Tornado in Alabama, April 8, 2006

Name: Tornado in Alabama, April 8, 2006
Start: 2006-04-08T00:16
End: 2006-04-08T00:20
Location: Alabama

April 8, 2006 · 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: 1
Property damage: $500,000
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 Apr 7, 10:03 PM CST, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 7, 10:03 PM CST, 2 hours 13 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1103 PM CDT FRI APR 7 2006

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK WITH TORNADOES UNDERWAY ACROSS
CENTRAL ALABAMA TONIGHT...

.UPDATE...MESOSCALE UPDATE.

THE ENVIRONMENT ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA IS BECOMING MORE
CONDUCIVE FOR A LARGE OUTBREAK OF TORNADOES...DAMAGING WIND...
AND LARGE HAIL.

THE HIGHEST RISK STILL REMAINS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 59 THROUGH
3 AM CDT.  A DEVELOPING SQUALL LINE OVER WEST MISSISSIPPI WILL
QUICKLY MOVE EAST AND BRING WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS AND ADDITIONAL
TORNADOES TO CENTRAL ALABAMA...MAINLY NORTH OF A DEMOPOLIS TO
AUBURN LINE.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

A WIDESPREAD OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL OCCUR TONIGHT
ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA.

AFTER LOOKING AT MESOSCALE FEATURES SUCH AS LIFT...MOISTURE...
WIND...AND INSTABILITY...CONFIDENCE OF AN OUTBREAK OCCURRING IS
INCREASING BY THE MINUTE.

AT 1045 PM CST...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF
WHICH ARE SEVERE AND TORNADIC...STRETCHED ALONG A GREENWOOD
MISSISSIPPI TO HUNTSVILLE LINE.  THE MOST DANGEROUS STORMS
ACROSS ALABAMA WERE OCCURRING FROM LAMAR TO MADISON COUNTY.
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE...POSSIBLY FROM TORNADOES...HAS BEEN REPORTED
IN MARION AND WINSTON COUNTIES...PARTICULARLY NEAR HALEYVILLE.

AN ENHANCED THREAT FOR TORNADOES...POSSIBLY SIGNIFICANT...AND
DAMAGING WINDS OVER 80 MPH EXISTS NORTH OF A REFORM TO ONEONTA LINE
THROUGH 1 AM CDT.  THE VERNON...FAYETTE...DOUBLE SPRINGS...AND
JASPER AREAS SHOULD BE ON VERY HIGH GUARD FOR DANGEROUS WEATHER
OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

THE ATMOSPHERE IS CONDUCIVE FOR SEVERE WEATHER...AND THE THREAT
IS INCREASING...EVEN THIS TIME OF NIGHT  WINDS THROUGHOUT THE
ATMOSPHERE HAVE INCREASED...ESPECIALLY IN THE LOW LEVELS WHERE
850 MB WINDS...5000 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE...HAVE INCREASED TO
50 TO 60 KTS.  AS A RESULT...0-1 KM AND 0-3 HELICITY VALUES HAVE
INCREASED CONSIDERABLY TO SUPPORT SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS AND
TORNADOES...PARTICULARLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 59.  INSTABILITY IS
INCREASING AS WELL WITH LIFTED INDICES IN THE -3 TO -5 DEGREE RANGE
ACROSS WEST ALABAMA AS TEMPERATURES WERE STEADY IN THE LOWER TO
MID 70S...DEWPOINTS INCREASING INTO THE LOWER AND MID 60S...AND
UPPER LEVELS GETTING COLDER WITH THE APPROACH OF THE UPPER LOW.

SEVERE STORMS WILL EXPAND SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH THE NIGHT.
A SQUALL LINE HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS WEST MISSISSIPPI AND WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST THROUGH THE NIGHT...BRINGING PRIMARILY
DAMAGING WINDS...BUT TORNADOES MAY OCCUR AS WELL.

BELIEVE THE TUSCALOOSA AND BIRMINGHAM AREAS WILL NOT EXPERIENCE
ANY SEVERE WEATHER UNTIL 1 OR 2 AM CDT.  THE LINE WILL CONTINUE TO
MOVE EAST...REACHING ANNISTON AND DEMOPOLIS BY 3 OR 4 AM CDT...
MONTGOMERY BETWEEN 5 AND 7 AM CDT...THEN MOVE OUT OF BARBOUR
COUNTY AROUND 9 AM CDT.

ALL PERSONS IN CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD STAY ON GUARD TONIGHT FOR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.  THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION.

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT ALL AREAS UNTIL 4 AM CDT SATURDAY.

&&

MBS/91

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 7, 9:35 PM CST, 2 hours 41 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1035 PM CDT FRI APR 7 2006

ALZ011>015-017>050-081130-
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-
1035 PM CDT FRI APR 7 2006

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

...HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH SIGNIFICANT TORNADOES
POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA...

