February 28, 2011 Storm Survey

Tennessee - Moore to Franklin County Tornado  

East of Lynchburg to Wood's Reservoir  

Summary

Early Monday afternoon a tornado tracked across portions of Moore and northern Franklin county.  The tornado first touched down as a weak EF-0 along portions of Tanyard Hill road southeast of downtown Lynchburg, where a few trees were blown down.  Additional trees were downed along Bakertown road.  The tornado began to strengthen as it moved into eastern Moore county. Homes and structures were damaged along Ridgeville road, Turkey Creek Loop, and Hurricane Creek road.  One home sustained substantial roof damage along with partial wall collapse.  Additional homes had minor roof damage.  large swaths of trees were also snapped and uprooted in this area. Damage in this area was consistent with a lower end EF2 tornado.

The tornado continued to strengthen and widen as it crossed into Franklin county. widespread moderate damage was noted alonga path from Awalt road through Old Tullahoma road through Blue Creek road and Rock Creek road. In these areas over 20% of the homes sustained significant roof damage as the path width increased to nearly 600 yards.  Several mobile homes were destroyed with one completely obliterated.  The volunteer Fire Department sustained significant roof damage.  At least 12 large power poles weresnapped and thousands of trees were uprooted or snapped across the county. The tornado was likely at it's strongest intensity in this portion of the county with a maximum estimated intensity of 125 mph or EF-2 on the enhanced Fujita scale.

The tornado continued to track east crossing the Tullahoma highway.  Just east along the UT Farm road two mobile homes were destroyed. Here a 79 year old male was killed when the mobile home was picked up and blown approximately 70 yards before being rolled.  Three additional injuries occurred in this area of which two were significant.  Damage here was consistent wth the lower end of an EF-2 tornado with winds speeds around 115 mph.  An additional injury was reported elsewhere in the county. The tornado narrowed in width as it tracked east crossing Spring Creek road with additional damage alon Reservoir road. The tornado finally lifted along Elk River Dam Road on the west side of Woods Reservoir.

Based on radar data and ground truth information, the tornaod first touched down around 12:18 pm CST in Moore county and reached maximum intensity shortly after 12:22 pm in Franklin county. The fatality occurred around 12:28 pm  on UT Farm road. The initial tornado warning was issued for Moore and Northern Franklin county at 12:12 pm CST. Tornado emergency wording was included for the impacted area at 12:25 CST.  These are preliminary and are subject to adjustment.

Alabama - Madison County Tornado

East of Greenville Pike Road to Winchester Road 

Summary

The tornado touched down between Greenville Pike and Everett Jones road, immediately south of Borderline road and the Alabama/Tennessee State Line.  As the tornado tracked eastward, it demolished a well built shed, significantly damaged several barns, and snapped or uprooted numerous trees. The worst damage occurred from BH Reeves Road eastward to Vanntown School Road.  In these locations: multiple sheds were demolished or had roofs removed, numerous trees were snapped and uprooted, and a mobile home had it's roof peeled off. The tornado lifted just west of School House Road.  These findings are preliminary and are subject to adjustment.

East of Greenville Pike Road to Winchester Road (South of Tornado Track)

There was a broad area of damage just south of the tornado track in Madison county. In multiple areas along north/south roads such as St Clair Road and Everett Jones Road, trees were snapped/uprooted and barns/sheds suffered roof damage. Since nearly all of this damage consistently faced from west to east, it was determined to occur with straight line winds. Due to it's location, this damage was likely associated with the tornadic storm's rear flank downdraft. Additional damage occurred to trees and structures along School House road immediately south of the Tennessee/Alabama state line. All of this damage faced west to east, again suggesting straight line winds, likely occurring as the tornado dissipated.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
840 PM CST MON FEB 28 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1100 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 12 ENE PHIL CAMPBELL    34.43N 87.51W
02/28/2011                   LAWRENCE           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            HIGH WINDS BLEW OFF A PORCH ROOF FROM A MOBILE HOME ONTO
            AN ADJACENT VEHICLE. A TREE WAS ALSO KNOCKED DOWN. TIME
            ESTIMATED.

1122 AM     TSTM WND GST     5 SE FLORENCE           34.74N 87.61W
02/28/2011  M53.00 MPH       COLBERT            AL   ASOS

            REPORTED 53 MPH WIND GUST AT KMSL.

1143 AM     TSTM WND DMG     6 SSW ARDMORE           34.92N 86.89W
02/28/2011                   LIMESTONE          AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            ROOF PEELED OFF BARN.

1146 AM     TSTM WND DMG     2 E COXEY               34.80N 87.14W
02/28/2011                   LIMESTONE          AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            ROOF DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOME NEAR US 72 ON SLEDGE RD. OTHER
            STRUCTURAL DAMAGE REPORTED ALONG WITH SEVERAL POWER LINES
            DOWN.

