Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, April 28 to 30, 2014

A tornado touched down near the intersection of County Road 75 and Bishop Road, in a rural area northwest of the city of Hamilton. It tracked northeastward through a largely rural area in central Marion County between the cities of Hamilton and Hackleburg. The tornado caused mostly tree damage as it crossed County Road 29, Highway 187, County Road 41, and Highway 43. One building on County Road 29, where winds were strongest at 85 mph, had some shingles blow off, a shed was destroyed, and a dozen trees were downed. The tornado lifted along Highway 43 near Traverse Station Road southwest of Hackleburg city limits.

A tornado originally touched down in Lowndes County, Mississippi, 3.2 miles south southeast of Steens and moved northeast, crossing into Alabama along State Road 96 in Lamar County. The tornado moved through the Lacey Brooke Community, where several well-built homes sustained minor roof and exterior damage. As the tornado tracked nearly parallel to State Road 96, dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado took a turn to the north, crossing Luxapallilia Creek, strengthening to winds of 100mph, and tracking parallel to Fernbank Road. It continue snapping trees until it dissipated near the intersection of Fernbank Road and Mud Creek Road, where only small limbs were damaged.

Numerous trees were blown down along County Road 9 from just southwest of the Star Community back to near the state line.

A tornado initially touched down in Lowndes County, Mississippi, south of Columbus and traveled to the northeast, crossing the Alabama state line at County Road 30 in Pickens County. Tornado wind speeds were estimated at 115-120mph as it moved into Alabama. Along County Road 30, one site-built home was shifted off its foundation, trapping 10 people in the basement. There were also several mobile homes that were completely destroyed along with one small concrete building that had its roof removed and one exterior wall completely destroyed. The tornado continued northeast crossing U.S. Highway 82 and began to weaken along Bains Road, where several roofs sustained minor damage and several trees were uprooted. The tornado then rapidly dissipated near Tabernacle Road where only sporadic damage was found. It is also noteworthy that several damage points south of the tornado track were consistent with straight-line winds.

Several hardwood and softwood trees were uprooted on Bains and Caston Roads. Some minor roof damage also occurred in the area. This damage was immediately to the right of a tornado path and was believed to be caused by the rear flank downdraft.

Several trees were blown down just south of Haleyville.

Several trees were blown down just south of Haleyville.

The tornado touched down near the intersection of County Road 73 and County Road 53 in northern Fayette County. Five to ten trees were either snapped or uprooted with some minor roof damage to a home at the initial touchdown. The tornado then crossed County Road 65 near Eldridge Road where a couple of outbuildings lost portions of their roof. The tornado intensified as it crossed County Road 53 near the intersection of Eldridge Road. Here a couple of outbuildings were near total losses, dozens of trees were blown down, and a residence sustained minor damage. The tornado continued northeast and crossed into Marion County.

The tornado tracked into southeast Marion County from Fayette County near Little New River, and weakened to winds of 80 mph. The tornado continued to cause sporadic tree damage as it crossed Bankhead Highway near the community of Texas. The tornado made a turn to the north and tracked parallel to New River and crossed U.S. Highway 78 (I-22). The tornado continued to weaken and cause tree damage until it lifted along County Road 30 near County Road 174.

A roof was blown off a home in Glen Allen. This damage was just west of a tornado path.

Several trees were blown down just northeast of Lynn.

The tornado touched down just south of Richardson Road, south of the Boldo Community, where a couple of trees were uprooted. The tornado traveled to the northeast where it uprooted several trees as it crossed Golf Course Road and South Pine Drive. The tornado strengthened with winds of 90 mph as it crossed Boldo Road where several trees were snapped and uprooted and minor shingle damage occurred to a house. The tornado then crossed Alabama Highway 69 as it uprooted a couple of trees and caused minor damage to a church. The tornado took a slight turn to the northeast and continued to uproot trees and cause minor shingle damage to another home before it lifted along Robinson Loop just north of Alabama Highway 69.

A short-lived tornado, with winds of 100 mph, touched down in a wooded area near W.L. Ezell Road in the Siloam Community. The tornado traveled to the northeast, crossing Alabama Highway 17 and dissipated south of U.S. Highway 80. Along W.L. Ezell Road and County Road 9, two well-built homes received significant roof and other structural damage. Nine other homes received roof damage, and several outbuildings were destroyed. A convenience store received significant damage to the roof and primary structure, and the fuel awning was destroyed. Additionally, a local fire station received significant damage to one of its buildings and minor damage to another. Along the path numerous trees were snapped and uprooted.

