Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Alabama, May 8 to 9, 2024

A large tree was knocked down.

A tree was knocked down.

A tree was knocked down.

A tree was knocked down with tree top limbs snapped.

A hardwood tree was knocked down.

A tornado touched down on Grace Hill Lane, producing a brief path of damage behind a house and into a wooded area northeast of the Grace Hill Farms Paintball Facility. Here, the tornado snapped and uprooted several large oak trees, with a width of 90 yards and wind speed of 105 mph. The tornado then skipped northeast, producing sporadic hard and softwood tree damage along Cotton Belt Road and Patterson Hill Road. After crossing Alabama Highway 99, more sporadic tree damage was noted along and northeast of Chapman Hollow, Dupree Hollow, and Cabbage Ridge Roads. The tornado lifted in a field east of Cabbage Ridge Road just short of the Elk River.

Softwood trees were uprooted on Cairo Hollow Road. Time estimated by radar.

Large softwood trees were uprooted. Time estimated by radar.

A tornado touched down in a very remote portion of far northern Lawrence County near Melton Bluff. It moved across an agricultural field, causing minor damage to a large corn field. The tornado quickly intensified snapping off or uprooting a large forested area. The survey team noted several of these trees were medium to large size oak trees and significant damage was noted in this forested area. The tornado then descended Melton Bluff and crossed the Tennessee River into Limestone County.

The tornado descended Melton Bluff in Lawrence County and crossed the Tennessee River into Limestone County, moving ashore at the Brigadoon neighborhood. Public photos and videos confirm the tornado was over water before it moved on land. It caused damage at Inverness Place and this is where significant damage occurred to several homes. The home that had the greatest damage had all exterior walls facing the river collapsed, the roof of the main part of the house completely gone and the two story four car garage was collapsed with the roof also gone. The front of the house and interior rooms remained intact. Homes nearby had substantial roof damage, damaged vehicles, and other various exterior damage. Numerous large trees throughout the neighborhood were uprooted or snapped. Moving further into the subdivision, there was roof and exterior home damage to a lesser extent, fences knocked over by other debris and broken windows. The tornado lifted in a field outside of the subdivision.

A tornado tornado touched down west of New Bethel Road, uprooting and snapping several large softwood trees and collapsing more than half of a private aircraft hangar. The tornado continued north-northeast, uprooting more large trees and snapping large branches near homes along Shipley Hollow Road, which is where the tornado reached its maximum intensity of 105 mph. Shingles were displaced on a roof of a single family house. Sparse tree damage occurred just west of Old Scrouge Rd as the tornado lifted.

One inch diameter hail was reported.

Golf ball sized hail was reported.

Hail up to the sized of quarters was reported at the intersection of Yarborough Road and Old Railroad Bed Road.

Hail up to the size of quarters was reported in Monrovia.

A tornado touched down in the Hill Chase neighborhood on the west-facing slope of Rainbow Mountain. Several trees were uprooted in this neighborhood, with at least two trees on houses. The tornado continued east-southeast over Rainbow Mountain where additional trees were uprooted or snapped, fences damaged, and at least one power pole was toppled. The tornado damaged more trees in the Highland Lakes neighborhood, on the east-facing slope of Rainbow Mountain. Numerous trees were uprooted in this area with a snapped trunk of at least one weaker, softwood tree. This damage indicator was reduced to account for the condition of the tree. The tornado then continued eastward across Slaughter Road. More trees were uprooted along Mingo Road. Minor damage was observed in the Creekwood neighborhood and into the Indian Creek basin where the tornado lifted.

A tornado initially touched down on Walker Avenue NE as indicated by snapping of large branches and significant leaf litter. The tornado continued generally southeast resulting in several large trees uprooted between Walker Avenue NE and Randolph Avenue SE. This track continued east through Maple Hill Cemetery to just north of Sun Valley Road SE with several additional trees both uprooted and snapped. North of Dug Hill Estates, the tornado continued to uproot hardwood trees and snapped a cedar tree before moving eastward along the southern facing slope of the adjacent ridge. Just to the east of the ridge along Dug Hill Road, hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted. Snapped trees were observed along the relatively steep sloped southern portion of Watson Grande Way. The tornado then tracked generally east into McMullen Cove and continued to distribute leaf litter and snap small branches before beginning to peel some siding on single family homes. The tornado then intensified and caused partial uplift of roofs on the eastern side to four houses on Kenhurst Lane SE. Roofing material was lofted one block east on Abby Glen Way, where there was also additional scattered shingle damage.

