Alabama Ranks First in Severe Tornadoes

The upgrade of one of the April 27 tornadoes to an EF5 ranking puts Alabama at No. 1 in the nation for the most severe tornadoes. The tornado that hit Fyffe, Rainsville and Sylvania in DeKalb County at about 6 p.m. that day had previously been ranked an EF4, but a new ground survey conducted last week caused meteorologists to increase the ranking to EF5, said Chris Darden, chief meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Huntsville. According to the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., the upgrade brings Alabama’s total of F5 and EF5 tornadoes to seven.