National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Public Information Statement
Friday, April 10, 2009

...AT LEAST 6 TORNADOES AND SEVERE WEATHER OCCURRED APRIL 10TH...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED IN ASSOCIATION WITH A STRONG UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCE EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THE STORMS PRODUCED LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS GENERALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20 THROUGH 630
AM. CENTRAL ALABAMA THEN RECEIVED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM AROUND 2
PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH 10 PM FRIDAY EVENING. NUMEROUS
PERSISTENTLY ROTATING THUNDERSTORMS, CALLED SUPERCELLS, DEVELOPED
ACROSS THE AREA. THIS TYPE OF THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE ALL TYPES OF
SEVERE WEATHER INCLUDING STRONG TORNADOES AND VERY LARGE HAIL. IN
FACT, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THESE STORMS ENDED UP DOING. NUMEROUS
REPORTS OF VERY LARGE HAIL WERE RECEIVED. SOME OF THE HAIL COLLECTED
UP TO SEVERAL FEET DEEP AND WAS ON THE GROUND FOR OVER 18 HOURS. A
FEW TORNADOES OCCURRED. STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN A
FEW COUNTIES. EVEN BEFORE THE STORMS ARRIVED, GRADIENT WINDS KNOCKED
SOME TREES DOWN. THE STORMS ENDED AS A COLD FRONT MOVED ACROSS
CENTRAL ALABAMA FRIDAY EVENING.

...GRADIENT WINDS DOWN A FEW TREES DOWN BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORMS...

STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE STRONG COLD FRONT PRODUCED WIND
GUSTS OF 30 TO 45 MPH. THESE WIND GUSTS WERE GENERALLY BEFORE THE
THUNDERSTORMS ARRIVED. SEVERAL REPORTS OF DOWNED TREES WERE RECEIVED
ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. HERE ARE A FEW MEASURED WIND GUSTS WITH
THESE NON-THUNDERSTORM WINDS...

TUSCALOOSA       45 MPH
BIRMINGHAM       41 MPH
ANNISTON         44 MPH
CALERA           35 MPH
MONTGOMERY       36 MPH
TROY             36 MPH
GADSDEN          31 MPH
ALEXANDER CITY   39 MPH
AUBURN           39 MPH
DEMOPOLIS        30 MPH
SYLACAUGA        39 MPH


...BEAUREGARD TORNADO (LEE COUNTY)...

EVENT DATE:                    FRIDAY 10 APRIL 2009 EVENT
TYPE:                          EF-1 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH):    95 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES:           NONE
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME:   32.5294/85.3882 751 PM
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME:     32.5148/85.3548 755 PM
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 2.25 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS):       100 YARDS
WARNINGS:                      TORNADO WARNING 655-800 PM
                               TORNADO WARNING 741-830 PM
WATCHES:                       TORNADO WATCH #134 245-900 PM

THIS TORNADO DROPPED OUT OF THE SAME SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM THAT
PRODUCED THE LOACHAPOKA TORNADO AND THE HAIL SWATH NEAR LAKE MARTIN.
THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN SOUTH OF BEAUREGARD JUST WEST OF STATE
HIGHWAY 51. THE TORNADO TRAVELED SOUTHEAST AND LIFTED NEAR LEE ROAD
42. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED NEAR LEE ROAD 758 WHERE A
MOBILE HOME RECEIVED DAMAGE, A FEW OTHER STRUCTURES SUFFERED ROOF
DAMAGE AND SEVERAL TREES AND POWER LINES WERE EITHER SNAPPED OFF OR
WERE UPROOTED. THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 2.25 MILES LONG AND WAS
100 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT.


...LOACHAPOKA TORNADO (TALLAPOOSA & LEE COUNTIES)...

EVENT DATE:                    FRIDAY 10 APRIL 2009 EVENT
TYPE:                          EF-1 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH):    100 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES:           NONE
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME:   32.6648/85.8538 712 PM
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME:     32.6011/85.5817 732 PM
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 18.04 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS):       300 YARDS
WARNINGS:                      TORNADO WARNING 632-700 PM
                               TORNADO WARNING 655-800 PM
WATCHES:                       TORNADO WATCH #134 245-900 PM

