National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Tornado Outbreak of April 12, 2020

Event Summary for Central Alabama

An upper-level low over the southwest United States evolved into a negatively-tilted shortwave trough as it moved over the southeastern United States. A warm front steadily moved northward during the morning and afternoon hours on Sunday, April 12. This allowed an unstable air mass to move northward and overspread much of the region. At the same time, very strong wind shear moved in as the upper trough neared.

An initial wave of severe storms affected areas near and north of Interstate 20, involving tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds, and some hail. Through the evening, a second wave of thunderstorms affected the remaining areas of Central Alabama with tornadoes and damaging straight-line winds. Flooding also resulted from training rainfall near and north of Interstate 20. Some roads became impassible or were washed out. This weather event was large in scope and produced severe weather from Oklahoma and Texas, through the southeastern United States, then up the east coast to New York.

 

**The data below is considered PRELIMINARY.**

Interactive Tornado Map
 
 
Location/Clickable Detailed Summary Link
Damage Rating/Estimated Maximum Wind Speeds
Injuries/Fatalities
Damage Path Length/Width
Starting Point/Time
Ending Point/Time
Ethelsville Tornado
(Pickens County)
EF-0
75 mph
None
1.51 miles
200 yards

3 SSE Ethelsville
33.3697/-88.1937
4:01 pm CDT

3 E Pine Grove
33.3820/-88.1722
4:03 pm CDT
State Route 159  Tornado
(Pickens/Fayette Counties)
EF-0
75 mph
None
5.48 miles
300 yards

5 S Ashcraft Corner
33.4593/-87.8859
4:18 pm CDT

2 ENE Ashcraft Corner
33.5348/-87.8593
4:26 pm CDT
Belle Creek Tornado
(Fayette County)
EF-0
80 mph
None
1.79 miles
350 yards

2 SE Stone Wall
33.5878/-87.7504
4:34 pm CDT

2 E Stone Wall
33.6136/-87.7472
4:36 pm CDT
Cedar Creek Tornado
(Fayette/Walker Counties)
EF-1
95 mph
None
6.15 miles
600 yards

3 SSE Berry
33.6264/-87.5872
4:41 pm CDT

4 NNW Boley Springs
33.6983/-87.5245
4:49 pm CDT
Gorgas Tornado
(Walker County)
EF-1
110 mph
None
8.98 miles
950 yards

1 S Gorgas Steam Plant
33.6319/-87.2022
5:04 pm CDT

2 SSE Dora
33.7027/-87.0731
5:16 pm CDT
Damaging Winds
(Jefferson/Blount Counties)
Damaging Winds
85 mph
None
 

Near West Jefferson
5:05 pm CDT

near Highland Lakes
Bagley Tornado
(Walker/Jefferson Counties)
EF-2
125 mph
None
7.12 miles
940 yards

3 SSE Dora
33.6991/-87.0534
5:14 pm CDT

4 SSE Blooming Grove
33.7478/-86.9485
5:25 pm CDT
Whites Creek Tornado
(Blount County)
EF-0
75 mph
None
0.47 miles
125 yards

3 NW Dallas
33.8819/-86.6877
5:44 pm CDT

3 NNW Dallas
33.8832/-86.6797
5:44 pm CDT
Locust Fork Tornado
(Blount County)
EF-1
95 mph
None
3.84 miles
225 yards

2 W Locust Fork
33.8995/-86.6339
5:47 pm CDT

2 E Locust Fork
33.9043/-86.5890
5:51 pm CDT
County Road 33 Tornado
(Blount County)
EF-2
115 mph
None
5.56 miles
500 yards

1 SSW Fairview
33.9384/-86.5677
5:50 pm CDT

1 E Rosa
33.9827/-86.4876
5:57 pm CDT
Damaging Winds
(Blount County)
Damaging Winds
75 mph
None
 

Near Palisades Park
5:50 pm CDT

near Horton Mill Covered Bridge
County Road 42 Tornado
(Blount County)
EF-1
90 mph
None
0.78 miles
115 yards