Hail up to one inch in diameter was reported.

Large softwood tree branches were broken.

A brief tornado touched down just before County Road 525, crossing County Road 30, before dissipating just shy of the railroad tracks north of Highway 35. A narrow path of hard and softwood tree damage was noted along this path, consistent with 85mph winds (EF0) damage. Further south of this track, sporadic tree damage was noted along County Road 30 north of Highway 35.

Large trees were snapped above the trunk.

Large trees were uprooted and a few snapped at the top as well.

At least two softwood trees were uprooted on Old Larkinsville Road.

A tornado began producing damage between Jordan Lane and Elton Road. Minor roof damage and downed large limbs were observed in this location. The tornado moved east, just south of Mastin Lake Rd, and crossed North Memorial Parkway. A concentrated path of large limb damage indicators was recorded along this path. The tornado lifted east of Lakewood Road.

Large tree branches were broken.

Large tree limbs were broken.

Winds of 60 to 65 mph broke numerous large tree limbs down along and north of Mastin Lake Road.

A tornado snapped tree branches on Old Larkinsville Road. Scattered tree damage was observed continuing generally southeast towards Alabama Highway 35. Limited infrastructure damage was found along Highway 35 including the peeling of metal roofing and siding. Between Highway 35 and Parks Avenue, several trees were found uprooted, snapped, and with loss of limbs.

A combination of NWS Storm Survey crews, drone imagery, and supplemental Worldview 3 satellite imagery determined that an EF-1 tornado tracked through southeast Huntsville just north of Governors Drive. All damage noted was from snapped tree limbs and uprooted trees along this track. The track continued across Monte Sano, past Dug Hill Road, lifting just before Watson Grande Way.

A tornado touched down on Highway 71 in Jackson County, snapping hard and softwood trees to begin its path. The tornado continued between County Roads 425 and 322, producing minor damage to the roof of a small farm building. The tornado then overturned a camper along County Road 422 requiring hospitalization including one experiencing blunt force trauma and another being a pregnant female. Five others with minor injuries were treated on the scene. Also at this location, a well-built home was partially destroyed. A mobile home was moved off its foundation here as well, with a third of the roof of a hay barn and a horse trailer destroyed. Projectiles were found in the field across the street from this home, with 2x4s impaled a foot to 18 in the ground at this location. Further south and east along State Road 40, large 100+ year old oak trees that were 4-5 foot in diameter were blown down onto a house, collapsing two exterior walls. Windows were sucked out at this location as well prior to the trees falling when the tornado passed just north of the house. Up the street, a well-built home sustained major damage when the tornado ripped the garage off of the house and sheared it to the north and east into the rest of the dwelling. EF-2 wind speeds of 135 mph were noted at this location.

Widespread fallen trees south of State Road 40 were noted and surveyors found damage indicators and degrees of damage consistent with EF-3 (140 mph) tornado damage. The tornado was the strongest and widest at this point along the path, at 880 yards or around 1/2 mile. Along County Road 125, a well built shop building was completely destroyed. The metal building structure was well-anchored with H-beams anchored with large bolts and plates at the bases to the foundation. The bolts were snapped and severely bent, along with the plates. On one corner, a large 4-5 foot section of the foundation was ripped off the ground and strewn about 10 feet away with the column anchoring still intact. A 20,000 pound 18-wheeler cab was tossed more than 150 yards into the field across County Road 125. Other nearby semi-trailers that were parked on the property were strewn in the same direction as well, though most were shifted 50-100 feet. The tornado then proceeded into DeKalb County.

A tornado continued to track from Jackson into DeKalb County, snapping and uprooting softwood trees over the relatively rural landscape along Melton Drive and Elliot Road. Further east and southeast, the tornado moved across the intersection of Culver, Keith, and Lacey Roads, snapping and uprooting more softwood trees. The tornado crossed State Road 40, peeling back tin on several chicken houses between State Road 40 and Valley Road, causing the structural integrity of one of the houses to be compromised. Additional softwood trees were uprooted and snapped near the intersection of County Roads 714 and 120 along State Road 40 as well, with the loss of several roof panels to a shed structure at a house located here.|A large oak tree fell onto a house on County Road 665 at 670. The tornado skipped along uprooting and snapping more hard and softwood trees before lifting near the intersection of County Road 611 and State Road 40.