A TORNADO DROPPED OUT OF THE SAME STORM THAT PRODUCED THE LARGE HAIL
SWATH NEAR LAKE MARTIN. THE TORNADO STARTED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF
PROSPECT ROAD AND COUNTY ROAD 45 OR ABOUT 3.5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
MARTIN DAM. THE TORNADO TRAVELED SOUTHEAST ACROSS STATE HIGHWAY 49,
COUNTY ROAD 15, COUNTY ROAD 188 AND STATE HIGHWAY 14. THE TORNADO
LIFTED JUST EAST OF LOACHAPOKA NEAR THE INTERSECTION LEE ROAD 61 AND
STATE HIGHWAY 14. THE TORNADO AFFECTED MAINLY RURAL COUNTRYSIDE
WHERE NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF AND UPROOTED ALONG THE PATH.
IN LOACHAPOKA, A CHURCH SUSTAINED MODERATE ROOF DAMAGE, SEVERAL
BARNS AND OUTBUILDINGS SUFFERED VARYING DEGREES OF DAMAGE, A FEW
VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED BY THE FALLEN TREES, AND SEVERAL TREES WERE
UPROOTED AND SNAPPED OFF. THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 18.04 MILES
LONG AND WAS 300 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT.


...COOSA...ELMORE...TALLAPOOSA...LEE...RUSSELL HAIL SWATH...

EVENT DATE:                    FRIDAY 10 APRIL 2009 EVENT
TYPE:                          VERY LARGE HAIL UP TO SOFTBALL SIZE
INJURIES/FATALITIES:           NONE REPORTED
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME:   617 PM
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME:     718 PM

A PERSISTENTLY ROTATING THUNDERSTORM, CALLED A SUPERCELL, PRODUCED A
LONG PATH OF HAIL ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. HAIL FELL FROM NEAR LAKE
MITCHELL IN COOSA COUNTY, TO LAKE MARTIN IN TALLAPOOSA COUNTY,
THROUGH LEE COUNTY, AND INTO RUSSELL COUNTY. THE LARGEST HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN THE VICINITY OF LAKE MARTIN. IN THIS AREA, THE HAIL
COVERED THE GROUND AND WAS SEVERAL FEET DEEP IN PLACES. THE HAIL
SIZE RANGED FROM GOLF BALL TO SOFTBALL. THE HAIL WAS STILL PRESENT
ON THE GROUND DURING THE STORM SURVEY SOME 18 HOURS AFTER THE EVENT.
SOME OF THE HAIL MEASURED 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE HAIL PRODUCED
SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE WHERE ALL GREENERY WAS COMPLETELY REMOVED.
NUMEROUS VEHICLES, BOATS AND STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED BY THE VERY
LARGE HAIL. ALTHOUGH THE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM WENT THROUGH
STRENGTH CYCLES, NUMEROUS LOCATIONS REPORTED HAIL AT LEAST 1 INCH IN
DIAMETER ALONG THE PATH.


...CRAWFORD TORNADO (RUSSELL COUNTY)...

EVENT DATE:                    FRIDAY 10 APRIL 2009 EVENT
TYPE:                          EF-1 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH):    95 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES:           NONE
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME:   32.4621/85.2669 804 PM
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME:     32.4467/85.1671 813 PM
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 6.0 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS):       150 YARDS
WARNINGS:                      TORNADO WARNING 741-830 PM
WATCHES:                       TORNADO WATCH #134 245-900 PM

AN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED IN FAR NORTHERN RUSSELL COUNTY NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD 83 AND THOMAS ROAD. THE TORNADO TRAVELED
EAST SOUTHEAST AND LIFTED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD 41
AND STATE HIGHWAY 169. THE TORNADO SNAPPED OFF OR UPROOTED NUMEROUS
TREES ALONG THE PATH. THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS SIX MILES LONG AND
WAS 150 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT.


...SEALE TORNADO (RUSSELL COUNTY)...

EVENT DATE:                    FRIDAY 10 APRIL 2009 EVENT
TYPE:                          EF-1 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH):    95-105 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES:           1 INJURY
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME:   32.3099/85.1076 927 PM
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME:     32.3086/85.0994 927 PM
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 0.5 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS):       100 YARDS
WARNINGS:                      TORNADO WARNING 837-945 PM
WATCHES:                       TORNADO WATCH #134 7-9 PM

AN EF-1 TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN NEAR SEALE. THE TORNADO PRODUCED
DAMAGE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF RIDGE ROAD AND RUTLEDGE ROAD. THIS
LOCATION IS APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF SEALE. ONE
MOBILE HOME WAS DESTROYED AND ONE WOMAN OCCUPANT OF THE MOBILE HOME
WAS INJURED. THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS ONE HALF OF A MILE LONG AND
WAS 100 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT.


...NOTASULGA-SOCIETY HILL TORNADO (TALLAPOOSA, MACON & LEE
COUNTIES)...

