Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, March 18, 2013

Nickel sized hail was reported.

A few trees and power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds along highway 19 and 11, near Red Bay, Alabama.

Quarter sized hail was reported.

Thunderstorm winds produced some slight structural damage to a residence along highway 190.

Estimated thunderstorm wind gusts around 50 mph produced some minor wind damage, as power lines were downed at a residence near Barton, Alabama.

Quarter sized hail was reported.

Fifty foot portions of metal roofs were blown off of two chicken houses along CR 90 at CR 190. Two trees were knocked down onto homes along CR 90.

Penny sized hail was reported.

A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds along South Hook Street, Henderson Point Road, Edgewood Drive, Gnat Pond Road, Willingham Hill Road, and near the Sheffield City Hall from five miles southwest through five miles east of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Other trees were downed by thunderstorm winds along Blue Road, Ligon Springs Road, Jarmon Road, and just north-northeast of Littleville, Alabama. The trees were downed by a line of thunderstorms that moved through these areas in Colbert County, Alabama.

A tree was downed by thunderstorm winds onto a structure on College Avenue in Russellville, Alabama.

Quarter sized hail was reported.

A weak and short-lived tornado touched down about 2 miles northwest of Leighton, snapping trees near the intersection of 6th Street and Hatton School Road. Just to the east of this location, large pines were uprooted and snapped, and minor structural and roof damage to a residence occurred. A car port was lifted and destroyed and the undercarriage from a single-wide mobile home was pulled out and thrown into a nearby tree. The tornado continued to track east, uprooting trees in an open field and additional large cedar trees were snapped along its path at Shaw Cemetery. The tornado continued just a bit farther east before apparently lifting just east of Shaw Road, just north of 6th Street. Sporadic wind damage, possibly due to inflow winds was observed around the narrow tornado track with several trees snapped on either side of 6th Street nearing the Lawrence County line.

Quarter sized hail was reported near the intersection of Highway 99 and Tillman Mill Road.

Nickel sized hail was reported.

Thunderstorm winds lifted a portable garage up into a tree on Foster Hill Road.

Quarter sized hail was reported.

A couple of trees were downed by thunderstorm winds and fell onto a mobile home on County Road 265 in Town Creek, Alabama.

Thunderstorm winds destroyed a wood storage building and two car metal garages at the intersection of county Roads 244 and 157.

A few trees were downed due to thunderstorm winds and were blocking the road along the intersection of County Road 70 and 570.

A tree and a few power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds at the road intersection of Oakmont Trail and Log Cabin Trail, around four miles north-northeast of Somerville, Alabama.

A measured 63 mph wind gust due to a severe thunderstorm at the Courtland, Alabama Airport.

Thunderstorm winds snapped and knocked down six large wooden power poles.

Minor roof damage to a mobile home on Shaw Road near Ripley, Alabama, due to thunderstorm winds.

Numerous trees blown down by thunderstorm winds and blocking Highway 33.

Quarter sized hail was reported.

Thunderstorm winds knocked down a tree, which was blocking the road near County Road 528 and County Road 22 near the Winston and Cullman County, Alabama county line.

Wind damage occurred along County Road 222 in the Brushy Pond area. Initial damage was incurred to a weak shed or garage east of County Road 145 where the metal roof was peeled off, and several trees were uprooted nearby. One large uprooted tree fell on a residential home causing significant damage. Damage continued past County Road 108 where many trees were snapped and uprooted. One tree fell on a nearby camper, but no other structural damage was observed.

Wind damage began near Interstate 65 at exit 304, where multiple trees were uprooted and snapped, highway signs were broken over, and business windows were broken in. Roof and sign damage occurred to several businesses along Alabama Highway 69 and several side roads. The most significant damage occurred to a cinder-block warehouse, where an exterior wall collapsed. An overhead door was buckled and the roof collapsed.

A pocket of wind damage occurred from the corner of County Road 222 and 925 to the corner of county Road 222 and 201. The winds peeled back the roofs of several large sheds, barns, and an old chicken house. Multiple trees were uprooted and snapped, and three utility poles were snapped.

A swath of wind damage over one half mile wide occurred around the Logan community. Multiple trees were snapped an uprooted, including several which fell onto nearby houses. A utility pole was also broken. Several houses had metal roofs peeled off, and multiple architectural shingles were pulled off a well constructed house.

Two large trees were damaged.

Thunderstorm winds knocked powerlines down near Crosshaven Church on Highway 31.

Multiple trees were knocked down along CR 74 between Highway 91 and CR 703.

A few trees were downed due to thunderstorm winds.

Numerous trees were downed by thunderstorm winds.

Nickel sized hail was reported.

Numerous trees were downed by thunderstorm winds.

Thunderstorm winds damaged three structures on Highway 431 and Rose Road.

A severe thunderstorm produced extensive wind damage in the city of Albertville. A brick building sustained significant roof damage at the intersection of U.S. Highway 431 and Mathis Mill Road. A large section of the roof was lifted and peeled off. Wooden power poles were snapped in this location and a gas station sign was destroyed. Debris was strewn well into Highway 431. On the north side of the road at the intersection of Highland Avenue, a barbeque restaurant sustained major damage. An additional building had roof damage and a sign was heavily damaged. The damage in this area was consistent with winds of 90 to 100 mph. A newspaper reported that up to 1500 customers lost power during the storm.

