November 1989 Tornado Outbreak

November 1989 Tornado Outbreak

The strong F4 tornado struck Huntsville, Alabama on November 15, 1989, killing 21 people and injuring nearly 500
Type	Tornado outbreak
Duration	November 15 & 16, 1989
Tornadoes confirmed	40 confirmed
Max rating1	F4 tornado
Duration of tornado outbreak2	22 hours, 55 minutes
Damage	$160 million (2005 USD)+ [1]
Casualties	21 fatalities (+9 non tornadic), 505 injuries
Areas affected	Southern and Eastern United States
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado

¹Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

The November 1989 Tornado Outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak on November 15 and 16, 1989 across a wide swath of the southern and eastern United States and into Canada. It produced at least 40 tornadoes and caused 30 deaths as a result of two deadly tornadoes. The most devastating was the Huntsville, Alabama tornado, an F4 which killed 21 on the afternoon of the 15th. Eight more fatalities were reported at a single elementary school by a downburst on the 16th in the Town of Newburgh, New York. Several other significant tornadoes were reported across 15 states.

Historically, tornadoes are relatively common in north Alabama, where Huntsville and Madison County are located. The region was affected by the April 3–4, 1974, Super Outbreak and records show that Madison County has had 25 tornadoes from 1950 through October 1989.

The Zone and Local Forecasts issued during the early morning, Tuesday, November 14, mentioned the possibility of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday. Subsequent forecasts and statements marked with increasing certainty the ominous nature of the events to come.

The National Severe Storms Forecast Center (NSSFC) issued a Public Severe Weather Outlook at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday and highlighted the unusually strong potential for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes over the Tennessee Valley. The Birmingham Forecast Office followed with a Special Weather Statement at 10:50 a.m. with the headline, "MAJOR SEVERE WEATHER THREAT POISED FOR ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA!".