Tornado and Damaging Wind in Alabama, April 22, 2018

Name: Tornado and Damaging Wind in Alabama, April 22, 2018
Start: 2018-04-22T12:11
End: 2018-04-22T14:38
Location: Alabama

April 22, 2018 · NWS TAE · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

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: $1,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 TAE wrote it up.

Widespread showers and thunderstorms ahead of a cold front lifted northward across the tri-state area on Sunday, April 22, 2018. While overall damage reports with the thunderstorms were limited, strong low level shear caused rotation in numerous storms. Despite the strong low level shear, instability was limited and the resultant storm mode was mini-supercells. A few reports of trees and even a downed street sign were reported in Houston county, AL. Despite the low-topped convection, the core of one storm in Lanier county, GA was also strong enough to produce nickel sized hail. While rotation was noted in multiple storms and a few tornado warnings were issued, only one storm produced a tornado that moved through Dale county, AL.

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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 22, 11:44 AM CST, 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 22, 11:44 AM CST, 27 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
144 PM EDT Sun Apr 22 2018

.AVIATION [Through 18Z Monday]...
Showers and thunderstorms will impact the terminals this afternoon
into the evening, spreading from the west to the east. Gusty winds
and MVFR cigs will remain in place as well. IFR cigs are possible
after midnight before conditions begin to improve by mid to late
morning.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION [1022 AM EDT]...

.NEAR TERM [Through Today]...
Upper low is slowly progressing east-southeast across Arkansas
this morning, with associated surface low stretching from SE
Arkansas into SW Mississippi. Deep layer moisture in increasing
ahead of these features, with PWAT up to 1.3 inches on the 12Z
KTAE sounding. Low-level warm advection is also evident in the
sounding, with scattered showers lifting northward in the
southerly flow.

More widespread showers and thunderstorms will move in from the
west during the afternoon as the system gets closer. The severe
threat remains marginal, with limited instability and only modest
shear. However, an MCV currently in SE Louisiana may help to
enhance the low/mid level flow during the afternoon as it tracks
northeastward into southern Alabama. Thus, a few strong to severe
thunderstorms will be possible this afternoon and tonight,
especially where breaks in the clouds allow for some insolation.
Enough curvature is present in the low-level hodographs to support
the risk of brief tornadoes as well as damaging winds.

.SHORT TERM [Tonight Through Tuesday]...

In the upper levels a closed low will be over the Southeast. At the
surface a cold front will move through tonight. A few strong to
severe storms are possible tonight. Dew points are forecast to be
fairly low in the 60s. Model guidance is somewhat split about CAPE
being decent or low. Deep layer shear will be 40 to 50 knots. A line
of storms will form ahead of the cold front and move through
tonight. The main threat will be damaging winds if storms are able
to organize.

Showers and thunderstorms will linger on Monday since wrap around
moisture will be slow to move out. POPs will be much lower on Monday
night and Tuesday with only a slight chance for rain. Cloud cover
will also be slow to move out as wrap around moisture remains. Highs
will be mainly in the upper 70s. Lows will be in the upper 50s and
lower 60s.

.LONG TERM [Tuesday Night Through Sunday]...

In the upper levels a trough will be over the Southeast with a few
major shortwaves moving through the pattern this week. At the
surface a low will move out Wednesday afternoon. A weak disturbance
will move through on Thursday. The best chance for rain late this
week will be Thursday with POPs of 30 percent. Another cold front is
possible on Saturday but rain chances look low at this time. Lows
will be in the 50s. Highs will be in the 70s.

.MARINE...

Strong easterly winds will decrease and become southerly this
afternoon. A Small Craft Advisory remains in effect until early this
afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms are likely this afternoon
through Monday evening.

.FIRE WEATHER...

Elevated transport and 20 foot winds will continue through Monday,
finally lowering Monday evening. As mixing heights increase Monday
in the wake of the front, dispersions will rise above 75 in the FL
Panhandle and possibly the western Big Bend as well. Otherwise, RH
values will remain above critical thresholds and no red flag
conditions are expected for the next several days.

.HYDROLOGY...

Most local rivers are currently below action stage. Rain is expected
this morning through Monday evening. Rain will be moderate to heavy
at times. 1 to 2.5 inches of rain is forecast for most locations
with higher totals possible particularly in SE Alabama and SW
Georgia. The typical flooding of low lying areas and ponding of
water on roadways is possible.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not requested. However, spotters are always
encouraged to safely report significant weather conditions when they
occur by calling the office or tweeting us @NWSTallahassee.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...

Tallahassee   64  80  57  79  57 /  90  60   0  10   0
Panama City   66  75  62  76  61 /  80  20   0   0   0
Dothan        64  80  57  77  56 /  90  20   0  20   0
Albany        65  79  58  77  57 /  90  60   0  20  10
Valdosta      65  80  58  79  57 /  80  60  10  10  10
Cross City    65  80  61  79  59 /  50  50  20  10   0
Apalachicola  67  77  62  76  61 /  70  50   0  10   0

&&

.TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...High Rip Current Risk until midnight EDT /11 PM CDT/ tonight for
     Coastal Bay-Coastal Franklin-Coastal Gulf-South Walton.

GA...None.
AL...None.
GM...None.
&&

NEAR TERM...Camp
SHORT TERM...McD
LONG TERM...McD
AVIATION...Camp
MARINE...McD
FIRE WEATHER...Nguyen
HYDROLOGY...McD

The radar

The Ft Rucker radar (KEOX), 28 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:13 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Dale

When: April 22, 12:11 PM CST to 12:16 PM CST
Where: Dale County, 0.85 mi SW of Fort Rucker to 0.95 mi WNW of Fort Rucker
Rating: EF0
Path length: 1.18 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 31.331, -85.709

An EF0 tornado touched down at Ft. Rucker. Large tree limbs and small trees were broken or uprooted along the path. A wooden dugout structure at a baseball field was also damaged along with power lines. The tornado touched down near Kingsman Street and Andrews Avenue and moved north-northwest, lifting near Baker Street. Max winds were estimated near 75 mph with a width of 100 yards.

Thunderstorm Wind, Houston

When: April 22, 2:38 PM CST
Where: Houston County, 0.69 mi N of Hollis Dairy Rd
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 31.240, -85.550

A couple of trees and a street sign were blown down in western Houston county.

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.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alabama in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Alabama, 2018 Warnings in Alabama, April 2018

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: 743662, 743660.