The official tally for April 27 is in: 62 tornadoes. That number
is a record for one day in Alabama. That count, along with a
large database of measurements, maps and charts, is scheduled to
be sent by Friday to the National Climatic Data Center in
Asheville, N.C., now that the National Weather Service has
finished its surveying work in Alabama. The historical record
will be used by researchers, weather forecasters and emergency
management specialists to put the storm in historical
perspective, improve preparedness and perhaps save future lives.
Dubbed the "Southern States Outbreak," the tornadoes spanning
April 25-28 killed 325 people in six states, according to
preliminary figures. Alabama was the hardest-hit state, and the
now-final survey results quantify the extraordinary march of
tornadoes across the state on April 27. It was a siege of such
proportions that it has taken dozens of officials three months
to count, assess the strengths and plot the paths of the
twisters. Some of the findings: • Three EF-5