AT THIS TIME A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER EXISTS OVER PORTIONS OF
NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN ALABAMA...GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF
A LINE FROM ALICEVILLE...TO TUSCALOOSA...TO BIRMINGHAM...TO GADSDEN.
SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ENTERED MARION AND WINSTON COUNTIES WITH
REPORTS OF TORNADO DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS. THE
STORMS WILL GRADUALLY MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD AND AFFECT THE INTERSTATE
59 CORRIDOR BY 2 AM. THE THREAT OF STRONG...LONG TRACK TORNADOES
CONTINUES THROUGH 4 AM.

FOR AREAS FARTHER SOUTH AND EAST...SEVERE WEATHER WILL BEGIN TO
AFFECT THESE AREAS BETWEEN 1 AND 3 AM.  SUPERCELLS CANNOT BE RULED
OUT IN THIS RISK AREA...BUT THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO IS FOR
THUNDERSTORMS TO EVOLVE INTO A LINE CONTAINING EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS
AND MOVE ACROSS THIS RISK AREA. THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL
OF PRODUCING TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN. THE RISK WILL LAST THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS.

ADDITIONALLY...INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE MAIN SYSTEM
WILL PRODUCE SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO
35 MPH TONIGHT.  A LAKE WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 4 AM
SATURDAY.

STAY TUNED TO FURTHER STATEMENTS ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS
WEATHER EVENT AND SPECIFICALLY THE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE TIMING OF THE
EVENT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

...SEVERE WEATHER MAY CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE
POSSIBLE ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM SELMA...TO CLANTON...
LAFAYETTE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
WILL BE NECESSARY TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 7, 11:36 PM CST, 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1236 AM CDT SAT APR 08 2006

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

1235 AM     HAIL             BERRY                   33.66N 87.61W
04/08/2006  E0.25 INCH       FAYETTE            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            PEA SIZE HAIL IN BERRY.

&&

DCW

Local storm report, Apr 7, 11:44 PM CST, 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1244 AM CDT SAT APR 08 2006

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

1243 AM     TSTM WND DMG     10 W SAMANTHA           33.41N 87.75W
04/08/2006                   TUSCALOOSA         AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN ON HIGHWAY 171 IN THE MAYFIELD COMMUNITY.

&&

DCW

Local storm report, Apr 7, 11:50 PM CST, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1250 AM CDT SAT APR 08 2006

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

1249 AM     TSTM WND DMG     2 NW FAYETTE            33.71N 87.86W
04/08/2006                   FAYETTE            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN ACROSS AL18 AND COUNTY ROAD 21.

&&

DCW

Local storm report, Apr 8, 12:04 AM CST, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
104 AM CDT SAT APR 08 2006

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

0102 AM     TSTM WND DMG     2 NW BERRY              33.68N 87.63W
04/08/2006                   FAYETTE            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN ACROSS COUNTY ROAD 93 BETWEEN BANKSTON AND THE
            CLEVELAND COMMUNITY.

&&

DCW

Local storm report, Apr 8, 12:08 AM CST, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
108 AM CDT SAT APR 08 2006

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

0105 AM     HAIL             8 N TUSCALOOSA          33.35N 87.54W
04/08/2006  E0.88 INCH       TUSCALOOSA         AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL NEAR LAKE TUSCALOOSA.

&&

DCW

Local storm report, Apr 8, 12:15 AM CST, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
115 AM CDT SAT APR 08 2006

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

0106 AM     FUNNEL CLOUD     3 NW MINOR              33.56N 86.98W
04/08/2006                   JEFFERSON          AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER REPORTS FUNNEL CLOUD ON BIRMINGPORT ROAD MOVING
            TOWARD MINOR.

&&

DCW

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 53 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:13 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Jefferson

When: April 8, 12:16 AM CST to 12:20 AM CST
Where: Jefferson County, Gardendale
Rating: F1
Path length: 2.3 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 33.650, -86.817

The tornado touched down near the intersection of US Highway 31 and Main Street. It knocked a few trees down west of US Highway 31, then traveled southeastward and affected the business district along US Highway 31. A few dozen businesses were heavily damaged. The damage included significant roof damage, broken windows, large bay doors blown out, air conditioning unit damage and sign damage. Three vary large air conditioning units were blown off the roof of a K-Mart. These units were estimated at 5 to 8 thousand pounds each. A church along US Highway 31 suffered roof damage. Dozens of homes were damaged and numerous trees were blown down east of US Highway 31 in the vicinity of Tarrant Road and Peterson Road. One woman was injured when a tree fell through the roof of her home. South of Tarrant Road, the tornado mainly produced tree damage. The tornado lifted near Lumen Park and Taihaiti Lane.

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 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Alabama, 2006 Warnings in Alabama, April 2006

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: 5504001.