Public Information Statement - March 9, 2011

March 8-9th, 2011 Storm Surveys

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1015 PM CST WED MAR 9 2011

...PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...WITH AREAS OF EMBEDDED ROTATION...
MOVED THROUGH CENTRAL ALABAMA EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS CAUSED WIND DAMAGE ACROSS SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE NWS
BIRMINGHAM COUNTY WARNING AREA...KNOCKING DOWN TREES...POWER LINES
AND CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS.

...PERRY COUNTY STORM SURVEY...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED DAMAGE LOCATIONS IN
IN SOUTHERN PERRY COUNTY IN AND AROUND UNIONTOWN. THERE WAS A FAIRLY
CONCENTRATED AREA OF SCATTERED TREE AND POWER LINES DAMAGE...HOWEVER
THE PATH LENGTH WAS LESS THAN A MILE...WHILE THE WIDTH OF THE DAMAGE
AREA WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES WIDE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS
ALONG HIGHWAY 80...WHERE AN ENTIRE TIN ROOF COVERING WAS TOSSED INTO
POWER LINES...CAUSING POWER POLES TO SNAP. MOST OF THE TREES DAMAGED
IN THIS AREA WERE CEDAR TREES...OF WHICH MOST HAD SOME SORT OF
WEAKNESS OR DISEASE WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO BEING SNAPPED OR UPROOTED.
OF THE HOMES OR BUILDINGS THAT RECEIVED DAMAGE...NEARLY ALL OF THE
DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY FALLING TREES. BASED ON THESE FINDINGS AND THE
LACK OF ANY STRONG EVIDENCE OF A TORNADO...IT APPEARS THIS DAMAGE
WAS THE RESULT OF STRAIGHT LINE WINDS ON THE ORDER OF 70 TO 80 MPH.

...PIKE/BARBOUR COUNTIES STORM SURVEY...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED DAMAGE LOCATIONS IN
PIKE AND BARBOUR COUNTIES. THERE WAS SPORADIC DAMAGE IN BOTH
COUNTIES BUT THE ASSESSMENT DID NOT UNCOVER ANY EVIDENCE OF A
TORNADO. THEREFORE...IT APPEARS THIS DAMAGE WAS THE RESULT OF
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS ON THE ORDER OF 85 TO 90 MPH.

A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
PROGRAM IS THE RECEIPT OF STORM REPORTS FROM ALL OUR CUSTOMERS AND
PARTNERS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. IF YOU WITNESSED OR ARE AWARE OF
ANY STORM DAMAGE DUE TO HIGH WINDS OR TORNADOES...PLEASE CONTACT
YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE...OR CALL OUR STORM REPORTING
HOTLINE AT 1-800-856-0758.