Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Alabama, January 19 to 22, 2017

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southern St. Clair County near Treasure Island and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph. A persistent mesocyclone spun up a brief weak tornado within a line of thunderstorms as it passed through St. Clair County. The tornado touched down on Logan Martin Lake just south of the eastern shore of Treasure Island. The tornado tracked northward parallel to and just off the shores of the island, with the initial damage pointing largely offshore. Four boathouses were destroyed and a few trees were snapped or uprooted here, but the path of the tornado was far enough offshore so as not to cause any structural damage to the homes another 50 to 100 feet further inland. As the tornado continued northward across a large cove, it remained completely over water. As it approached the northeastern tip of the island, which jutted out into the lake, the tornado came ashore again and peeled metal roofing off a well-built boathouse. The tornado reached maximum strength here, with 10 large hardwood trees uprooted in a concentrated area in a convergent pattern. The tornado passed offshore again and dissipated before reaching the opposite point on the lake.

Eighteen wheeler blown over on Highway 80 near the intersection of Benton Road.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southwest Marengo County near Putnam and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 110 mph. This tornado continued from Choctaw County where EF2 damage occurred. The tornado crossed into Marengo County near the Slater Community on Blue Rock Road. The tornado moved northeast and generally parallel Blue Rock Road into the Putnam Community. The tornado crossed State Highway 69 and lifted east of Putnam on County Road 4. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted along the path. At least one mobile home was destroyed and several homes sustained roof damage.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in south-central Marengo County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph. The tornado touched down along U.S. Highway 43 near the intersection of Sweetwater Creek and Wayne Road. The tornado tracked north northeast and downed several trees along the path. A few outbuildings were damaged. The tornado lifted north of Pillie Road and Diamond Road, east of U.S. Highway 43.

Trees uprooted and power lines downed along Highway 14.

Power lines downed in the community of Redland.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in central Elmore County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. The tornado touched down on the north side of the Coosa River, south of South Boundary Street. The tornado tracked north northeast right into the city of Wetumpka. Just after crossing South Boundary Street, the tornado began snapping and uprooting trees. The strongest winds appeared to be between West Bridge Street and West Tuskeena Street where several large trees were uprooted and a church was damaged. The tornado continued north northeast where several more trees were uprooted and several structures received minor roof damage. The tornado lifted near Wetumpka City Park and North Bridge Street.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southern Elmore County near Willow Springs Road and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph. The tornado touched down briefly just south of Willow Springs Road and moved north northeast, parallel to Harwell Mill Creek, uprooting a dozen trees. One tree fell on and destroyed an outbuilding. The tornado lifted quickly just north of Willow Springs Road and east of Ross Ridge Lane.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southern Elmore County near Emerald Mountain and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph. The tornado touched down briefly along Rifle Range Road near Emerald Mountain Christian Academy, cause damage to fencing and metal siding at the school. The tornado tracked northeast before quickly lifting east of Mountain Laurel Road.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in northeast Macon County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph. The tornado touched down in far northeast Macon County about .25 mile southwest of the intersection of County Road 43 and County Road 24. Several trees were snapped off and one home suffered roof damage shortly after touch down. The tornado tracked north northeast for 1.85 miles where it produced additional tree damage, before exiting Macon County and into Lee County. One home along County Road 43 suffered roof damage.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southwest Lee County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph. A weak tornado formed along County Road 23 south of Sand Hill Road where several trees were uprooted. It crossed Sand Hill Road and Wrights Mill Road near Wright Crossroads, and then uprooted several trees at Springwood Drive and Old Creek Trail just inside the Auburn city limits. The tornado then dissipated as it approached Lake Ogletree.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southwest Lee County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph. This tornado began in northeast Macon County .25 mile southwest of the intersection of County Road 43 and County Road 24, and entered southwest Lee County .5 mile south of the intersection of CR 54 and CR 27. The tornado lifted shortly after crossing into Lee County near the Auburn University Fisheries.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in Pike County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph. The tornado touched down along Pike County Road 1107, about 5 miles north of the town of Goshen. The tornado traveled due east and produced mostly light damage as it crossed just south of the city of Troy. The most significant damage occurred just south of the town of Banks, where a mobile home suffered significant damage. The two occupants were uninjured as they took shelter after hearing about the warning. The tornado continued eastward where it uprooted trees and caused minor roof damage before exiting Pike County and into Barbour County.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in central Lee County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph. A weak tornado formed near CR 413 about .25 mile south of Stringfellow Road, causing shingle damage and knocking down some branches. The tornado tracked north and dissipated just north of CR 417. Several trees were uprooted as it crossed CR 417.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in Central Lee County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 65 mph. A weak tornado formed near the intersection of Ballard Avenue and Edgemont Street on the south side of Opelika, just east of Alabama State Road 51, where shingle damage occurred. A pine tree was knocked down as the tornado crossed Alabama State Road 169. Several pine trees were uprooted and more shingle damage occurred as the tornado crossed Old Columbus Road before dissipating.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southeast Lee County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 80 mph. A brief tornado touched down in the Haley Woods subdivision causing minor damage to several roofs and wooden fences. Damage was confined to houses near one intersection within the neighborhood.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southeast Lee County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph. A tornado touched down west southwest of Smiths Station, along CR 581 and tracked to the northeast, uprooting several dozens trees. The tornado destroyed many buildings at the Smiths Station School Athletic Complex and damaged several additional buildings. The tornado quickly lifted just northeast of the school.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in Barbour County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 80 mph. This tornado began in Pike county about 5 miles north of the town of Goshen and traveled due east entering Barbour County near CR 130.|Damage across Barbour County was mainly uprooted trees. The tornado lifted just east of the town of Louisville off Carroway Road.