A tornado touched down on County Road 122, snapping and uprooting hard and softwood trees, just east of County Road 91. The tornado continued moving to the east-southeast, snapping and uprooting widespread trees along CR 122. Though there were numerous softwood trees that were damaged, notably, there were several large 4-6 foot in diameter oak trees that were likely 100 years or older that were snapped and uprooted. This led to the slightly higher rating of the tree damage. Any structural damage along this path was from trees that were knocked over by the tornado, and minimal roof loss was noted in this location.

A tornado crossed the Tennessee state line from Lincoln County impacting western portions of Bevills Church Road northeast of Hazel Green, uprooting a large hardwood tree and breaking large branches. The tornado moved east-southeast producing damage along portions of Manley Road, where a large uprooted tree fell on a house causing roof damage. The tornado proceeded to break large tree branches as it moved near the intersections of Butler Road with Mint Road and Walnut Grove Road. There, it produced loss of shingles to a home and scattered areas of broken tree branches. Tornado damage was observed again near the intersections of Mint Springs Road with New Market Rd. Trees were uprooted and large branches snapped along New Market Road as the tornado continued southeast into New Market. Here, large tree branches were broken, including some uprooted trees just east of town along Hurricane Road. The tornado broke large tree branches sporadically along Hurricane Road and near the intersection of Dodson Lane and Upper Hurricane Road before dissipating.

Large tree limbs were broken.

Large hardwood branches were broken.

Large softwood tree branches were broken.

Large hardwood tree branches were broken.

Large hardwood branches were broken.

Large hardwood tree branches were broken.

A tornado tracked from Lincoln County in Tennessee into far northeast Madison County. Before the tornado dissipated, it uprooted trees and snapped large branches along Old Winchester Road and Cox Run Lane.

A brief tornado touched down on a ridgetop northwest of Princeton, and then crossed a field as it uprooted and snapped trees before crossing County Road 508. At this location, numerous hardwood and softwood trees were knocked down. Some of the hardwood trees uprooted here were 6-7 feet in diameter, with several pine trees snapped about 10 feet above the ground. It was at this point that the tornado was the strongest, with up to 104 mph winds. Also at this location, a manufactured home (single-wide) sustained major damage, with the home shifting about 10-15 feet back from its original location. There were no tie-downs for the home noted, but more than half of the roof was destroyed with insulation strewn for about 30 yards into the trees behind the home. Further south and east of this location, the tornado dissipated as it crossed over the terrain just east of Lick Fork.

Thunderstorm winds knocked down and snapped multiple trees along this path in the Estillfork area. Tree debris was blown into a business/shop along CR 175 in Estillfork including a larger limb which collapsed the front porch roof of the building.

A tornado touched down about 0.5 miles northwest of the intersection of Old Mill Creek Road and County Road 243. High resolution satellite imagery in this area indicated multiple trees were uprooted. The tornado continued southeast to just north of the intersection of County Road 243 and Alabama Highway 79. The tornado uprooted and snapped trees at this location, one of which fell on a home causing damage to the roof structure. On the east side of Highway 79, further spotty damage occurred. Here, the tornado uprooted and snapped trees before lifting approximately one third of a mile east of Highway 79.

A tornado touched down on County Road 432 north of County Road 88 where several large limbs were snapped off of hardwood trees. The tornado then tracked south-southeast, just west of Pisgah, causing sparse tree limb damage before crossing County Road 372 and uprooting and snapping several trees near a residence. At this point, the tornado tracked southeast along County Road 58, uprooting several trees along the way, before it crossed Highway 71 and tracked southward. The track was more difficult to identify south of County Road 425, as it intersects with the Henegar EF-3 tornado which occurred the evening of the 8th. The track was identifiable once more along Highway 40 where it continued southward before lifting along County Road 392 with only sparse tree damage noted.

Six to eight inches of water flowing over Dug Hill Road at Hwy 72.

Water flowing over County Road 354 at County Road 61 in Rosalie.

Six to eight inches of water flowing over Clemons Road in Scottsboro.