Public Information Statement - November 15, 2006

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
944 AM CST FRI NOV 17 2006

...EIGHT TORNADOES TOUCH DOWN IN SEVEN DIFFERENT COUNTIES ACROSS
CENTRAL ALABAMA ON WEDNESDAY...NOVEMBER 15...

FOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAMS INVESTIGATED DAMAGE
REPORTS IN CENTRAL ALABAMA FROM THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK ON
NOVEMBER 15. EIGHT TORNADO DAMAGE PATHS WERE CONFIRMED BY THE SURVEY
TEAMS.

TORNADO 1...LOWNDES AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY...THE TORNADO DAMAGE TRACK
WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES LONG AND 250 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST
POINT. IT STARTED ABOUT 3.8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF
U.S. HIGHWAY 31 AND OAKRIDGE LANE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS
TORNADO STARTED JUST ACROSS THE COUNTY LINE IN LOWNDES COUNTY. IN
MONTGOMERY COUNTY...NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF JUST SOUTH OF THE
PINTLALA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL...WITH TEN BUILDINGS DAMAGED NORTH OF THE
SCHOOL. THE TORNADO TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD ALONG HIGHWAY 31 FOR
ANOTHER 2.5 MILES BEFORE LIFTING. THE TORNADO WAS RATED AN F1 ON THE
FUJITA SCALE (WINDS 73-112 MPH). THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT
APPROXIMATELY 955 AM CST AND LIFTED AT 1007 AM CST. A TORNADO WARNING
WAS IN EFFECT FOR LOWNDES COUNTY FROM 934 AM CST TO 1000 AM CST. A
TORNADO WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY FROM 953 AM CST
TO 1045 AM CST.

TORNADO 2...MONTGOMERY COUNTY...THE TORNADO DAMAGE TRACK WAS
APPROXIMATELY 6.8 MILES LONG AND 250 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT.
THE TORNADO WAS RATED AN F2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE (WINDS 113-157 MPH).
THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 1.4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL AND TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE WOODMERE
AND BEAUVOIR LAKES SUBDIVISIONS. THE TORNADO CROSSED INTERSTATE 85 AT
BELL ROAD AND CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD TO THE ATLANTA HIGHWAY...JUST
WEST OF TAYLOR ROAD. NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF OR DOWNED ALONG
WITH MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES.

NEAR THE ATLANTA HIGHWAY...THE TORNADO CROSSED THE A.U.M. BALL FIELD
COMPLEX AND STRUCK THE MONTGOMERY POSTAL PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION
CENTER AND POST OFFICE. THE MAIN DOORS OF THE POST OFFICE WERE BLOWN
IN...AND PORTIONS OF THE ROOF WERE LIFTED OFF TO THE NORTH. NUMEROUS
TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF AT GROUND LEVEL ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDES OF
THE BUILDING. A TRACTOR TRAILER WAS COMPLETELY TURNED AROUND...MOVED
30 YARDS...AND FLIPPED OVER. OTHER POSTAL VEHICLES AND CARS IN THE
PARKING LOT WERE MOVED OR RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. JUST TO THE
NORTH...THE TORNADO PRODUCED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE FUN ZONE SKATING
RINK...A LARGE METAL BUILDING STRUCTURE...WHICH WAS NEARLY TOTALLY
DESTROYED. SEVERAL VEHICLES WERE TOSSED AROUND AND SIGNIFICANTLY
DAMAGED...OR CRUSHED BY DEBRIS FROM THE BUILDING. AS THE TORNADO
CROSSED THE ATLANTA HIGHWAY...SEVERAL METAL POWER POLES WERE EITHER
SIGNIFICANTLY BENT OR DOWNED. AT THE SADDLEBACK RIDGE APARTMENT
COMPLEX...AT LEAST TWO APARTMENT BUILDINGS LOST THEIR ROOFS AND
PORTIONS OF THE SECOND FLOOR.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED ANOTHER 2.25 MILES NORTHEASTWARD...ENDING IN A
FIELD JUST SOUTH OF WARES FERRY ROAD. SIX PEOPLE SUFFERED MINOR
INJURIES. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 1025 AM CST AND
LIFTED AROUND 1035 AM CST. A TORNADO WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FOR
MONTGOMERY COUNTY FROM 953 AM CST TO 1045 AM CST.

TORNADO 3...IN SOUTHERN ELMORE COUNTY...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST
NORTH OF THE TALLAPOOSA RIVER JUST NORTHEAST OF THE TOLL BRIDGE. A
FEW SMALL TREES WERE BLOWN OVER AND LIMBS WERE BROKEN OFF TREES. THE
TORNADO TRACKED NORTHEAST INTO THE EMERALD MOUNTAIN SUBDIVISION. AT
THE TOP OF THE HILL...A WELL CONSTRUCTED HOME SUSTAINED FAIRLY
SUBSTANTIAL ROOF DAMAGE...WITH THE ENTIRE ROOF SHIFTED 3 INCHES. THE
TORNADO LIFTED IN THE EMERALD MOUNTAIN SUBDIVISION. THE TORNADO
DAMAGE PATH WAS 1.5 MILES LONG AND WAS 150 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST
POINT. THE TORNADO WAS RATED F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE (WINDS 73-112
MPH). THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 1040 AM CST AND
LIFTED AT 1042 AM CST. A TORNADO WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FOR ELMORE
COUNTY FROM 1035 AM CST TO 1115 AM CST.

