and violent tornadoes striking substantial structures. A comparable tornado on July 13, 2004, in Roanoke, Illinois, destroyed an industrial facility; however, such rooms were utilized, and no one present sustained serious injuries.[5] The school moved to a different location shortly after, and opened again in 2010, with the former site becoming an elementary school.[19]

The tornado itself was estimated to have been 500 yards (460 m) wide and have had a path length of 10 miles (16 km). It dissipated shortly after leaving Enterprise.[20] It was given an initial rating of EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.[21] However, after a detailed survey, the tornado was upgraded to a low-end EF4 with winds around 170 miles per hour (270 km/h). This upgrade was based on the finding of flattened houses near the school.[22] A total of $307 million in damages were inflicted on the city of Enterprise. The tornado became the strongest tornado ever warned and tracked through in NWS Tallassee history.[23]

Casualties

[edit]
List of victims[24][25]
  • A.J. Jackson, 16
  • Michael Tompkins
  • Ryan Mohler, 17
  • Michael Bowen, 16
  • Katie Strunk, 16
  • Michelle Wilson, 16
  • Jamie Ann Vidensek, 17
  • Peter Dunn
  • Edna Hayes Strickland, 83

Other tornadoes and non-tornadic impacts

[edit]
Confirmed tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita rating
EFU EF0 EF1 EF2 EF3 EF4 F5 Total
0 22 20 9 3 2 0 57
(not including the Enterprise tornado)
The tornadoes that occurred in Georgia from the outbreak.

There were 57 other tornadoes that touched down across the Midwest in the outbreak, including two other EF4 tornadoes that struck Kansas and a second EF4 in Alabama. In all, 20 (19 direct) fatalities occurred in the entire outbreak, including 98 injuries as well. In all, over $580 million (2008 USD) of damage was reported.[26] On the opposite side of the low-pressure system, a significant blizzard impacted the northern Great Plains and Upper Midwest, affecting regions such as Minnesota, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska. Reports indicated snowfall amounts ranging from 8 to 18 inches (20 to 46 centimeters) in several areas, along with accumulations between 6 and 11 inches (15 to 28 centimeters) across portions of Ontario and Quebec.[27]

Enterprise was hit again by a weaker tornado on October 8, 2008; however, no one was injured.[28]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ NWS, GODSEY. "PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ↑ "Storm Prediction Center Feb 28, 2007 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". www.spc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2026-09-18.
  3. ↑ "Storm Prediction Center Mar 1, 2007 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". www.spc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  4. ↑ "Storm Prediction Center Mar 1, 2007 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". www.spc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  5. 1 2 Hayes, John. "Tornadoes in Southern Alabama and Georgia on March 1, 2007" (PDF). U.S. Department of Commerce: 5, 6.
  6. ↑ "Storm Events Database". www.ncei.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  7. ↑ Narramore, Jen (2020-02-24). "Enterprise, AL EF4 Tornado – March 1, 2007 – Tornado Talk". Retrieved 2026-09-22.
  8. ↑ Brand, Carole. "'We need your prayers'". eprisenow.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Nine Years, Nine Lives: A Tribute to Those Swept Away March 1, 2007". thursdayreview.com. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
  10. ↑ "Student: Twister blew through school like 'big explosion' - CNN.com". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
  11. ↑ Nossiter, Adam (2007-03-03). "After Tornado, an Alabama School Tallies the Grief". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
  12. ↑ Digital, WVTM 13 (2022-03-01). "Remembering the March 1, 2007 tornado that killed 9 in Enterprise, Alabama". WVTM. Retrieved 2026-09-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ RIECHMANN, DEB. "Bush offers comfort to devastated towns". Archived from the original on 7 Mar 2007.
  14. ↑ "16th anniversary of the deadly Enterprise High School tornado". WDHN - wdhn.com. 2023-03-02. Archived from the original on 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
  15. ↑ N; P; R (2007-03-01). "Rash of Tornadoes Kills 14 in Alabama, Missouri". NPR. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  16. ↑ Eagle, Dothan. "Enterprise Ledger". Dothan Eagle. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
  17. ↑ "Alabama Guard responds to aftermath of devastating Enterprise tornado". National Guard. Archived from the original on 2025-02-24. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  18. ↑ "Tornado Outbreak of March 1–2, 2007". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  19. ↑ Alabama public health, public health. "Enterprise, Alabama March 1, 2007 Tornado" (PDF). alabamapublichealth.gov. Retrieved September 22, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ↑ "Event Record Details". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2008-02-09. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  21. ↑ "Victim count continues to change; some names released". The Enterprise Leader. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  22. ↑ "Public Information Statement". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on July 15, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  23. ↑ Stanfield, Ben (2022-03-04). "15 YEARS LATER: Looking back at deadly Enterprise tornado". www.wtvm.com. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  24. ↑ "Tornado March 1st 2007". www.alabamavva.org.
  25. ↑ "Nine Years, Nine Lives: A Tribute to Those Swept Away March 1, 2007". thursdayreview.com.
  26. ↑ "2.5 The 2007 U.S. Tornado Season: Large Outbreaks Scattered Throughout the Year, Most Fatalities in Eight Years (2008 - 88Annual_4impacts)". ams.confex.com. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  27. ↑ "Treacherous roads blamed for accidents". CBC News. 2007-03-01. Archived from the original on 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  28. ↑ "Tornado causes damages in Enterprise". Enterprise Ledger. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2007_Enterprise_tornado&oldid=1376860479"