Tanner, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Tanner is a small town in central southern Limestone County
, Alabama
, United States
, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area
. It lies along the Tennessee River
, next to the city of Athens
.
Tanner is home to Tanner High School
(The Rattlers), a 2A school in the state's classification system. The school's basketball boys and girls teams both won state titles in 2011.
.
; two violent tornado
es that were both one-third of a mile wide large cones hit the community within 30 minutes. The two tornadoes were classified as both F5 events in the city itself on the Fujita scale
, respectively. After the first tornado passed through the area, a second tornado surprised the rescue effort. In total, 50 were killed by those tornadoes. On April 27, 2011, during what some meteorologists call "Super Outbreak II
", Tanner and other surrounding communities were hit by a large violent tornado that has been given an official rating of EF5. 11 people perished from the wedge tornado which was over 1 mile wide. The tornado marks the third F5 or EF5 to strike Tanner and the surrounding communities in Limestone County.
Limestone County, Alabama
Limestone County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. Its name comes from Limestone Creek, a local stream. In 2000, the population was 65,676. As of 2010 the county's...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area
Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area
The Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area is the most populated sub-region of North Alabama, and is the second fastest growing region in the State of Alabama, with 510,088 living within the CSA...
. It lies along the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
, next to the city of Athens
Athens, Alabama
Athens is a city in Limestone County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 18,967. According to the 2009 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 24,234...
.
Tanner is home to Tanner High School
Tanner High School
Tanner High School is a K–12 school located in Limestone County, Alabama. The principal is Billy Owens. The closest town is Tanner, Alabama.Tanner has various extracurricular activities including athletics, marching/concert band, Student Council, cheer-leading, and many clubs/organizations....
(The Rattlers), a 2A school in the state's classification system. The school's basketball boys and girls teams both won state titles in 2011.
History
Tanner was settled along the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in the 19th century and was originally named McDonald's Station, then Rowland. A Rowland post office was established in 1878. In 1913, the Tanner post office was established, named after Samuel Tanner who was the first mayor of nearby AthensAthens, Alabama
Athens is a city in Limestone County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 18,967. According to the 2009 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 24,234...
.
1974 and 2011 Super Outbreaks
On April 3, 1974, the area was struck by the Super OutbreakSuper Outbreak
The Super Outbreak is the second largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2011...
; two violent tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es that were both one-third of a mile wide large cones hit the community within 30 minutes. The two tornadoes were classified as both F5 events in the city itself on the Fujita scale
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
, respectively. After the first tornado passed through the area, a second tornado surprised the rescue effort. In total, 50 were killed by those tornadoes. On April 27, 2011, during what some meteorologists call "Super Outbreak II
April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak
An extremely large and violent tornado outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak ever recorded, and popularly known as the 2011 Super Outbreak, occurred from April 25 to 28, 2011. The outbreak affected the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States, leaving catastrophic destruction in...
", Tanner and other surrounding communities were hit by a large violent tornado that has been given an official rating of EF5. 11 people perished from the wedge tornado which was over 1 mile wide. The tornado marks the third F5 or EF5 to strike Tanner and the surrounding communities in Limestone County.