EVENT DATE:                    FRIDAY 10 APRIL 2009
EVENT TYPE:                    EF-1 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH):    100 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES:           NONE
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME:   32.5940/85.7640 826 PM
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME:     32.4388/85.3666 904 PM
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 25.25 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS):       440 YARDS
WARNINGS:                      TORNADO WARNING 745-845 PM
                               TORNADO WARNING 837-945 PM

WATCHES:                       TORNADO WATCH #134 700-900 PM

THE EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON HAPPY HOLLOW ROAD JUST NORTHWEST OF
LIBERTY CITY. THIS LOCATION IS NEAR THE TALLAPOOSA AND MACON COUNTY
LINE. THE TORNADO TRAVELED SOUTHEAST AND CROSSED COUNTY ROADS 75,
38, 54, 57, & 24. THE TORNADO ALSO CROSSED INTERSTATE 85, US HIGHWAY
80, US HIGHWAY 29 AND STATE HIGHWAY 81. THE TORNADO LIFTED NEAR US
HIGHWAY 80 IN THE MARVYN COMMUNITY OF SOUTHERN LEE COUNTY. THE
MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AROUND 100 MPH. THOUSANDS OF TREES WERE
EITHER SNAPPED OFF OR WERE UPROOTED ALONG THE DAMAGE PATH. A FEW
MOBILE HOMES SUFFERED VARYING DEGREES OF DAMAGE. ONE MOBILE HOME WAS
KNOCKED OFF ITS FOUNDATION. SEVERAL BARNS HAD THEIR ROOFS PARTIALLY
REMOVED. SEVERAL STRUCTURES SUFFERED VARYING DEGREES OF ROOF DAMAGE.
SEVERAL HOMES HAD WINDOWS BROKEN OUT. SEVERAL VEHICLES HAD WINDOWS
BROKEN OUT. THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 25.25 MILES LONG AND WAS 440
YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT.


...MONTGOMERY-CECIL TORNADO (MONTGOMERY, MACON & BULLOCK COUNTIES)...

EVENT DATE:                    FRIDAY 10 APRIL 2009
EVENT TYPE:                    EF-1 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH):    100-110 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES:           NONE
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME:   32.33667/86.21667 8:48 PM
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME:     32.26276/85.77924 9:29 PM
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 26.06 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS):       440 YARDS
WARNINGS:                      SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 758-900 PM
                               TORNADO WARNING 847-945 PM
WATCHES:                       TORNADO WATCH #134 700-900 PM

THE EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF US HIGHWAY 80
(EASTERN BLVD) AND STATE HIGHWAY 110 (VAUGHAN ROAD). THE STORM MOVED
EAST SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE EASTERN PART OF THE MONTGOMERY METRO
AREA. THE TORNADO CONTINUED ON ITS PATH AND CROSSED STATE HIGHWAY
271 (TAYLOR ROAD), COUNTY ROAD 85, AND THEN IMPACTED THE CECIL
COMMUNITY. THE TORNADO REMAINED ON THE GROUND INTO MACON COUNTY AND
VERY BRIEFLY ENTERED BULLOCK COUNTY. THE TORNADO LIFTED JUST EAST OF
COUNTY ROAD 23 NEAR THE DOWNS COMMUNITY. AT LEAST 3 BARNS AND
SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED ALONG THE PATH.
DOZENS OF HOMES SUFFERED MINOR TO MODERATE ROOF DAMAGE AND NUMEROUS
WINDOWS WERE BROKEN. THOUSANDS OF TREES WERE EITHER SNAPPED OFF OR
WERE UPROOTED ALONG THE PATH. SEVERAL HOMES AND VEHICLES WERE
DAMAGED FROM FLYING OR FALLING DEBRIS. THE VERANDAS APARTMENT
COMPLEX ON VAUGHAN ROAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THE MOST CONCENTRATED
DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG RAY THORINGTON ROAD WHERE EXTENSIVE TREE
DAMAGE WAS APPARENT, A SCHOOL WAS DAMAGED AND A FEW HOMES WERE
DAMAGED. THE MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 100 TO 110 MPH. THE
TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 26.06 MILES LONG AND WAS 440 YARDS WIDE AT
ITS WIDEST POINT.

ADDITIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED PERIODICALLY
THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS
EVALUATED. ALL INFORMATION IN THE STATEMENT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED
PRELIMINARY UNTIL ALL THE DATA IS THOROUGHLY REVIEWED.

A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
PROGRAM IS THE RECEIPT OF STORM REPORTS FROM ALL OUR CUSTOMERS AND
PARTNERS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. IF YOU WITNESSED OR ARE AWARE OF
ANY STORM DAMAGE DUE TO HIGH WINDS OR TORNADOES...PLEASE CONTACT
YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE...OR CALL OUR STORM REPORTING
HOTLINE AT 1-800-856-0758.

$$

75/LINHARES