Bankhead National Forest

Alabama tops in most 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. Before the ranking change for the Rainsville tornado, Alabama was tied with six with Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa and Kansas, said Greg Carbin with the Storm Prediction Center.

The official listing — which includes all tornadoes surveyed by the National Weather Service since 1950 — can be found at www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/f5torns.html.

The impact of the April 27 tornadoes will also change Alabama's ranking in other disaster categories. Before the outbreak, the state ranked 13th — or 14th, depending on the source — in the number of tornadoes annually. However, Alabama was third in the number of tornado fatalities.

April 27 increased both categories. The Alabama EMA shows more than 240 fatalities, and the number of tornadoes to hit Alabama that day now stands at 61.

Darden said the change in the Rainsville tornado came after a survey he conducted June 15. The path was 33 miles long and about .75 miles wide. Peak winds were greater than 200 mph, Darden said. Making determinations seven weeks after the outbreak is challenging, he said, but he based his decision on what he saw, aerial photos, Google street views before the storms, reports from DeKalb EMA Deputy Director Christy Hardin and eyewitness accounts from survivors.

When survey crews were at the location in the days following the storms, the area was blocked because of power lines and trees in roads and the search for victims.

"Early on, you get to what you can get to," Darden said. That's why surveys are continuing in many areas.

Storms killed 33 people in DeKalb County on April 27, with 27 fatalities occurring in the path of the newly upgraded EF5.

Darden stressed that all reports are still considered preliminary because, due to the scope of the April 27 outbreak, researchers are continuing to track storm paths. The main centers compiling statistics are the NWS in Huntsville and in Birmingham. Those statistics will then be compiled as a single source on the outbreak in Alabama.

PRECOMMERCIAL THINNING BANKHEAD NATIONAL FOREST

Contract line item 01(See schedule of items): The contractor shall provide any and all labor, supplies, tools, transportation services, permits, and license necessary to perform 511 acres of pre-commercial thinning and slash treatment with hand tools on the Bankhead National Forest. The units are located within Winston and Lawrence Counties, Alabama.*PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PERFORMANCE STATEMENT OF WORK (PWS), MAPS AND SCHEDULE OF ITEMS**A Pre-Quote Meeting is scheduled for 10:00 A.M. CST Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at the Bankhead Ranger District Office located at 1070 Highway 33, Double Spring, Alabama 35553. Interested vendors are encouraged to attend.The period of performance will be from award, approximately July 12, 2011 to November 15, 2011, intermittently, as weather permits.Provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instruction to Offerors Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. RFQ should be submitted and shall contain the following information: RFQ NUMBER; TIME SPECIFIED FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS; NAME, ADDRESS; TELEPHONE NUMBER OF OFFEROR; TERMS OF THE EXPRESSED WARRANTY; ANY DISCOUNT TERMS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ALL SOLICITATION AMENDMENTS (if applicable). Signed quotes must indicate quantity, unit price and total amount for each item. Offerors shall include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions and provisions included in the solicitation. Quote shall also contain all other documentation specified herein.The listed Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses apply to this solicitation and are incorporated by reference. All FAR Clauses may be viewed in full text via the Internet at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/; Federal Acquisition Regulation Table of Contents.FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors, Commercial ItemsFAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items with addendumFAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial ItemsFAR 52.204-7 Central Contractor RegistrationFAR 52.204-9 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor PersonnelFAR 52.204-10 Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract AwardsFAR 52.209-6 Protecting Government's Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended or Proposed for DebarmentFAR 52.217-5, Evaluation of OptionsFAR 52.217-8, Option to Extend ServicesFAR 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the ContractFAR 52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business AsideFAR 52.222-3 Convict LaborFAR 52.

Bankhead National Forest, forest health and restoration initiative

Bankhead National Forest, outdoor recreation opportunities

U. S. National Forest Campground Guide, Southern Region

Congressional Record, Volume 149

Congressional Record, V. 151, Pt. 17, October 7 to 26, 2005