Mayflower–Vilonia, Arkansas An aerial view of the Parkwood Meadows subdivision in Vilonia, depicting several homes completely leveled and swept clean off their foundations. All of these homes lacked anchor bolts and their walls were not properly secured.[13] At 7:06 p.m. on April 27 (0006 UTC on April 28), a weak tornado touched down in extreme western Pulaski County, Arkansas, roughly 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Paron, and tracked north-northeast. Within a minute, the tornado dramatically intensified and struck a small residential area at EF3 intensity. There, two homes were destroyed and another was severely damaged. One of the homes was swept off its foundation, normally indicative of at least EF4 strength; however, it was found that the anchor bolts were not secured with nuts and washers, and nearby vehicles were not moved, which indicated a lesser intensity. Three people were killed in that area. The storm weakened as it turned more northeasterly and moved through a forested area. Damage to trees and homes in this area was rated EF1. At 7:14 p.m. (0014 UTC), it struck Northpoint as an EF2, causing severe damage to several homes. Roofs were removed entirely from homes, though the walls on these structures remained mostly intact. After briefly crossing Lake Maumelle, the tornado caused significant tree damage between Roland and Natural Steps with some trees being stripped of their foliage and debarked. Moving through an unpopulated area, the tornado intensified before crossing the Arkansas River and entering Faulkner County around 7:26 p.m. (0026 UTC).[14] The tornado entered Faulkner County and immediately struck the Plantation Subdivision, just southwest of Mayflower. Here, EF4 damage took place with large, two-story homes being leveled with only piles of debris left on their foundations. Multiple homes were severely damaged or destroyed in this area. On the northeast side of the subdivision, one person was killed after debris struck the door of her storm shelter and opened it, exposing her to the tornado. The storm shelters door was found to have been of sub-standard construction. Near where this fatality took place, concrete road barriers were blown over and moved, also indicative of EF4 intensity.[14][15] Just outside of the subdivision, a power substation sustained major damage. Continuing northeast, the storm tore across the south edge of Mayflower and crossed Arkansas Highway 365, tossing semi-trucks, cars, and road equipment from the highway. A business district in this area experienced mainly EF3 damage, with 18-wheelers tossed, industrial buildings damaged or destroyed, and some nearby homes heavily damaged. A recreational vehicle dealership on the other side of the highway was completely destroyed at EF4 intensity, along with most of the RVs; three of which were found wrapped around a nearby billboard. A vehicle repair shop, millwork company, construction company, and church in southern Mayflower were also destroyed, and a home improvement store was badly damaged.[16] In addition to the fatality in the storm shelter, two other people were killed in Mayflower.[17] The tornado then crossed Lake Conway, downing numerous trees and causing a mixture of EF2 and EF3 damage to homes along the lakeshore. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission lost a clubhouse, shop, horse barn, residence, metal carports, shower house, and several dog kennels in this area, and eventually removed 627 tons of tornado debris from the lake.[16] The tornado then caused mainly EF2 damage as it struck areas in and around Saltillo. Numerous homes, mobile homes, sheds, barns, trees, and a church were damaged or destroyed in the Saltillo area. Two homes near Saltillo had only interior walls left standing, with the damage to those homes rated EF3.[14] Weather radar reflectivity data in 3D of the supercell that produced the Vilonia tornado Picture of the tornado as it moved into Vilonia as an EF4. Further northeast, the tornado began to re-intinsify dramatically as it approached the Vilonia Bypass (U.S. Route 64), reaching EF4 strength for a second time. Just southwest of the bypass, some poorly-anchored homes were obliterated and swept from their foundations, and cars were tossed hundreds of yards away. Another frame home was left with only interior walls standing, and two mobile homes were obliterated with the frames thrown up to two streets away. Shortly before 7:50 p.m. (0050 UTC), the tornado moved into the town of Vilonia as a high-end EF4,[14] which was struck by an EF2 tornado that killed four people on April 25, 2011, three years and two days prior.[18] It first struck the recently built Vilonia Middle School at EF3 intensity, destroying the top floor and causing most walls to collapse.[14] With winds estimated as high as 190 mph (310 km/h) and the circulation spanning 0.75 miles (1.21 km),[19] the tornado moved through the town center. Numerous homes and businesses were destroyed with only piles of debris or bare slabs left behind. A dollar store, a strip mall, two auto repair shops, the old city hall, a gas station, a church life center, a real estate office, an investment firm, an auto parts store, and a fried fish restaurant were all completely destroyed in downtown Vilonia. The crumpled remains of a 29,998-pound metal fertilizer tank was found behind the destroyed strip mall, nearly 3/4 of a mile away from where it originated.[15][16] Nine people were killed in the town.[14][17] As it moved out of downtown Vilonia, it tore directly through the Parkwood Meadows subdivision at the northeast side of town. Entire rows of homes were reduced to bare slabs at this location, though it was revealed that the homes were nailed rather than bolted to their foundations, preventing a rating higher than EF4.[14] Continuing past Vilonia, the tornado weakened to EF3 strength as it passed just south of Williams Lake. A large metal arena building and a mobile home were destroyed in that area, with a few other structures sustaining EF1 damage nearby. Shortly after 8:00 p.m. (0100 UTC) the storm moved through densely forested areas and into White County, just west of El Paso. The tornado briefly regained EF2 status and destroyed two manufactured homes.[14] One person was killed in one of the manufactured homes at this location.[17] It soon dissipated at 8:06 p.m. (0106 UTC) roughly 1 mile (1.6 km) north-northeast of El Paso near a forested area.[14] Overall, the tornado remained on the ground for an hour, from 7:06 p.m. to 8:06 p.m. (0006 – 0106 UTC), and traveled along a 41.3 miles (66.5 km) path. Sixteen people lost their lives due to the tornado,[19] making it the deadliest in Arkansas since an F4 killed 35 on May 15, 1968. One hundred and ninety-three others were injured.[20][21][22] It was also the first EF4 tornado of 2014 in the United States as well as the first EF4 in Arkansas since May 25, 2011. The National Weather Service office in Little Rock noted that if this tornado occurred prior to the change to the Enhanced Fujita Scale in 2007, it likely would have been rated as an F5 due to numerous homes being swept clean from their foundations. However, it was revealed that almost every home in Vilonia lacked anchor bolts and were anchored with cut nails instead. The new scale accounts for homes that use cut nails instead of anchor bolts, which do not effectively provide resistance against violent tornadoes. The final decision on an EF4 rating was based on this as well.[13] Despite this, further inspection from surveyors revealed that one home that was swept away along E Wicker St. was indeed properly bolted to its foundation. However, an inspection of the context surrounding the house revealed that small trees in a ditch near the home were untouched, and that the residence had possibly been pummelled by heavy debris from downtown Vilonia, exacerbating the level of destruction. Surveyors decided against an upgrade to EF5 as a result.[13] Louisville, Mississippi
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 18:52:36 +0000
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