Heavy rainfall briefly fell across the city of Tuscaloosa, with approximately 1.28 inches of rain in one hour. Two individuals sought shelter from an possible tornado in the undeveloped basement of their home on the 1400 block of 22nd Avenue. As water from the heavy rainfall leaked into the basement, the force of the water and intruding mud collapsed a retaining wall against them, resulting in one fatality.

A tornado touched down near the intersection of Fosters Loop Road and Cypress Creek Road, where it snapped and uprooted hundreds of trees. It moved northeastward, crossing the Black Warrior River near Maxwell Bend. Several homes sustained significant roof and porch damage on the east bank of the river in the River Point Subdivision. It continued moving northeast, snapping and uprooting hundreds of trees and causing mainly minor shingle and roof damage to numerous homes as it moved through several subdivisions. As the tornado continued north and eastward, the tornado crossed Old Greensboro Road where it uprooted and snapped the trunks of numerous large, old hardwoods at the Little Sandy Baptist Church. The tornado continued northeast across Highway 69 with winds of 95 mph, where it downed multiple trees on the east side of the highway. The tornado took a more easterly track and produced sporadic tree damage until it reached the Taylorwood Estates subdivision and the Bear Creek trailer park. In this area, the tornado snapped or uprooted hundreds of trees. The tornado then moved east-northeast and caused sporadic tree damage as it crossed U.S. Highway 82 and Hargrove Road. Just west of Hargrove Road, the tornado uprooted and snapped numerous hardwood and softwood trees and caused major damage to 25 mobile homes as trees fell on the homes. One small porch was ripped from a double wide mobile home. The tornado then moved through the Woodland Forest subdivision where it uprooted and snapped hundreds of trees. As the tornado approached Buttermilk Road, southerly winds got under the soffit of a single family home and ripped out a small portion of the roof. The tornado caused minor roof damage and uprooted several trees on the east side Buttermilk Road before it finally lifted. This tornado was very close to the path of the F4 tornado in 2000.

The tornado touched down near Interstate 65, about one-half mile south of Sardis Road. The tornado moved to the northeast and crossed Interstate 65, where it snapped and uprooted hundreds of trees along the path. As the tornado continued to the northeast, it strengthened to winds of 100 mph. The tornado moved into the city limits of Kimberly where several structures were damaged. A vacant large retail building had its roof removed. The most extensive damage occurred to the Kimberly Church of God where uplift of most of the roof structure resulted in exterior wall collapse. The tornado crossed Stouts Road where the Kimberly Fire Department sustained major damage.The tornado continued to snap dozens of trees as it moved northeast and several homes had shingle damage. As the tornado crossed Bradford Trafford Road, multiple trees were uprooted with one falling on a home causing major roof damage. The tornado continued northward into Blount County.

Several hardwood trees were uprooted. This was immediately to the right of a tornado path and believed to be the rear flank downdraft damage.

At least 10 homes suffered minor roof damage or siding damage. This damage occurred to the right of a tornado path and was believed to be the rear flank downdraft damage.

The tornado touched down near Oak Leaf Circle and traveled to the northeast where it snapped and uprooted dozens of trees along its path. The tornado intensified as it neared Cruce Road just south of Graysville, with winds of 105 mph. Here, approximately four manufactured homes sustained major damage with one being completely destroyed after it rolled several times. The tornado continued on its northeast path and snapped and uprooted hundreds of trees. As it crossed Adamsville Parkway, just south of Graysville, the tornado strengthened with winds of 125 mph. In this area, two brick homes sustained damage from partial exterior wall collapse. Several other homes sustained roof damage and a manufactured home sustained damage. Additionally, hundreds of trees were downed. The tornado took a slight right turn and crossed Interstate 22 near Cherry Avenue before it lifted along Brookside Cardiff Road near McCay Road.

The tornado crossed from Jefferson County into Blount County between Garrett Road and Nyota Road. With winds of 80 mph, the tornado began to weaken as it crossed into Blount County, where sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado traveled northward and crossed Elvester Road and lifted near Sagefield Lane and Mountain Lake Road.

Several pine trees were uprooted along Covered Bridge Road.

Several trees were uprooted along Keens Mill Road. This was produced by the same supercell thunderstorm that produced tornadoes before and after this event.