TORNADO 4...IN NORTHERN ELMORE COUNTY...A TORNADO DAMAGE PATH
STARTED 3 MILES WEST OF KENT AND LIFTED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF
COUNTY ROADS 50 AND 229. A ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF A HOUSE AND SEVERAL
TREES WERE BLOWN OVER. THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS APPROXIMATELY 5
MILES LONG AND WAS 100 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. THE TORNADO
WAS RATED F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE (WINDS 73-112 MPH). THE TORNADO
TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 1102 AM CST AND LIFTED AROUND 1106 AM
CST. A TORNADO WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FOR ELMORE COUNTY FROM 1035 AM
CST TO 1115 AM CST.

TORNADO 5...IN TALLAPOOSA COUNTY...A BRIEF F0 TORNADO WAS FOUND ONE-
HALF MILE WEST OF REELTOWN. SEVERAL TREES WERE BLOWN OVER AND THERE
WAS SOME DAMAGE TO THE SIDING OF A MOBILE HOME. THREE OUTBUILDINGS
WERE ALSO DAMAGED. THE TORNADO DAMAGE TRACK WAS ONLY 100 YARDS LONG
AND 25 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT
APPROXIMATELY 1111 AM CST. A TORNADO WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FOR
TALLAPOOSA COUNTY FROM 1106 AM CST TO 1200 PM CST.

TORNADO 6...CHAMBERS COUNTY...THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS LOCATED
ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE NORTH OF LAFAYETTE. THE TORNADO
DAMAGE PATH WAS THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE LONG AND WAS SEVENTY-FIVE
YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. NUMEROUS LARGE TREES WERE KNOCKED ON
A HOME AT THE INTERSECTION OF US 431 AND STATE HIGHWAY 77. SEVERAL
SHEDS WERE DESTROYED AND A LARGE TRAILER WAS BLOWN OVER. THIS TORNADO
WAS RATED F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE (WINDS 73-112 MPH). THE TORNADO
TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 1202 PM CST. A TORNADO WARNING WAS IN
EFFECT FOR CHAMBERS COUNTY FROM 1140 AM CST TO 1245 PM CST.

TORNADO 7...PIKE AND BARBOUR COUNTIES...THE TORNADO IS BELIEVED TO
HAVE INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN JUST ACROSS THE COFFEE COUNTY LINE. IN
PIKE COUNTY...THE TORNADO STARTED ABOUT 1.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
HAMILTON CROSSROADS AND LIFTED JUST INTO WESTERN BARBOUR COUNTY...
EAST OF THE PEA RIVER AND 2.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BOOT HILL. THE
TORNADO TRACK CROSSED HIGHWAYS 231...10...AND 130...BEFORE CROSSING
THE PEA RIVER INTO WESTERN BARBOUR COUNTY. THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH
WAS 18.1 MILES LONG AND 650 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT...IN PIKE
AND BARBOUR COUNTIES. THIS TORNADO WAS RATED F2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE
(WINDS 113-157 MPH). THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 1214
PM CST AND LIFTED AROUND 1236 PM CST. A TORNADO WARNING WAS IN EFFECT
FOR PIKE COUNTY FROM 1208 PM CST TO 1245 PM CST. A TORNADO WARNING
WAS IN EFFECT FOR BARBOUR COUNTY FROM 1229 PM CST TO 130 PM CST.

TORNADO 8...BARBOUR COUNTY...A TORNADO OCCURRED AND CAUSED DAMAGE IN
THE MOUNT ANDREW AREA. ONE HOUSE SUFFERED ROOF AND WALL DAMAGE. THIS
DAMAGE WAS DETERMINED TO BE CAUSED FROM A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN AND
WAS VERY LIMITED IN SCALE. THIS TORNADO DAMAGE WAS RATED AN F1 ON THE
FUJITA SCALE (WINDS 73-112 MPH). THE BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED
AT APPROXIMATELY 1253 PM CST. A TORNADO WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FOR
BARBOUR COUNTY FROM 1229 PM CST TO 130 PM CST.

SEVERAL TORNADO WATCHES WERE IN EFFECT FOR THE AREAS WHERE TORNADOES
OCCURRED. TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 854 WAS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
WESTERN AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA FROM 413 AM CST TO 1200 PM CST. THIS
WATCH WAS REPLACED BY TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 858...IN EFFECT FOR
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA FROM 958 AM TO 900 PM CST. TORNADO WATCH
NUMBER 857 WAS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA FROM 909 AM CST TO 400
PM CST.

IF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE...IT WILL BE UPDATED
IN THIS PRODUCT AS WELL AS ON OUR WEB SITE AT:

(HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BMX)

IN ADDITION...WE ASK THAT ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WITH DAMAGE FROM
THE 15 OF NOVEMBER STORMS CALL OUR TOLL FREE NUMBER AT
1-800-856-0758. PLEASE INCLUDE THE EXACT LOCATION AND TYPE OF
DAMAGE...AS WELL AS WHEN THE DAMAGE OCCURRED.

ALL OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS THE FACTS ON
THESE EVENTS CONTINUE TO BE GATHERED.

$$

LINHARES/DE BLOCK