Tornadoes on March 2, 2012

Tornadoes and Severe Weather of March 2, 2012

Event Summary for Central Alabama

On March 2, 2012, a strong cold front moved through Central Alabama. Severe thunderstorms developed along and ahead of this front. Some of these thunderstorms were supercells. These supercells produced damage across southern and eastern sections of the area. Damaging straight line winds, tornadoes, large hail and localized flooding occurred with this event. The information below summarizes the tornadoes from this day:

Location/Clickable Detailed Summary Link	Damage Rating/Estimated Maximum Wind Speeds	Injuries/Fatalities	Damage Path Length/Width	Starting Point/Time	Ending Point/Time
Beechwood (Lowndes County)	EF-1 110 mph	None	17.64 miles 400 yards	32.0859/-86.7779 5:53 pm	32.1824/-86.4998 6:15 pm
Little Oakmulgee Creek (Perry/Dallas/Autauga Counties)	EF-1 105 mph	None	18.99 miles 750 yards	32.5486/-87.1531 9:15 pm	32.6350/-86.8455 9:37 pm
Verbena-Nixburg (Chilton/Coosa Counties)	EF-2 125 mph	None	28.58 miles 700 yards	32.7246/-86.5361 10:01 pm	32.8493/-86.0729 10:33 pm
Eagle Creek (Tallapoosa/Chambers Counties)	EF-2 125 mph	2 Injuries/1 Fatality	34.26 miles 1000 yards	32.8666/-85.9669 10:40 pm	33.0109/-85.4487 11:14 pm

The tornado damage "swaths" as depicted in the image above, and on the individual tornado links, are an estimate of the damage widths along the track. In other words, the track width may not represent the actual damage in all locations, as we interpolate the values between actual surveyed damage points. These maps are solely for the purpose of showing the general track of each tornado. Remember, tornadoes do not always move in straight lines, and the intensity does not remain constant. It is also possible to have other thunderstorm wind-related damage in close proximity to the tornado tracks from such features as inflow and rear flank downdrafts, which can produce tornado-like damage.

Pertinent Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Data from this Event

Local Storm Report Information - Interactive Map

Click on the symbols below for Local Storm Reports from across Central Alabama on March 2nd. Large hail and damaging winds were primarily reported across northern portions of the state during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Tornadic supercells developed across the southern counties during the late evening hours on March 2nd. You can zoom into the map using the mouse wheel or the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons at the top left corner of the map.

Severe Weather Episode Data

500 mb Analysis Mar 2 at 6 am	500 mb Analysis Mar 2 at 6 pm
Surface Analysis Mar 2 at 12 pm	Surface Analysis Mar 2 at 6 pm
Day 2 Severe Weather Outlook Issued Mar 2 at 1130 am	Day 1 Severe Weather Outlook Issued Mar 3 at 200 pm
Storm Reports 03/01/12	Storm Reports 03/02/12
Shear Map	Upper Air Sounding Mar 2 at 6 am