Tornado in Alabama, November 10, 2002

Name: Tornado in Alabama, November 10, 2002
Start: 2002-11-10T21:38
End: 2002-11-10T21:47
Location: Alabama

November 10, 2002 · NWS BMX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $400,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 10, 4:59 PM CST, 4 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 10, 4:59 PM CST, 4 hours 39 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL
459 PM CST SUN NOV 10 2002

GOING TO UPDATE TO INCLUDE THE NEW TORNADO WATCH.

.BHM...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 10, 1:00 PM CST, 8 hours 38 minutes before

ALZ001>050-102200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
100 PM CST SUN NOV 10 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA.

.DAY ONE (THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT)...

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING TOWARDS ALABAMA TONIGHT.  AHEAD
OF THIS SYSTEM...EXPECT INCREASING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.
THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE AND
STRENGTH THIS EVENING AND INTO TONIGHT.  DEWPOINT TEMPERATURES AND
INSTABILITIES WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THROUGH THE EVENING AHEAD OF
THIS COLD FRONT.  THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS PLACE MUCH OF
NORTHERN ALABAMA UNDER A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE STORMS TONIGHT.  THE
COUNTIES UNDER THE HIGH RISK ARE GENERALLY NORTH AND WEST OF
INTERSTATE 59.  ISOLATED TORNADOES...DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...
AND EVEN SOME LARGE HAIL MAY BE ENCOUNTERED IN SOME OF THE STRONGEST
STORMS.

A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS POSSIBLE OVER THE
REMAINDER OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE SEVERE RISKS TAPERS OFF FARTHER
SOUTH TO A SLIGHT RISK ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL ALABAMA.

ALL PERSONS ACROSS THE STATE NEED TO REMAIN ALERT TONIGHT FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS...AND SHOULD BE READY TO TAKE
THE NECESSARY SAFETY PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERLY.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL PROBABLY BE
REQUIRED BY THIS EVENING OVER NORTHWEST ALABAMA.  ALL COUNTIES IN THE
HIGH AND MODERATE RISK AREAS WILL PROBABLY BE ACTIVATED AT SOMETIME
DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN (MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)...
THIS COLD FRONT WILL STALL OUT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE
FORECAST AREA KEEPING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST ON
MONDAY.  HOWEVER...WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT
ANTICIPATED.  THEN ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL MOVE IN FROM THE
WEST ON TUESDAY PUSHING THE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OUT OF
ALABAMA TUESDAY NIGHT.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Nov 10, 5:44 PM CST, 3 hours 54 minutes before

ALZ011>014-110045-

THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
544 PM CST SUN NOV 10 2002

.A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR FAYETTE...LAMAR...WINSTON AND
MARION COUNTIES UNTIL 645 PM CST...

.FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING
STORMS.

AT 540 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 29 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
MOLLOY...MISSISSIPPI...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

* THIS STORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR...BEAR
CREEK...BEAVERTON...BRILLIANT...GU-WIN...GUIN...LYNN...MANSFIELD...MO
LLOY...NATURAL BRIDGE...SULLIGENT...VERNON...WAYSIDE...WHITEHOUSE AND
WINFIELD.

STRONG WINDS COULD KNOCK DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS OR BRANCHES. UNSECURED
SMALL OBJECTS COULD BE BLOWN AROUND. SOME MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO
NEW CONSTRUCTION SITES OR OLDER DETERIORATING BUILDINGS IS POSSIBLE.

LAT...LON 3357 8873 3343 8860 3406 8750 3428 8770

Local storm report, Nov 10, 7:33 PM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
733 PM CST SUN NOV 10 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0707 PM    FAYETTE                   AL   WIND DAMAGE
11/10/02   FAYETTE                        7 MILE N OF FAYETTE -
                                          HOUSE DAMAGE

0712 PM    FAYETTE                   AL   TORNADO
11/10/02   FAYETTE                        NRN FAYETTE CNTY -
                                          NUMEROUS HOUSES DAMAGED-
                                          POSSILBE INJURIES - MTF

0726 PM    COUNTY WIDE               AL   WIND DAMAGE
11/10/02   WALKER                         HWY 13 CLOSED - TREES
                                          DOWN

Local storm report, Nov 10, 7:47 PM CST, 1 hour 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
747 PM CST SUN NOV 10 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0740 PM    POPLAR SPRINGS            AL   0.75 IN HAIL
11/10/02   WINSTON                        HWY 278 AREA

Local storm report, Nov 10, 8:48 PM CST, 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
848 PM CST SUN NOV 10 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0755 PM    COUNTY WIDE               AL   0.75 IN HAIL
11/10/02   CULLMAN                        WRN PORTION OF CNTY

0745 PM    ARLEY                     AL   TORNADO
11/10/02   WINSTON                        LARGE HAIL / NUMEROUS
                                          HOUSES DAMAGED

0815 PM    CARBON HILL               AL   TORNADO
11/10/02   WALKER                         MAJOR DAMAGES - UNKNOWN
                                          # INJURIES - MTF

0745 PM    ARLEY                     AL   TORNADO
11/10/02   WINSTON                        ADDED - UNKNOWN #
                                          INJURIES - MTF

0817 PM    CULLMAN                   AL   0.75 IN HAIL
11/10/02   CULLMAN                        NORTH OF CULLMAN AT
                                          AIRPORT

0732 PM    DOUBLE SPRINGS            AL   0.88 IN HAIL
11/10/02   WINSTON                        NEAR DOUBLE SPRINGS

0725 PM    ROGERSVILLE               AL   0.75 IN HAIL
11/10/02   LAUDERDALE                     IN ROGERSVILLE

0835 PM    RED BAY                   AL   0.75 IN HAIL
11/10/02   FRANKLIN                       IN RED BAY

0832 PM    FOWLERS CROSSROADS        AL   TORNADO
11/10/02   FAYETTE                        1 MILE E HWY 102

Local storm report, Nov 10, 9:13 PM CST, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
913 PM CST SUN NOV 10 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0846 PM    UNION GROVE               AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
11/10/02   MARSHALL                       4 MILE E OF UNION GROVE

0815 PM    CARBON HILL               AL   TORNADO
11/10/02   WALKER                         CARBON HILL ELEMENTARY
                                          SCHOOL DAMAGED

Local storm report, Nov 10, 9:35 PM CST, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
935 PM CST SUN NOV 10 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0914 PM    CRANE HILL                AL   TORNADO
11/10/02   CULLMAN                        STRUCTURES DAMAGED

0927 PM    GOOD HOPE                 AL   TORNADO
11/10/02   CULLMAN                        MANY TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:36 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Walker

When: November 10, 9:38 PM CST to 9:47 PM CST
Where: Walker County, 4 mi SW of Dora
Rating: F1
Path length: 4.3 mi
Path width: 300 yd
Property damage: $400,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 33.700, -87.150

The Dora Tornado, the seventh tornado of the evening, began at 9:38 pm, when the tornado touched down on the banks of the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River southwest of Dora. The initial touchdown was in an area of open fields and woods and the first structural damage occurred as the tornado reached the southwest side of Dora. Trees were downed with a good deal of roof damage to homes as the tornado traveled through the middle of Dora. Traveling northeast the tornado damaged a number of structures in Dora, before ending fairly abruptly on the northeast side of town at 9:47 pm.The total path length was 4.3 miles, with a width of 300 yards. No deaths were reported, and any injuries were minor. This tornado was rated an F1.Beg: 33 42.221/87 08.654 End: 33 44.096/87 04.761

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alabama in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Alabama, 2002 Warnings in Alabama, November 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5321518.