Nineteen of the twenty-one fatalities occurred in the area between the intersection of Airport Road and Memorial Parkway and the intersection of Airport Road and Whitesburg Drive. The tornado was rated an F4 on the Fujita Scale, packing winds of up to 260 mph. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 1989 . Though the event was officially recorded as a tornado, conclusive evidence from a survey by a team led by Ted Fujita and others indicates that it was a downburst instead. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the Historically, tornadoes are relatively common in north Alabama, where Huntsville and Madison County are located. In total, this tornado killed an estimated 1,300 people making it the deadliest single tornado in world history.[11]. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. A total of 21 people died as a result of the tornado and 463 were injured. National Outlooks It moved over the old airport, the police K-9 training facility and the municipal golf course. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, WHNT News 19 Sales Team Broadcast and Digital, Hammocks, outdoor lounge chairs and cushions to make. Rated an F4 on the Fujita Scale, it inflicted approximately $250 million in damage. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He awoke to Hastings lying on his chest. It was 4:37 on the afternoon of Nov. 15, 1989. More than 55 homes sustained mainly roof damage. May and June both saw over 200 tornadoes and after the usual summer lull, a significant November outbreak led to the devastating Huntsville, Alabama F4 tornado. The search and rescue operations were completed by 7:15p.m. EST (00:15 UTC) that evening. Local Climatology Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. On this Day in 1989: The Huntsville, Alabama Tornado Smith lost consciousness. The storm lasted just 30 minutes, but its impact is still being felt 30 years later. Witnesses said the downtown Jones Valley Elementary School, the Waterford Square and adjacent Queensbury apartment complexes were reduced to rubble by the tornado. Ellen Cozelos, who wrote a book, "Into the Valley of the Shadow," telling stories of survival from the storm, said the tornado "was the worst of times," but it brought out the best in Huntsville residents, who pulled together to help those hurt by the storm. National Weather Service Weather officials said people were trapped inside a collapsed house. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). The tornado was up to 1 mile (1.6km) wide and caused $1,000,000 in damage. "Get some people down here.". An outbreak brought 17 tornadoes to the Southern United States on February 20 and 21. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The lead teacher of the daycare program moved the children from the second floor of the school building into a small open area under the stairway on the first floor. Huntsville, AL F4 Tornado - November 15, 1989 - Tornado Talk Huntsvillians who were here will never forget the dark. It was in the 70s, I believe. November 15, 1989 F4 tornado damages Airport Rd., Jones Valley The expecting mother will need diapers and bottles, but she will also need comfy maternity clothes to wear throughout her pregnancy or a maternity pillow.