Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, November 23, 2004

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, November 23, 2004
Start: 2004-11-23T21:38
End: 2004-11-23T22:50
Location: Alabama

November 23, 2004 · NWS BMX · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

2 miles southeast of Detroit, just east of US 17 in northern Lamar County. The tornado moved northeast crossing County Road 16 and Dinky Line Road.

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: 3

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 happened

The episode as NWS BMX wrote it up.

The tornado touched down approximately 1.2 miles southeast of Detroit, just east of US 17 in northern Lamar County. The tornado moved northeast crossing County Road 16 and Dinky Line Road. The tornado continued northeast and moved into Marion County. The tornado crossed CR 10, CR 35, US 78 and CR 42. The most extensive damage occurred in Lamar County close to the tornado touch down point while Marion County damage was mainly limited to tree damage. Several manufactured homes suffered varying degrees of damage, numerous out-buildings were damaged or destroyed, three large grain silos were damaged and several homes were damaged. A few homes were left standing but were uninhabitable. One of the grain silos was deposited over 200 yards from were it was anchored. Hundreds of trees and power lines were snapped off or knocked down along the path. The total tornado damage path was 13.9 miles long and the width at the widest point was 250 yards. Quarter size hail was also reported with this storm as it moved through Marion County.Begin: 34 01.01/88 09.19 End: 34 06.85/87 56.50

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 23, 8:00 PM CST, 1 hour 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 23, 8:00 PM CST, 1 hour 38 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
800 PM CST TUE NOV 23 2004

...CORRECTED FOR FLOOD WATCH...

.MESOSCALE DISCUSSION...
JUST THE BEGINNING OF AN ACTIVE NIGHT SETTING UP ACROSS CENTRAL
ALABAMA AS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO PUSH NORTH-NORTHEAST
ACROSS THE AREA. CURRENTLY, THE BEST CONCENTRATION OF THUNDERSTORMS
IS ACROSS NORTHWEST SECTIONS OF THE CWA.  SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO FALL ACROSS AREAS EAST OF INTERSTATE 65 AND
NORTH OF INTERSTATE 85.

THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER THE NEXT THREE HOURS WILL BE
ACROSS OUR NORTHWEST SECTIONS OF OUR CWA WHERE HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL
HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED IN LAMAR COUNTY. EXPECT THIS CLUSTER OF
THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE MOVING OFF TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST ACROSS
MARION COUNTY OVER THE NEXT HOUR.

A LARGE CLUSTER OF STORMS CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI.  WITH THE CURRENT TRACK OF THIS AREA OF
THUNDERSTORMS, THE BULK OF IT WILL MOVE NORTH OF THE AREA AND
ONLY BRUSH OUR NORTHWEST COUNTIES.  THE MAIN CONCERN FOR CENTRAL
ALABAMA TONIGHT WILL BE WHAT IS BREWING ACROSS CENTRAL LOUISIANA.
THUS, ANOTHER TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED SHORTLY FOR CENTRAL
LOUISIANA AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI.  EXPECT THIS AREA OF STORMS TO
CONTINUE ON INTO ALABAMA AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSES BRINGING STRONG TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. TIMING OF THIS LINE OF STORMS CONTINUES TO BE
AROUND 1AM-4AM WEST...4AM-8AM CENTRAL...8AM-12PM EAST.
&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES....FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT
SOUTHEAST THROUGH 6PM WEDNESDAY.
&&

KH/99

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 23, 7:00 AM CST, 14 hours 38 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
700 AM CST TUE NOV 23 2004

ALZ011>015-017>050-241300-
AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE-
CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE-
JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY-
PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA-
TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON-
700 AM CST TUE NOV 23 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

.DAY ONE...(TODAY AND TONIGHT)

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO ALABAMA LATE TONIGHT AND
MOVE EAST OF THE STATE BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.  THIS FRONT WILL
BRING A THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT INTO
WEDNESDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY TO AREAS SOUTH OF THE I20
CORRIDOR.

AT THIS TIME...THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO IS A SQUALL LINE...THAT
IS LIKELY TO MOVE INTO ALABAMA FROM THE WEST AROUND MIDNIGHT...
AND EXIT THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE BY MID DAY
WEDNESDAY.  DAMAGING WINDS WOULD BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD WITH
THE SQUALL LINE.  HOWEVER...THE THREAT OF TORNADOES CANNOT BE
RULED OUT.

IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...HEAVY RAINFALL
IS POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF THE I20
CORRIDOR...AND A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THAT AREA. MINOR
RIVER FLOODING IS ALSO OCCURRING ON THE UPPER CAHABA RIVER ABOVE
CENTREVILLE TODAY.

ADDITIONALLY...SOME PATCHY DENSE FOG THIS MORNING...WILL RESTRICT
VISIBILITIES AND MAKE DRIVING HAZARDOUS UNTIL THE FOG LIFTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY)

STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE
MORNING WEDNESDAY AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH.  OTHERWISE NO
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED
TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 23, 3:55 PM CST, 5 hours 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
355 PM CST Tue Nov 23 2004

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

0138 PM     TORNADO          WEDOWEE                 33.31N 85.48W
11/23/2004                   RANDOLPH           AL   EMA

            NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN IN AND AROUND
            WEDOWEE.  REPORTS OF TOPS TWISTED OFF TREES.  POSSIBLE
            TORNADO.

&&

Local storm report, Nov 23, 4:04 PM CST, 5 hours 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
404 PM CST Tue Nov 23 2004

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

0257 PM     TORNADO          5 N LAFAYETTE           32.92N 85.40W
11/23/2004                   CHAMBERS           AL   SPOTTER

            WALL CLOUD AND FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTINGS 5 MILES NORTH OF
            LAFAYETTE.

&&

Local storm report, Nov 23, 7:56 PM CST, 1 hour 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
756 PM CST TUE NOV 23 2004

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

0752 PM     HAIL             SULLIGENT               33.89N 88.13W
11/23/2004  1.25 IN          LAMAR              AL   SPOTTER

            HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL REPORTED ON HIGHWAY 278 JUST WEST
            OF SULLIGENT.

&&

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 21 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:37 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Lamar

When: November 23, 9:38 PM CST to 9:48 PM CST
Where: Lamar County, 1 mi SE of Detroit
Rating: F1
Path length: 5.3 mi
Path width: 250 yd
Property damage: $300,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 34.017, -88.150

Tornado, Marion

When: November 23, 9:48 PM CST to 10:02 PM CST
Where: Marion County, 8 mi SW of Hamilton
Rating: F1
Path length: 8.6 mi
Path width: 250 yd
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 34.050, -88.083

Hail, Marion

When: November 23, 10:50 PM CST
Where: Marion County, Hamilton
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 34.133, -87.983

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alabama in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Alabama, 2004 Warnings in Alabama, November 2004

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: 5425726, 5425727, 5425728.