Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2001
F1 tornado, Georgiana to Garland, Alabama, November 24, 2001
From Georgiana to Garland, this F1 tornado ran 6.0 miles across Butler County on November 24, 2001, touching down at 5:42 PM CST and reaching 150 yards wide. It killed nobody and injured 3, and did $100,000 of property damage.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F040 to 72 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- F1
- Date
- November 24, 2001
- Touchdown
- 5:42 PM CST (23:42 UTC)
- Path length
- 6.0 miles (9.7 km)
- Path width
- 150 yards (137 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 3
- Property damage
- $100,000
- County
- Butler County
- Touchdown point
- 31.530, -86.720
- Lift-off point
- 31.530, -86.720
- Record number
- 533
What the Weather Service recorded
A weak tornado moved nearly 3 miles across mostly wooded areas to the west of Georgiana. Most of the damage along the path of the tornado was to trees. The tornado first touched down near County Road 16 near Panther Creek. From there the tornado moved northeast, crossing State Road 106, at which point some minor structural damage occurred to a church. The tornado then passed near the intersection of County Roads 25 and 37. Shortly thereafter, the tornado lifted back up into the cloud.
A tornado touched down in a wooded area just north of Odom Crossroads, which is to the west of McKenzie. The tornado then crossed County Road 29, where a mobile home was destroyed. Three occupants of the mobile home were injured. The tornado continued to move toward the northeast over mostly wooded areas, but crossed over County Roads 28 and 8. Tree damage occurred along this portion of the storms path. The tornado eventually crossed US Highway 31 and into a mainly wooded area south of Georgiana. The damage path of the tornado, which was again mostly to trees north of Highway 31, ended near Rocky Creek, where the tornado lifted back into the clouds.
A weak tornado briefly touched down, uprooting a few trees near the community of Grace, which is to the northwest of Garland.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
27 minutes of warning. NWS MOB issued a tornado warning for this county at 23:15 UTC, 27 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 23:45 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22:30 UTC | 23:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MOB |
| 22:40 UTC | 23:15 UTC | Tornado Warning | MOB |
| 23:15 UTC | 23:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | MOB |
| 00:21 UTC | 01:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | MOB |
| 00:56 UTC | 01:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | MOB |
| 01:15 UTC | 04:15 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | MOB |
| 01:49 UTC | 02:15 UTC | Tornado Warning | MOB |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk. The outlook in force was issued at 20:38 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
The surface observations
Evergreen (GZH), 33 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21:53 UTC | 73 | 68 | 190° 10 kt | 1012.2 | VCTS -RA | |
| 22:41 UTC | 71.6 | 68 | 160° 9 kt | 1011.9 | VCTS | |
| 22:53 UTC | 72 | 69 | 170° 14 kt | 18 | 1012.2 | TSRA BR |
| 22:59 UTC | 71.6 | 66.2 | 180° 25 kt | 32 | 1012.5 | TSRA BR |
| 23:02 UTC | 69.8 | 64.4 | 210° 11 kt | 32 | 1012.9 | +TSRA BR |
| 23:18 UTC | 71.6 | 68 | 170° 10 kt | 17 | 1012.2 | TSRA BR |
| 23:25 UTC | 71.6 | 68 | 190° 8 kt | 1012.5 | VCTS -RA BR | |
| 23:53 UTC | 72 | 69 | 190° 8 kt | 1012.2 | TSRA BR | |
| 00:17 UTC | 71.6 | 69.8 | 180° 10 kt | 1012.2 | VCTS -RA | |
| 00:53 UTC | 72 | 70 | 200° 11 kt | 1012.5 | VCTS RA | |
| 01:00 UTC | 71.6 | 69.8 | 200° 12 kt | 1012.5 | -RA | |
| 01:10 UTC | 71.6 | 69.8 | 200° 11 kt | 1012.9 | VCTS |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2001 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of November 24, 2001
57 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 24 | 12:40 AM CST | F3 | Morehouse Parish, LA to AR | 30.0 | 880 | 3 | 11 | $2.3 million |
| November 24 | 12:43 AM CST | F1 | Grant Parish, LA | 11.5 | 30 | |||
| November 24 | 1:14 AM CST | F0 | Winn Parish, LA | 2.9 | 30 | |||
| November 24 | 1:25 AM CST | F2 | White, AR | 5.5 | 880 | 3 | ||
| November 24 | 1:31 AM CST | F1 | Chicot, AR | 1.0 | 100 | $500,000 | ||
