December 10, 2008 Storm Survey

Preliminary Storm Survey Information

Storm surveys have been completed examining storm damage that occurred in the early morning hours on Wednesday, December 10th. Information found in these surveys is described below. All tornado ratings are using the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Central Jackson County

Rating	EF-2	Peak Wind	125 mph
Path Length	3.7 miles	Peak Path Width	300 yards

A squall line produced hail and thunderstorm wind damage across portions of the Tennessee Valley in addition to a tornado that tracked across central Jackson County near Pikeville, Alabama. The tornado initially snapped several cedar trees near county road 21 before toppling three high voltage power line towers. It then rapidly proceeded northeast, snapping trees, collapsing several barns, and ripping off roofs before lifting near the end of county road 34.

The tornado damage path was approximately 3.7 miles in length, and approximately 300 yards in width. Maximum wind speeds were approximately 125 mph, rating this tornado as an EF-2 on the enhanced Fujita scale.

The storm survey was completed by National Weather Service Huntsville Meteorologists David Nadler, Stephen Latimer, and Andrew Pritchett along with Victor Manning of Jackson County EMA.