4 ESE Hendrix
34.0264/-86.3916
6:04 pm CDT

4 W Altoona
34.0318/-86.3798
6:05 pm CDT
Millers Hollow Tornado
(Etowah County)
EF-1
95 mph
None
5.52 miles
525 yards

1 NW Ramsey
33.9987/-86.1577
6:08 pm CDT

1 ESE Ridgeville
34.0500/-86.0844
6:13 pm CDT
Boaz Tornado
(Blount/Etowah Counties)
EF-2
115 mph
(EF-2 in WFO HUN)
3 Injuries
12.70 miles
350 yards

2 WSW Walnut Grove
34.0721/-86.3249
6:10 pm CDT

1 S Boaz
34.1871/-86.1543
6:21 pm CDT
Reece City Tornado
(Etowah County)
EF-2
115 mph

 
None
12.19 miles
875 yards

2 ESE Ridgeville
34.0419/-86.0704
6:14 pm CDT

2 NE Keener
34.1752/-85.9321
6:28 pm CDT
Carbon Hill Tornado
(Walker County)
EF-1
110 mph

 
3 Injuries
2.90 miles
1000 yards

2 SW Carbon Hill
33.8795/-87.5472
8:12 pm CDT

1 NE Carbon Hill
33.9072/-87.5081
8:16 pm CDT
Northriver Yacht Club Tornado
(Tuscaloosa County)
EF-1
100 mph

 
None
9.86 miles
230 yards

2 N Holt
33.2831/-87.5015
8:33 pm CDT

5 SSW Bankhead Lock & Dam
33.3801/-87.3778
8:44 pm CDT
County Road 25 Tornado
(Blount County)
EF-0
85 mph
(EF-1 in WFO HUN)

 
None
1.94 miles
150 yards

3 NNE Brooksville
34.2210/-86.4590
9:27 pm CDT

4 NNW McClarty
34.2253/-86.4254
9:29 pm CDT
Moores Valley Tornado
(Marengo County)
EF-1
100 mph
(EF-1 in WFO MOB)

 
None
2.69 miles
1000 yards

1 N Vineland
32.0443/-87.6583
941 pm CDT

3 NE Vineland
32.0690/-87.6234
944 pm CDT
Sprott Tornado
(Perry County)
EF-1
100 mph

 
None
2.42 miles
350 yards

5 ESE Heiberger
32.7317/-87.2012
1014 pm CDT

6 E Heiberger
32.7622/-87.1826
1018 pm CDT
Sardis Tornado
(Dallas County)
EF-0
80 mph

 
None
3.80 miles
400 yards

4 NE Belnap
32.2440/-86.9515
1027 pm CDT

3 S Tyler
32.2791/-86.9016
1031 pm CDT
 

Severe Weather Episode Data 

250 mb
250 mb Analysis
April 12 at 7 am

500 mb
500 mb Analysis
April 12 at 7 am

850 mb
850 mb Analysis
April 12 at 7 am

250 mb
250 mb Analysis
April 12 at 7 pm

500 mb
500 mb Analysis
April 12 at 7 pm

850 mb
850 mb Analysis
April 12 at 7 pm

250 mb
250 mb Analysis
April 13 at 7 am

500 mb
500 mb Analysis
April 13 at 7 am

850 mb
850 mb Analysis
April 13 at 7 am

Surface
Surface Analysis
April 12 at 1 pm

Surface
Surface Analysis
April 12 at 7 pm

Surface
Surface Analysis
April 13 at 1 am

Severe Threats
Local Severe Outlook
Issued April 10 at 3 am

Severe Threats
Local Severe Outlook
Issued April 11 at 4 am

Severe Threats
Local Severe Outlook
Issued April 12 at 8 am

KMBX Sounding
KBMX Sounding
April 12 at 1 pm

KBMX Sounding
KBMX Sounding
April 12 at 4 pm

Storm Reports
KBMX Sounding
April 12 at 7 pm

Storm Reports
Storm Reports
April 12