The tornado touched down approximately a quarter mile west of Milldale Road near Davis Creek. It traveled to the northeast where it snapped and uprooted trees. The tornado crossed Griffen Ridge Road, Ridge Road and then Weller Road with winds of 105 mph and uprooted trees along each road. The tornado continued northeastward into Jefferson County.

The tornado touched down approximately one quarter of a mile north of Alice Road and to the northeast where it snapped and uprooted hundreds of trees along the path. It continued nearly parallel to Blue Creek Road traveling over private property where it continued to produce damage. The tornado crossed Valley Creek with winds of 105 mph where additional trees were snapped or uprooted. It continued on its northeast path and eventually crossed Johns Road where several trees were snapped. The tornado lifted approximately one-tenth of a mile northeast of Sunnyhill Drive.

The tornado crossed into Jefferson County approximately three-tenths of a mile north of Weller Road and continued to produce minor tree damage. It lifted inside the Jefferson County line, approximately one mile east of Sealy Ann Mountain Road.

The tornado touched down near Academy Drive and Southgate Lane in Bessemer and traveled to the northeast, snapping and uprooting dozens of trees along its path. In addition, dozens of homes sustained damage from downed trees. The tornado intensified with winds of 120 mph as it neared the Frank House Municipal Golf Course where the clubhouse was destroyed. The tornado continued on its northeast path, crossing the golf course, snapping and uprooting hundreds of trees. Several homes and an apartment complex sustained significant roof damage around Memorial Drive. The tornado continued to the northeast as it paralleled 4th Avenue North. The tornado took a slight turn to the east as it crossed Alabama Highway 150, causing minor damage to a home and small restaurant. Hundreds of trees were uprooted through Bessemer, before the tornado lifted near the intersection of Dartmouth Avenue and 31st Street South.

The tornado touched down near the intersection of Boat Landing Road and Seven Mile Road, about 4 miles south-southwest of the city of Oneonta, where it damaged and uprooted several trees. From there the tornado moved northeastward, paralleling the ridge of Straight Mountain the entire time it was on the ground. It remained over largely rural areas for much of its path and broadened to 1000 yards wide just after crossing US-231 as it strengthened with winds of 105 mph. Damage along US-231 consisted of mainly snapped pines and uprooted hardwoods. There was minor damage to a few homes and buildings in the area, although one chicken barn was heavily damaged. The tornado moved north-northeastward across Wadsworth Road and continued to cause widespread tree damage. It tracked along Airport Road continuing to down trees and cause predominantly minor roof damage to homes and significant damage to outbuildings and hay barns. The only exception was a small older home that sustained significant damage. The tornado maintained its strength as it crossed County Road 20, Lowes Road, and finally Airport Road once again before dissipating rapidly at the airport.

The tornado touched down just north of Mountain View Lane in extreme northwestern St. Clair County, just south of the Blount County line. Damage was minor at the beginning of the tornado and limited to trees. The tornado continued northeast crossing into Blount County.

The tornado strengthened as it moved into southeast Blount County, near Golden Lake, and tracked along County Road 24. Some of the most extensive damage occurred just north of Pine Mountain Road, where winds were estimated at 130 mph. At this location, a home that was under construction but almost completely finished, was swept off its foundation and thrown about 50 yards into a lake. A small utility trailer was also thrown about 25 to 50 yards. Dozens of trees were either snapped or uprooted as well. The tornado tracked northeast, parallel to Inland Lake, snapping and uprooting thousands of trees and causing significant damage to two homes on Pine Mountain Rd near Cut Off Rd. A single wide and double wide manufactured home were completely destroyed on Dumas Bridge Road, and at this location there were two injuries. The tornado continued northeastward and crossed Highland Lake with a width of 1000 yds, snapping or uprooting every tree in its path. On the shores of the lake, several homes received major damage directly from tornadic winds. On Echo Lane, a well-built single family home had its roof completely removed, while 2-by-6 exterior walls remained standing, and non-load bearing walls were buckled. The neighboring home also had its roof torn off with some exterior walls collapsed. A three story home across the slough had major structural damage and was partially shifted off its foundation. Along the north shore of Highland Lake, the tornado continued snapping and uprooting trees, and damaging several more homes. The tornado weaken slightly as it crossed County Road 29 and Rogers Rd, with tree damage becoming more sporadic. However, several homes sustained significant damage in these locations. The tornado took a slight turn to the right and continued to weaken as it crossed County Road 20 and U.S. Highway 231. Northeast of U.S. Highway 231, six chicken barns were destroyed along Montgomery Drive. The tornado narrowed and lifted northeast of Hutchins Drive near the Blount and Etowah County line.

