Top 12 Most Powerful Tornadoes in the World: A Force of Nature's Fury

6. The Hackleburg-Phil Campbell Tornado of 2011: Alabama's Monster

One of the most strong and long-tracked tornadoes ever documented is the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell one as part of the historic 2011 Super Outbreak. With projected wind speeds of up to 210 mph, this EF5 tornado tore a path of devastation over northwest Alabama for an amazing 132 miles on April 27, 2011. At places, the tornado's path was up to 1.25 miles wide; it stayed on the ground for almost three hours. The twister took seventy-two lives and severely damaged or destroyed almost every building in numerous towns, including Hackleburg and Phil Campbell. This tornado was a component of a greater outbreak spanning four days that generated 360 tornadoes, therefore illustrating the possibility for several, long-track, strong tornadoes within one storm event. Along with more focus on storm shelters and safe rooms in tornado-prone areas, the Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado brought notable improvements in tornado forecasting and warning systems.