First EF-5 Tornado Declared in Wednesday's Horrific OutbreakLarge, powerful and long-tracking tornadoes ravaged the South on Wednesday, leaving many communities devastated and at least 300 people are dead, according to CNN.
That number could continue to rise as crews comb through the wreckage.
The National Weather Service office in Memphis, Tenn., declared Friday morning that the violent tornado that ripped through Smithville, Miss., was an EF-5, the highest rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. This is the first EF-5 tornado to hit the U.S. since 2008 and the first to hit Mississippi since 1966.
The Smithville tornado killed at least 14 people. Peak winds were estimated at 205 mph. The twister's path was 2.82 miles long and up to half a mile wide.
Wednesday is the deadliest tornado day in the United States since April 3, 1974, when 308 people lost their lives. April 27, 2011 now ranks second in the nation's deadliest tornado days (since 1950), surpassing the April 11, 1965 outbreak that killed 260 people.
Out of the deaths on Wednesday, at least 213 occurred in Alabama. Mississippi officials report at least 32 people are dead, while 34 lives were lost in Tennessee and 15 in Georgia, according to CNN. Reports say at least one person was killed in Arkansas.
CNN reported that five people were also killed when tornadoes and severe thunderstorms swept through Virginia early Thursday morning.
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and southern Tennessee suffered the worst of the tornado outbreak.
Most of the 211 tornado sightings reported to the Storm Prediction Center Wednesday came from these states. The actual number of tornadoes that touched down will be lower since numerous twisters remained on the ground for lengthy stretches of time, leading to multiple sightings.
National Weather Service storm survey crews must investigate the destruction before the tally of tornadoes from Wednesday is finalized. These crews will also officially rank each tornado, using the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
One of Wednesday's extremely large tornadoes devastated Tuscaloosa, Ala., home of the University of Alabama, shortly after 6 p.m. EDT with "complete devastation" reported by Tuscaloosa News along 15th Street heading to McFarland.
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