(WJHL) – April 27, 2011, is a day that will always be remembered. The Super Tornado Outbreak produced 360 tornadoes, three of which were EF-5 tornadoes with winds over 200 mph. There were 12 EF-4 tornadoes reported with winds of 166 to 200 mph and 21 EF-3 tornadoes with wind speeds of 136-165 mph.

(Photo: NOAA – Storm Prediction Center)

Tornado-producing storms moved into Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia during the late afternoon and evening of April 27 and continued to produce tornadoes into the early morning hours of April 28.

Ten tornadoes touched down and produced damage in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia which resulted in 13 fatalities at that time. EF-3 tornadoes touched down in Greene County at Camp Creek and Horse Creek in Tennessee and at Glade Spring in Washington County, Virginia. EF-2 tornadoes also touched down in the Fall Branch/Duck Town areas of Greene and Washington counties and in Johnson County in Tennessee as well. 

This map highlights some of the worst hit areas in our region.

Here are some maps highlighting the paths of the tornadoes from Greene County to Washington and Johnson counties in Tennessee to Washington County, Virginia:

This map highlights all of the tornado paths in our region during the tornado outbreak.
You can see the areas that were hardest hit. There were 13 confirmed fatalities with these tornadoes at the time.
Greene County was hard hit with damage reported at Camp Creek and Horse Creek. We had two tornadoes within an hour of each of in south and southeast Greene County. Unfortunately, there were several fatalities reported with these tornadoes.
One of the first tornadoes of April 27 was reported in Washington County, Tennessee. That tornado (green line) moved parallel with Interstate 81. One death was reported.
Take a look at the tornado path across Johnson County. Two fatalities were reported. It is interesting to note that the tornado path went across the mountains and through the valley.
Tornadoes were also reported in Washington County, Virginia late in the night. There were three fatalities reported with those tornadoes. Glade Spring, Virginia was hard hit.
The storms that moved across the area that afternoon and evening produced incredible hail and an amazing amount of lightning.

Here you can see some of the damage caused by the tornadoes:

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service Office in Morristown have put together a great presentation on this terrible tragedy that struck our part of the county. Click here to read more.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones during that tragic event.

If you have photos of the event, please share them with News Channel 11. You can e-mail them to us at pix@wjhl.com