Tornado Outbreak of March 17, 2021

Overview

A negatively-tilted trough resulted in an episode of severe weather across the Gulf Coast region on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. Many supercells began to develop across Central Alabama by midday and continued into the evening hours before a squall line moved through. Sufficient instability and strong wind shear caused many tornadoes to develop. The system produced 21 tornadoes in the NWS Birmingham forecast area. 4 other tornadoes occurred outside of our forecast area, bringing the statewide tornado count to 25. This included 3 EF-2 tornadoes. The longest-track tornado was around 36.5 miles, associated with a tornado from Wayne County, Mississippi to southern Marengo County, Alabama. Other tornadoes occurred with this system from Louisiana and Mississippi to Georgia and Florida.

Interactive Tornado Map

View larger map

Surveys

**The data below are considered PRELIMINARY.**

Location/Clickable Detailed Summary Link	Damage Rating/Estimated Maximum Wind Speeds	Injuries/Fatalities	Damage Path Length/Width	Starting Point/Time	Ending Point/Time
Walker Road Tornado (Sumter County)	EF-0 75 mph	None	0.35 miles 70 yards	4 NNE Ward 32.4134/-88.2421 12:31 pm CDT	4 NNE Ward 32.4172/-88.2383 12:32 pm CDT
Burnsville Tornado (Dallas County)	EF-2 115 mph	2 injuries	5.08 miles 1000 yards	4 ENE Edmund Pettus Bridge 32.4240/-86.9542 12:32 pm CDT	Burnsville 32.4769/-86.8952 12:45 pm CDT
Bluffport Tornado (Sumter County)	EF-1 105 mph	None	9.78 miles 475 yards	4 N Lilita 32.5390/-88.1341 12:57 pm CDT	2 SE Epes 32.6764/-88.1070 1:15 pm CDT
East Billingsley Tornado (Autauga County)	EF-1 90 mph	None	2.87 miles 150 yards	1 ENE Billingsley 32.6621/-86.6920 1:24 pm CDT	4 NE Billingsley 32.6855/-86.6518 1:27 pm CDT
East Clanton / Cooper Tornado (Chilton County)	EF-1 95 mph	None	3.04 miles 500 yards	3 NNW Cooper 32.8165/-86.5539 1:56 pm CDT	5 W Higgins Ferry Park 32.8573/-86.5363 2:03 pm CDT
Demopolis Lock and Dam Tornado (Marengo County)	EF-0 80 mph	None	0.83 miles 175 yards	2 ESE McDowell 32.5117/-87.8866 2:03 pm CDT	2 W Demopolis 32.5176/-87.8744 2:05 pm CDT
Moundville Tornado (Hale/Tuscaloosa Counties)	EF-1 110 mph	None	22.03 miles 550 yards	3 NNW Akron 32.9081/-87.7584 2:12 pm CDT	3 NNW Duncanville 33.1254/-87.4878 2:55 pm CDT
Sweet Water Tornado #1 (Marengo County)	EF-1 90 mph	None	2.77 miles 500 yards	3 SW Sweet Water 32.0678/-87.9015 2:22 pm CDT	1 SE Sweet Water 32.0899/-87.8623 2:27 pm CDT
Unity Tornado (Coosa County)	EF-0 65 mph	None	0.13 miles 25 yards	Unity 33.0063/-86.3522 2:29 pm CDT	1 ENE Unity 33.0073/-86.3503 2:31 pm CDT
Lake Wildwood Tornado (Tuscaloosa County)	EF-1 90 mph	None	0.53 miles 150 yards	Lake Wildwood 33.1907/-87.3795 3:09 pm CDT	Lake Wildwood 33.1959/-87.3728 3:11 pm CDT
Brookwood Tornado (Tuscaloosa County)	EF-1 100 mph	None	3.51 miles 650 yards	1 NW East Brookwood 33.2887/-87.2997 3:25 pm CDT	4 N East Brookwood 33.3361/-87.2896 3:34 pm CDT
Kellerman Tornado (Tuscaloosa/Jefferson Counties)	EF-1 110 mph	None	5.82 miles 650 yards	4 NNW East Brookwood 33.3360/-87.3097 3:54 pm CDT	1 SE Bull City 33.3995/-87.2435 4:06 pm CDT
Central Mills Tornado (Dallas County)	EF-0 65 mph	None	1.07 miles 75 yards	1 E Central Mills 32.2850/-87.4280 4:11 pm CDT	2 ENE Central Mills 32.2940/-87.4160 4:13 pm CDT
Shady Grove Tornado (Jefferson County)	EF-1 110 mph	None	2.77 miles 650 yards	1 W Maytown 33.5371/-87.0217 4:30 pm CDT	2 NNW Mulga 33.5684/-86.9937 4:38 pm CDT
Perry Branch Tornado (Marengo County)	EF-1 110 mph	None	1.93 miles 670 yards	2 W Morvin 31.9900/-88.0225 4:34 pm CDT	2 NNW Morvin 32.0107/-88.0003 4:40 pm CDT
Sweet Water Tornado #2 (Marengo County)	EF-0 65 mph	None	1.75 miles 75 yards	Sweet Water 32.0921/-87.8699 4:54 pm CDT	1 N Sweet Water 32.1171/-87.8646 4:58 pm CDT
Mount Olive Tornado (Jefferson County)	EF-0 85 mph	1 injury	3.46 miles 660 yards	2 NNE Watson 33.6619/-86.8534 4:56 pm CDT	2 NNW Gardendale 33.6947/-86.8113 5:04 pm CDT
Pools Crossroads Tornado (Chilton County)	EF-2 130 mph	None	5.84 miles 400 yards	2 WNW Billingsley 32.6746/-86.7364 5:12 pm CDT	1 ENE Pools Crossroads 32.7544/-86.7028 5:23 pm CDT
Rosa Tornado (Blount County)	EF-1 100 mph	None	12.89 miles 300 yards	2 S Fairview 33.9227/-86.5887 5:43 pm CDT	2 ENE Hendrix 34.0614/-86.4172 6:05 pm CDT
White City Tornado (Autauga County)	EF-0 70 mph	None	0.13 miles 75 yards	4 WSW Oak Grove 32.6004/-86.6099 8:35 pm CDT	4 WSW Oak Grove 32.6013/-86.6080 8:36 pm CDT
North Pine Level Tornado (Montgomery County)	EF-0 80 mph	None	0.30 miles 140 yards	4 NNW Pine Level 32.1279/-86.0797 10:43 pm CDT	4 NNW Pine Level 32.1306/-86.0756 10:44 pm CDT

Outlooks & Reports

Local Day 3 Outlook March 15 at 345 am	Local Day 2 Outlook March 16 at 1 pm	Local Day 1 Outlook March 17 at 645 am
250 mb Analysis March 17 at 7 pm

Surface Charts

Surface Analysis March 17 at 1 pm	Surface Analysis March 17 at 4 pm	Surface Analysis March 17 at 7 pm
Surface Analysis March 17 at 10 pm	Surface Analysis March 18 at 1 am	Surface Analysis March 18 at 4am

Upper Air Charts

250 mb Analysis March 17 at 7 am	500 mb Analysis March 17 at 7 am	850 mb Analysis March 17 at 7 am
250 mb Analysis March 17 at 7 pm	500 mb Analysis March 17 at 7 pm	850 mb Analysis March 17 at 7 pm
KBMX Sounding March 17 at 7 am	KBMX Sounding March 17 at 1 pm	KBMX Sounding March 17 at 7 pm

State Summary

Highest Alabama Tornado
Count Single Event

Tornadoes March 17-18
2021