Several trees uprooted in the town of Wadley.

Quarter size hail reported in the city of Jemison.

Several trees uprooted and power lines downed in the city of Pleasant Grove.

Numerous trees uprooted in the city of Bessemer.

Several trees uprooted along Highway 25 northeast of Centreville.

Power lines downed at the intersection of 67th and Pineview Road.

Several trees uprooted in the city of Homewood.

Several trees uprooted in the city of Vestavia Hills, including at the intersection of Highway 31 and Kentucky Avenue.

Birmingham Airport ASOS (KBHM) measured a gust of 65 knots.

A downburst caused considerable damage in the city of Oneonta. The determination was made from the divergent tree and damage pattern. In the immediate downtown area, over 60 structures were damaged or destroyed and approximately 200 trees were either snapped or uprooted. A weather station located at the Oneonta Fire Department measured a wind gust of 77 mph. The width of the damage ranged from 260 yards at the beginning to 770 yards at the end.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southeast Tuscaloosa County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 80 mph. The tornado touched down along Hagler Coaling Road, about .60 mile north of Highway 82, uprooting several dozen trees. The tornado tracked northeast, downing a tree onto a home, before lifting on the northeast side of a small pond.

Several trees uprooted in the town of Burkville.

Several trees uprooted in the town of Deatsville.

Roof damage and steeple blown off Shoal Creek Baptist Church.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in northwest Bullock County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph. The tornado touched down .6 mile west of the town of Shopton, just south of U.S. Highway 82, where one home suffered damage. The tornado tracked northeast and produced tree damage. The tornado lifted 1.5 miles northeast of Shopton, just east of CR 37.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southwest Lee County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph. A tornado formed along CR 14 just south of I-85 where a few small pine trees were uprooted and some large branches were broken. The tornado continued northeast, crossing I-85 near Beehive Road and Cox Road, peeling back half of the roof of a mobile home at the Windover Farm mobile home park. It crossed Veterans Boulevard and then caused shingle damage to multiple apartment buildings near Longleaf Drive while breaking tree branches. The tornado dissipated as it crossed Alabama State Road 267 near the southwest boundary of the Auburn University campus.

Columns blown out from a porch and minor structural damage to a home.

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in central Lee County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 95 mph. The tornado touched down along Cunningham Drive, just northeast of the Auburn-Opelika Airport and tracked northeast. Minor damage occurred at touch down but increased as the tornado approached Pepperell Parkway, where numerous trees were snapped or uprooted and some homes suffered damage. The tornado lifted near Northgate Drive and Oak Bowery Road.

Several trees uprooted and blocking Highway 22.

Cherokee Road 29 under water near the Old Nazareth Church.

County Road 91 under water.