1146 AM     TSTM WND DMG     1 SE LEIGHTON           34.69N 87.52W
02/28/2011                   COLBERT            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            THREE LARGE TREES CAUSE DAMAGE TO AWNING AT COLBERT
            COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.

1202 PM     TSTM WND DMG     9 W ATHENS              34.77N 87.12W
02/28/2011                   LIMESTONE          AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            ROOF DAMAGE...AND TREES DOWNED ON POPLAR CREEK RD WEST OF
            ATHENS

1208 PM     TSTM WND DMG     RIPLEY                  34.76N 87.12W
02/28/2011                   LIMESTONE          AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            POWER OUTAGES NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SNAKE RD AND
            PARKER RD.

1235 PM     TORNADO          ESTILL SPRINGS          35.26N 86.13W
02/28/2011                   FRANKLIN           TN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            EXTENSIVE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO RESIDENCES AND MULTIPLE
            TREES DOWN ACROSS AREAS NEAR PLEASANT GROVE RD...TURKEY
            CREED RD...AWALT RD...AND HWY 41A. POSSIBLE TORNADO.

1235 PM     TORNADO          5 S TULLAHOMA           35.30N 86.23W
02/28/2011                   FRANKLIN           TN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            *** 1 FATAL *** ONE FATALITY REPORTED BY EMA AND RELAYED
            BY MEDIA. ADDITIONAL DETAILS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

1235 PM     TORNADO          5 S TULLAHOMA           35.30N 86.23W
02/28/2011                   FRANKLIN           TN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO PART OF CAR LOT AND HOUSE NEAR HWY
            130. POSSIBLE TORNADO.

1237 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 ESE MERIDIANVILLE     34.84N 86.54W
02/28/2011                   MADISON            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            REPORTED POWER LINES DOWN ON ROBERT STRONG DR AND
            BALTIMORE HILL RD IN MOORES MILL COMMUNITY. TIME
            ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

1242 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 NNE HAZEL GREEN       34.98N 86.54W
02/28/2011                   MADISON            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            DAMAGE TO BARNS AND MULTIPLE TREES DOWN AROUND HAZEL
            GREEN IN NORTH MADISON COUNTY.

1245 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ELORA                   35.01N 86.36W
02/28/2011                   LINCOLN            TN   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN IN ELORA NEAR BORDERLINE RD.

1245 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 ESE MOORES MILL       34.81N 86.45W
02/28/2011                   MADISON            AL   PUBLIC

            SEVERAL ROOF SHINGLES WERE TORN OFF BY THUNDERSTORM
            WINDS.

1246 PM     TORNADO          5 E LYNCHBURG           35.30N 86.27W
02/28/2011                   MOORE              TN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO HOME NEAR PLEASANT GROVE RD.

1250 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 NNE MADISON           34.76N 86.73W
02/28/2011                   MADISON            AL   AMATEUR RADIO

            DAMAGE TO BUILDING ON HWY 72.

0120 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 NW OWENS CROSSROADS   34.63N 86.51W
02/28/2011  M55.00 MPH       MADISON            AL   MESONET

            MEASURED ON MONTE SANO MOUNTAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF 1476
            FT.

0121 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 NNE SCOTTSBORO        34.67N 86.03W
02/28/2011                   JACKSON            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TWO TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN ON COLLEGE STREET IN
            SCOTTSBORO. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

0133 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ARAB                    34.32N 86.50W
02/28/2011                   MARSHALL           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            REPORTED SEVERAL TREES DOWN ACROSS ARAB.

0143 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 WNW GUNTERSVILLE      34.36N 86.31W
02/28/2011                   MARSHALL           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            SEVERAL POWER LINES DOWN ACROSS SUNSET DR AND LURLEEN B
            WALLACE DR.

0147 PM     TSTM WND DMG     GUNTERSVILLE            34.36N 86.29W
02/28/2011                   MARSHALL           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            SEVERAL TREES DOWN ACROSS GUNTERSVILLE STATE PARK.

0159 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SSE HIGDON            34.82N 85.60W
02/28/2011                   DEKALB             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            SEVERAL TREES DOWN ACROSS CR 811.

0200 PM     TSTM WND GST     DOUGLAS                 34.17N 86.32W
02/28/2011  E55.00 MPH       MARSHALL           AL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            ESTIMATED WINDS OF AROUND 55 MPH AND PEA SIZED HAIL WERE
            REPORTED. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

0211 PM     HAIL             2 ESE FORT PAYNE        34.43N 85.69W
02/28/2011  M1.00 INCH       DEKALB             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED ON FRUIT FARM RD EAST OF FORT
            PAYNE.

0211 PM     HAIL             4 SSE RAINSVILLE        34.44N 85.83W
02/28/2011  E1.00 INCH       DEKALB             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN PLEASANT HILL AREA.

0239 PM     HAIL             1 S FAIRVIEW            34.23N 86.69W
02/28/2011  E1.75 INCH       CULLMAN            AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED NEAR ANTIOCH.