NWS releases report on tornadoes & damage from Sunday's storms

ALZ011>015-017>050-050430-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
903 PM CDT MON MAY 4 2009

ALL INFORMATION IN THE STATEMENT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PRELIMINARY
UNTIL ALL THE DATA IS THOROUGHLY REVIEWED.

...UPDATED TORNADO INFORMATION...

...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES SUNDAY MAY 3 2009...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DISPATCHED TWO STORM ASSESSMENT TEAMS
TO INVESTIGATE DAMAGE FROM SUNDAY. SURVEYS HAVE BEEN UPDATED BASED
ON INFORMATION COLLECTED AND REVEIWED BY THE STORM ASSESSMENT TEAMS.
HERE ARE THEIR FINDINGS SO FAR:

A DERECHO MOVED ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. A
DERECHO IS A WIDESPREAD AND LONG-LIVED STRAIGHT LINE WIND STORM
ASSOCIATED WITH A FAST MOVING SQUALL LINE. A DERECHO CAN PRODUCE A
LONG-LIVED GUST FRONT WHICH CAUSES STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE WITH
WINDS OVER 58 MPH. THE DERECHO ON SUNDAY PRODUCED DAMAGE IN SEVERAL
COUNTIES FROM THE MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE TO THE GEORGIA STATE LINE.

ASSOCIATED SPECIFICALLY WITH THE DERECHO...

...SUNSHINE TORNADO (HALE COUNTY)...

EVENT DATE: SUNDAY 03 MAY 2009
TYPE: EF-1 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): 90-95 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES: NONE
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME: 32.5614/-87.5510
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME: 33.5614/-87.5510
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 0.05 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS): 50 YARDS
START TIME: 132 PM CDT
END TIME: 132 PM CDT
WARNINGS: TORNADO WARNING 128-145 PM
WATCHES: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 233
1135 AM UNTIL 500 PM

A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG COUNTY ROAD 10 WEST OF STATE
HIGHWAY 61. THIS LOCATION IS SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF NEWBERN IN THE
SUNSHINE COMMUNITY. THE ROOF WAS TAKEN OFF ONE BARN AND ANOTHER
STRUCTURE HAD PARTIAL ROOF DAMAGE. A FEW TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN ALONG
THE SHORT PATH.

IN ADDITION TO THE DERECHO...A FEW SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED
JUST AHEAD OF THE LINE. SUPERCELL STORMS ARE PERSISTENTLY ROTATING
THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCE ALL TYPES OF SEVERE WEATHER. A FEW
TORNADOES DEVELOPED WITHIN THESE SUPERCELLS.

ASSOCIATED SPECIFICALLY WITH THE SUPERCELLS AHEAD OF THE DERECHO...

...DUNAVANT TORNADO (SHELBY COUNTY)...

EVENT DATE: SUNDAY 03 MAY 2009
TYPE: EF-1 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): 90-100 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES: NONE
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME: 33.4913/-86.5707
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME: 33.4992/-86.5477
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 1.43 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS): 300 YARDS
START TIME: 203 PM CDT
END TIME: 205 PM CDT
WARNINGS: TORNADO WARNING 123-230 PM
WATCHES: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 233
1135 AM UNTIL 500 PM

A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG COUNTY ROAD 470 AND TRACKED
NORTHEASTWARD. THE TORNADO LIFTED AFTER IT CROSSED STATE HIGHWAY 25
JUST NORTH OF DUNAVANT. DOZENS OF TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF OR WERE
UPROOTED ALONG THE PATH.

...BROOK HIGHLAND/GREYSTONE LEGACY TORNADO (SHELBY COUNTY)...

EVENT DATE: SUNDAY 03 MAY 2009
TYPE: EF-0 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): 75-85 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES: NONE
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME: 33.4372/-86.6758
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME: 33.4510/-86.6338
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 2.61 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS): 200 YARDS
START TIME: 154 PM CDT
END TIME: 157 PM CDT
WARNINGS: TORNADO WARNING 123-230 PM
WATCHES: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 233
1135 AM UNTIL 500 PM

NUMEROUS TREES WERE UPROOTED ALONG THE PATH. AT LEAST 20 HOMES
SUFFERED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE MAINLY LOSS OF SHINGLES. DAMAGE WAS
REPORTED ON ASHINGTON DRIVE, ASHINGTON CIRCLE, CANNOCK DRIVE, BROOK
HIGHLAND DRIVE, WINGFIELD DRIVE, AND KESTEVEN DRIVE IN BROOK
HIGHLAND AREA. IN ADDITION, THE TORNADO CROSSED HIGHWAY 119 AND
ENTERED INTO THE GREYSTONE LEGACY COMMUNITY. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO
TREES UPROOTED AND SNAPPED ON THE GOLF COURSE.

...WOLF CREEK TORNADO (ST. CLAIR COUNTY)...

EVENT DATE: SUNDAY 03 MAY 2009
TYPE: EF-1 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): 90-100 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES: NONE
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME: 33.5215/-86.4101
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME: 33.6651/-86.1795
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 16.58 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS): 800 YARDS
START TIME: 227 PM CDT
END TIME: 247 PM CDT
WARNINGS: TORNADO WARNING 202-300 PM
WATCHES: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 233
1135 AM UNTIL 500 PM

A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN PLEASANT GROVE ALONG COUNTY ROAD 27.
THE TORNADO TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD AND GENERALLY PARALLELED COUNTY
ROAD 27 AND WOLF CREEK. THE TORNADO CROSSED INTERSTATE 20 NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF US HIGHWAY 231. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD
ALL THE WAY TO THE COOSA RIVER JUST BEYOND THE RIVER RANCH ROAD
COMMUNITY. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER POLES WERE SNAPPED OFF ALONG THE
PATH. MANY FALLEN TREES AND POWER POLES LANDED ON HOMES AND
OUTBUILDINGS.

...STEWARTS CROSSROADS TORNADO (ST. CLAIR COUNTY)...

EVENT DATE: SUNDAY 03 MAY 2009
TYPE: EF-1 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): AROUND 90 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES: NONE
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME: 33.5415/-86.4590
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME: 33.5458/-86.4430
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 1 MILE
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS): 100 YARDS
START TIME: 215 PM CDT
END TIME: 216 PM CDT
WARNINGS: TORNADO WARNING 202-300 PM
WATCHES: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 233
1135 AM UNTIL 500 PM

A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SEQUOYAH ROAD
AND CHEROKEE ROAD AT STEWARTS CROSSROADS. SEVERAL TREES WERE BLOWN
DOWN ALONG THE SHORT PATH. THE FALLEN TREES LANDED ON HOMES AND
PRODUCED MINOR TO MODERATE DAMAGE.