What the Heck Is This?

This looks like a mess. And it is. Sadly, you probably saw this image, or one just like it, in the news recently.

It's an aerial view of what had been a pleasant neighborhood in Tuscaloosa, Ala., before the colossal tornado tore the town apart April 27. The twister packed winds of 190 miles (310 kilometers per hour).

The photo above is a close-up of what had been a house near 15th Street and McFarland Boulevard. You can see the full images below — before and after — and the area focused on is the brown-roofed house just above the parking lot near the bottom of the images.

Check out also this amazing image of the tornado track seen from space.

The tornado was part of an outbreak that was among the worst in history. Between the morning of April 25 and early April 28, a total of 362 tornadoes struck the southeastern and central United States. Data released just yesterday found April to be a Wild Weather Month across the country.

Got a strange or interesting photo related to science, nature or technology? What the Heck, send it to me and maybe I'll use it. And you follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

The near 15th Street and McFarland Boulevard in Tuscaloosa, Ala., before the colossal tornado tore the town apart April 27, 2011. (Image credit: NOAA)

The same neighborhood after the Tuscaloosa tornado. (Image credit: NOAA)
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Robert Roy Britt

Robert is an independent health and science journalist and writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a former editor-in-chief of Live Science with over 20 years of experience as a reporter and editor. He has worked on websites such as Space.com and Tom's Guide, and is a contributor on Medium, covering how we age and how to optimize the mind and body through time. He has a journalism degree from Humboldt State University in California.