The Municipal Utilities Board reported that a hard hit section of the city of Albertville was at Alabama Highway 205 and Rabbittown Road where many trees and power lines were knocked down. A tree fell into a house on Lexington Street. Power poles were snapped on Edmundson Street between Solitude Road and Highway 205. The Albertville Recreation Center sustained extensive damage where a scoreboard was blown down on a baseball field and a dugout roof was ripped off. Fencing was damaged and trees were blown down on the walking track.

A tornado produced EF0 to EF1 damage, with wind speeds up to 100 mph along a path beginning along Hambey Road just east of McVille Road. Several softwood and hardwood trees were either uprooted or snapped along Hambey Road. As the tornado moved east, several wooden power poles were snapped. Several farm buildings were destroyed with debris strewn over 100 yards. Additional tree damage was noted along County Roads 381 and 82. The tornado crossed into DeKalb County east of Gaines Road.

A tornado touched down just east of U.S. Highway 431 in Boaz just south of Bruce Road producing minor structural damage to businesses along Highway 431. The tornado tracked east-southeast crossing McVille Road and Alabama Highway 168 causing minor tree damage. The tornado intensified and widened to 300 yards as it crossed Bethsaida Road, when it uprooted and snapped numerous trees as it approached Alewine Road, just north of Ellis Road. The tornado then crossed into Etowah County about a half of a mile west of Oak Drive.

A tornado tracked east from Marshall County along County Road 381. The tornado struck the Kilpatrick community along County Road 479 injuring 7 residents of mobile homes. Very large hardwood trees were snapped near the base. Numerous power poles were snapped at the base. Several mobile homes sustained significant damage with at least two completely destroyed. Several convectional homes sustained minor to moderate exterior damage in this area as well. At this location, the tornado was at its maximum width (220 yards) and intensity (estimated winds of 125 mph). The tornado continued to move east producing substantial damage to a large livestock building near the intersection of Highways 68 and 168. Metal from the roof that was damaged at the Sand Mountain Stockyards was blown down the road for around a mile. The convenience store at that point suffered minor roof damage. A semi truck pulling a trailer on Alabama 168 from the Family Dollar store chain was knocked onto its side by the high winds. The tornado continued to parallel Highway 68. A car wash sustained significant structural damage. A mobile home was flipped and destroyed near the intersection of Highway 68 and County Road 9004. The tornado narrowed and lifted near the intersection of Highway 68 and County Road 113.

A tornado touched down along County Road 539 north of County Road 50 in the Fyffe and Shiloh communities. Minor tree damage was noted in this area. An unoccupied chicken house also sustained damage. Near the intersection of County Roads 50 and 43, a restaurant sustained roof damage and a carport was flattened. Further east, another large farm building sustained major damage. Along Highway 50, additional chicken houses were damaged or destroyed along with trees snapped and uprooted.

The most significant damage occurred along Traylor Street just north of Highway 50/Grove Oak Road. Two large, well constructed, farm buildings were completely destroyed. One of these contained metal trusses and the posts were ripped out of the ground. Debris was thrown several hundred yards and large debris was embedded into the ground. A nearby home sustained minor structural damage. The path widened to 350 yards with estimated maximum wind speeds of 120 mph. The tornado began to narrow and weaken as it moved further east as it crossed County Roads 523 and 578. The tornado lifted near County road 72/Tumlin Road norht of Highway 75.

A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds.

A tree was knocked down at the intersection of Henry Road and County Road 33.

Trees were knocked down on Sutton Hill Road.

Quarter sized hail was reported.

Power lines and trees were knocked down in Skirum.

Spotter reports power poles snapped and at least one barn destroyed west of Rainsville.

Part of a roof was blown off of a church on County Road 16.

A mobile home was blown off of its foundation on County Road 162. Time estimated by radar.

Structural damage of a house was reported on County Road 406 near Dutton.

The roof of a chicken house was blown off and trees were knocked down.

Damage to the roofs of the Collinsville High School and National Guard Armory was reported.

An outbuilding was destroyed near County Schools Coliseum east of Rainsville.

A severe thunderstorm produced extensive wind damage on the north side of Fort Payne. Along 45th Street, adjacent to the high school, an entire row of wooden power poles were snapped. The athletic facilities at the high school sustained damage to fencing, signage and roofing, including a light pole being blown down at the high school stadium and a large projector screen blown away by the thunderstorm winds. Just to the east of the school, the Heil Environmental manufacturing facility sustained significant roof and interior water damage, with one injury noted. A metal building had a complete wall collapse and extensive roof damage and a local business suffered extensive damage and another minor injury. The surrounding area also had numerous trees snapped or uprooted, including multiple trees downed at the Fort Payne Times-Journal newspaper building on Greenhill Boulevard in Fort Payne, Alabama. Several trees were downed by thunderstorm winds at the Fort Payne City Park and at the DeSoto Golf Course. Further extensive wind damage occurred in the DeSoto State Park on Blalock Drive, where numerous trees were snapped and downed by thunderstorm winds. This resulted in the closing of the DeSoto State Park lodge and restaurant for seven days due to numerous trees and power lines being downed in vicinity of the lodge and restaurant. Damage in this area was consistent with winds of 90 to 105 mph.