Blount County Tornadoes of April 8, 2019

Hayden EF-0 Tornado (Blount County)
April 8, 2019

Event Summary

Rating: (Click for EF Scale)	EF-0
Estimated Maximum Wind:	85 mph
Injuries/Fatalities:	None
Damage Path Length:	2.2 miles
Maximum Path Width:	325 yards
Approximate Start Point/Time:	1 SW Hayden 33.9128/-86.7689 at 515 am
Approximate End Point/Time:	1 NE Hayden 33.9301/-86.7370 at 519 am

NWS Meteorologists surveyed damage in western Blount County just north of Hayden and determined it was the result of a tornado.

The tornado touched down along Blount County Road 7 just on the north side of Hayden Mountain and moved east-northeasterly across inaccessible forests. It crossed Graves Gap Road for the first time just north of Graves Gap Way, where 4 large hardwoods were uprooted, with one tree resting on a residence. The tornado continued to produce tree damage as it once again crossed Graves Gap Road, but damaged a home and a barn near the intersection of Holt Circle and Graves Gap Road. A residence sustained siding damage and lost a few shingles, and a newer barn/shed had a part of its roof damaged. A few large trees were snapped, but there was insufficient supporting damage at this point to support higher windspeeds. The tornado quickly dissipated after this point before once again crossing Graves Gap Road.

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Reflectivity (left) and velocity (right) of the circulation just after the tornado touched down. Images are from KBMX at 516 am.

Tree Damage	Roof Damage

Graves Cemetery Road EF-1 Tornado (Blount County)
April 8, 2019

Event Summary

Rating: (Click for EF Scale)	EF-1
Estimated Maximum Wind:	90 mph
Injuries/Fatalities:	None
Damage Path Length:	6.3 miles
Maximum Path Width:	1175 yards
Approximate Start Point/Time:	3 ESE Blountsville 34.0754/-86.5272 at 544 am
Approximate End Point/Time:	2 SSW Brooksville 34.1589/-86.4871 at 553 am

NWS Meteorologists surveyed damage in northern Blount County east of Blountsville and determined it was the result of a tornado.

The tornado touched down along Graves Cemetery Road south of Blount County Road 26, with a few small or weak trees damaged. It then proceeded north easterly across CR 26, where two smaller farm buildings were destroyed, and continued northeasterly producing sporadic minor tree limb damage as it crossed Royal-Liberty Road. At this point the storm path wobbled/veered left a bit as it came down off a ridgeline, and the storm began to widen to 1275 yards as it spread along the valley parallel to AL HWY 79. The damage also intensified as it crossed Martin Road, uprooting numerous hardwoods, snapping a grove of pines, and causing damage to chicken barns. From here the tornado began to slowly cross HWY 79, moving nearly parallel for nearly the last 3 miles of the track. At this point the tornado was uprooting or snapping numerous large hardwoods and softwoods. More chicken barns were damaged, a larger hay barn was destroyed, and relatively minor damage to homes along HWY 79. It dissipated in wooded land somewhere in the woods just southwest of US HWY 231. At least 20 structures suffered varying degrees of damage.

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Reflectivity (left) and velocity (right) as the tornado paralleled Hwy 79. Images are from KBMX at 547 am.

Barn Destroyed	Tree Damage