| November 24 | 1:35 AM CST | F1 | Caldwell Parish, LA | 5.0 | 30 | |||
| November 24 | 1:55 AM CST | F4 | Winterville–Mount Bayou tornado, MS | 30.3 | 880 | 48 | $4.1 million | |
| November 24 | 2:05 AM CST | F2 | Avoyelles Parish, LA | 1.0 | 10 | 3 | $50,000 | |
| November 24 | 2:42 AM CST | F1 | Coahoma, MS | 10.0 | 400 | $130,000 | ||
| November 24 | 3:10 AM CST | F2 | Quitman, MS | 43.5 | 300 | 3 | 33 | $7.5 million |
| November 24 | 4:10 AM CST | F2 | DeSoto, MS | 6.0 | 300 | 9 | $1.9 million | |
| November 24 | 4:15 AM CST | F3 | Humphreys, MS | 5.0 | 400 | 5 | $4.0 million | |
| November 24 | 4:51 AM CST | F0 | Hinds, MS | 0.2 | 50 | $1,000 | ||
| November 24 | 5:18 AM CST | F0 | Hinds, MS | 0.3 | 50 | |||
| November 24 | 5:25 AM CST | F4 | Madison–Canton tornado, MS | 11.5 | 880 | 2 | 21 | $12 million |
| November 24 | 6:10 AM CST | F0 | Madison Parish, LA | 0.5 | 50 | $1,000 | ||
| November 24 | 6:25 AM CST | F1 | Leake, MS | 0.2 | 50 | $1,000 | ||
| November 24 | 6:47 AM CST | F2 | Calloway, KY | 11.5 | 300 | 4 | $750,000 | |
| November 24 | 9:30 AM CST | F0 | Oktibbeha, MS | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| November 24 | 10:10 AM CST | F1 | Noxubee, MS | 8.0 | 50 | $400,000 | ||
| November 24 | 10:55 AM CST | F3 | Pickens, AL | 38.9 | 300 | 2 | 1 | $1.4 million |
| November 24 | 11:02 AM CST | F0 | Hale, AL | 0.2 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| November 24 | 11:15 AM CST | F0 | Clarke, MS | 0.5 | 50 | $30,000 | ||
| November 24 | 11:21 AM CST | F2 | Winston, AL | 1.9 | 70 | 13 | $890,000 | |
| November 24 | 11:39 AM CST | F1 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 2.0 | 75 | $30,000 | ||
| November 24 | 11:45 AM CST | F0 | Choctaw, AL | 0.1 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| November 24 | 12:02 PM CST | F0 | Clarke, MS | 0.3 | 50 | $3,000 | ||
| November 24 | 12:10 PM CST | F2 | Morgan, AL | 4.9 | 300 | 2 | $500,000 | |
| November 24 | 12:34 PM CST | F0 | Hale, AL | 2.9 | 75 | $30,000 | ||
| November 24 | 12:35 PM CST | F0 | Choctaw, AL | 0.1 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| November 24 | 12:37 PM CST | F0 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 0.2 | 30 | $1,000 | ||
| November 24 | 12:56 PM CST | F0 | Marengo, AL | 0.6 | 50 | $4,000 | ||
| November 24 | 12:59 PM CST | F1 | Cullman, AL | 2.1 | 200 | $70,000 | ||
| November 24 | 1:00 PM CST | F0 | Choctaw, AL | 0.1 | 20 | $30,000 | ||
| November 24 | 1:02 PM CST | F0 | Cullman, AL | 0.2 | 50 | $1,000 | ||
| November 24 | 1:19 PM CST | F4 | Highland Lake–Oneonta tornado, AL | 10.1 | 500 | 22 | $1.1 million | |
| November 24 | 1:31 PM CST | F2 | St. Clair, AL | 13.4 | 125 | 1 | $500,000 | |
| November 24 | 1:41 PM CST | F2 | Marshall, AL | 2.0 | 300 | 7 | $400,000 | |
| November 24 | 1:50 PM CST | F2 | Madison, AL | 2.6 | 300 | $500,000 | ||
| November 24 | 2:25 PM CST | F2 | DeKalb, AL | 7.1 | 100 | $100,000 | ||
| November 24 | 3:01 PM CST | F2 | Cherokee, AL | 8.2 | 200 | 2 | 4 | $300,000 |
| November 24 | 4:06 PM EST | F1 | Dade, GA | 1.5 | 528 | $70,000 | ||
| November 24 | 3:10 PM CST | F2 | St. Clair, AL | 4.5 | 100 | 2 | $500,000 | |
| November 24 | 3:42 PM CST | F2 | Talladega, AL | 3.1 | 400 | 15 | $800,000 | |
| November 24 | 3:54 PM CST | F1 | Autauga, AL | 9.8 | 50 | $40,000 | ||
| November 24 | 3:59 PM CST | F2 | Talladega, AL | 9.1 | 200 | $230,000 | ||
| November 24 | 4:03 PM CST | F1 | Calhoun, AL | 7.7 | 250 | 5 | $250,000 | |
| November 24 | 4:42 PM CST | F0 | Conecuh, AL | 0.1 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| November 24 | 5:08 PM CST | F0 | Butler, AL | 3.0 | 100 | $30,000 | ||
| November 24 | 5:10 PM CST | F1 | Clay, AL | 6.1 | 300 | $100,000 | ||
| November 24 | 6:30 PM CST | F0 | Butler, AL | 0.1 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| November 24 | 8:08 PM EST | F1 | Shelby, IN | 16.0 | 100 | $1.0 million | ||
| November 24 | 7:10 PM CST | F0 | Escambia, AL | 0.1 | 20 | $30,000 | ||
| November 24 | 7:28 PM CST | F0 | Covington, AL | 0.1 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| November 24 | 8:30 PM CST | F0 | Covington, AL | 0.2 | 60 | $10,000 | ||
| November 24 | 8:42 PM CST | F0 | Pike, AL | 0.2 | 50 | $2,000 | ||
| November 24 | 9:27 PM CST | F1 | Pike, AL | 11.8 | 75 | $50,000 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.