The tornado initially touched down just south of Brow Road, about 4.5 miles east of Sardis City, snapping and uprooting many trees. The tornado rapidly intensified as it tracked northeast. Severe damage occurred along Liberty Hill Road where a home was lifted off its block foundation and moved about 60-80 feet from its original location. Despite this, most of the exterior walls (and even a portion of the roof) remained intact. Numerous trees around this property were snapped near the base indicating very strong winds. Several manufactured homes were completely destroyed in this area as well. Two other homes sustained significant roof loss and exterior wall damage. Along Horton Gap Road, a two-story home was destroyed with just a few interior walls left standing. Much of the debris was thrown several hundred yards away from its original location and trees were ripped out of the ground and thrown. Just northeast of this location, a large wood-framed chicken house was destroyed. At these locations, the tornado was at its peak intensity with winds estimated between 135 and 155 mph. On either side of the center line track, damage was seen along Owens Road (west of the track) and Roden Road (east of the track), as a result of inflow into the storm. Structural damage along these roads resulted in loss of roof and exterior walls/side panels as well as numerous trees snapped or uprooted. The tornado crossed into Dekalb County near the intersection of Gene Burns Rd and County Road 4.

A short-lived tornado touched down along Egypt Road near Vaughn Lane snapping a few trees. The tornado tracked north-northeast and intensified near Shady Grove Road where a single-wide manufactured home was destroyed. Near the intersection of Mountainboro Road and Carlisle Cut Off, a house was shifted off its foundation, but the house itself sustained only minor roof damage. A wood barn in a field was also heavily damaged. Just south of Lawson Gap Road, several trailers were damaged with one losing its roof and portion of its exterior walls. Trees were snapped or uprooted on the west side of Mountainboro Road. The tornado was at its peak intensity along Mountainboro Road between Shady Grove Road and Lawson Gap Road, with maximum winds between 90 and 100 mph. The tornado continued north, causing additional damage along Skyhaven Drive, where a two-story house lost a portion of its roof covering. Several trees were snapped or uprooted around this location as well. To the north, off Douglas Drive, a manufactured single-wide home lost most of its roof, its entire garage/car port and a good portion of one exterior wall. The tornado crossed U.S. Highway 431, snapping several trees near the intersection of Highway 205. Between Cox Gap Road and Gaines Street several large trees were snapped or uprooted and displayed a convergent path toward the center line of the tornado. The tornado crossed Sardis Road snapping a few trees near the intersection of Sardis Cut Off Road before lifting.

The tornado touched down along Red Road, about one mile south of US-80. It traveled to the northeast, where several trees were snapped. As the tornado neared Highway 80, the Society Hill Methodist Church sustained minor roof damage. The tornado continued to the northeast, crossing Highway 80, where several trees were uprooted. The tornado lifted along County Road 43, about one half mile north of US-80. Maximum winds along the path were 80 mph.

A few softwood trees were uprooted along Thomas Road. This was immediately before a tornado developed just northeast of this location.

The tornado touched down one-tenth of a mile west of Flourney Road in Russell County, where several trees were snapped. It then traveled to the northeast, where it snapped and uprooted dozens of trees, with winds of 87 mph. The tornado continued into Lee County.

The tornado crossed into Lee County, approximately six-tenths of a mile west of County Line Road. It continued to the northeast and strengthened to its maximum intensity near AL-169, with winds of 140 mph. At this location, approximately 6 manufactured homes were lifted, rolled, and completely destroyed. Additionally, a split level home had its roof and the exterior walls of the top floor removed. Three wood frame homes were also lifted off their foundation and completely destroyed. Several more homes sustained roof damage. Hundreds of trees were snapped off or were uprooted, with several trees debarked. From here, the tornado traveled northeast, where it continuously uprooted trees along its path. As it crossed lee County Road 205, one home suffered extensive roof damage, while approximately 20 additional homes sustained mainly shingle damage. The tornado crossed Lee County Road 179, where a few additional homes suffered minor roof damage as well. As it continue to the northeast, it began to weaken considerably and crossed US-280. A few trees were uprooted at this location. The tornado lifted along Lee County Road 298, approximately four-tenths of a mile from Lee County Road 318.

Quarter size hail was reported in the Cotton Lakes Subdivision.