Memorial Sites Planned For 10th Anniversary Of April 2011 Tornado

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Next month will mark 10 years since a devastating EF4 tornado killed 53 people in Tuscaloosa County and destroyed a wide swath of the city during the largest tornado outbreak ever recorded.

The day is typically a somber one for Tuscaloosa residents, however the city says it has no intentions of letting the memory fade with respect to the events of April 27, 2011.

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Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox on Tuesday said the city plans on being "low-key," but will ask that all churches and institutions with clocks and bells ring them at 5:13 p.m. on that Tuesday. He also said the city will release a video to commemorate the anniversary.

"Less is more," Maddox told the City Council. "Each person's road to recovery is different and we want to honor that, but at the same time we don't want to forget what happened on that day, so we'll have some more details coming."

Maddox also brought up plans for three separate memorial sites. The site in Rosedale Court will be dedicated to those killed and injured during the tornado, while one in Forest Lake will be in honor of volunteers. A memorial in Alberta will be dedicated to first responders.

As plans are being discussed, Maddox mentioned having "brief" ceremonies at each location that will be attended by different groups of city officials.

Tuscaloosa Patch will have more details on the 10th anniversary of the tornado in the coming weeks.

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