Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2006
F1 tornado, Colbert County, Alabama, April 7, 2006
This F1 tornado ran 8.0 miles across Colbert County on April 7, 2006, touching down at 6:25 PM CDT and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $120,000 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
- April 7, 2006
- Touchdown
- 6:25 PM CDT (23:25 UTC)
- Path length
- 8.0 miles (12.9 km)
- Path width
- 100 yards (91 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $120,000
- County
- Colbert County
- Touchdown point
- 34.700, -87.750
- Lift-off point
- 34.730, -87.650
- Record number
- 315
The warnings
20 minutes of warning. NWS HUN issued a tornado warning for this county at 23:05 UTC, 20 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 00:00 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 17:18 UTC and running to 00:28 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17:18 UTC | 00:28 UTC | Tornado Watch | HUN |
| 22:07 UTC | 22:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | HUN |
| 22:37 UTC | 23:15 UTC | Tornado Warning | HUN |
| 23:05 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | HUN |
| 23:55 UTC | 00:41 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN |
| 00:15 UTC | 04:15 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | HUN |
| 00:28 UTC | 04:24 UTC | Tornado Watch | HUN |
| 01:00 UTC | 05:41 UTC | Flash Flood Watch | HUN |
| 01:26 UTC | 02:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN |
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 High Risk, with a 0.30 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 16:32 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 air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), 12:00Z
11.4 hours before the tornado, 186 km from the path. April 7, 2006.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -263 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1050 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 54 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 32 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 174 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 241 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.3 K/km
Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), 00:00Z
0.6 hours after it, 186 km from the path. April 8, 2006.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 310 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -177 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 440 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1354 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 65 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 219 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 272 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.7
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.1 K/km
The radar
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:24 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22:17 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 5 W Cherokee | Colbert, AL | NEAR THE MS-AL STATE LINE. |
| 22:20 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 4 S Cherokee | Colbert, AL | THROUGH COLBERT EMA. |
| 22:35 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | Waterloo | Lauderdale, AL | DIME SIZE HAIL. |
| 22:41 UTC | TORNADO | N Cherokee | Colbert, AL | ON THE GROUND 1/4 MILE NORTH OF CHEROKEE. |
| 22:55 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | S Cherokee | Colbert, AL | |
| 22:55 UTC | TORNADO | Sheffield | Colbert, AL | TORNADO ON THE GROUND NEAR SHEFFIELD HIGH SCHOOL. |
| 22:57 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 5 N Florence | Lauderdale, AL | GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 157 AND COUNTY ROAD 9 IN PETERSVILLE. |
| 23:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 W Margerum | Colbert, AL | ALABAMA POWER REPORTED HIGH TENSION POWER POLES SNAPPED OFF. |
| 23:04 UTC | TORNADO | Sheffield | Colbert, AL | TORNADO ON THE GROUND NEAR SHEFFIELD HIGH SCHOOL. |
| 23:08 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | 7 W Cherokee | Colbert, AL | DIME SIZE HAIL ALONG US 72 |
| 23:08 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | 7 W Cherokee | Colbert, AL | DIME SIZE HAIL ALONG US 72 |
| 23:15 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | Zip City | Lauderdale, AL | |
| 23:24 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 2 W Rogersville | Lauderdale, AL | |
| 23:24 UTC | HAIL 0.25 | 2 W Rogersville | Lauderdale, AL | |
| 23:27 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | Green Hill | Lauderdale, AL | PEA AND DIME SIZE HAIL OBSERVED |
| 23:28 UTC | TORNADO | Tuscumbia | Colbert, AL | BARN BLOWN AWAY |
| 23:33 UTC | TSTM WND GST 66 | Muscle Shoals | Colbert, AL | |
| 23:34 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Se Tuscumbia | Colbert, AL | ALABAMA POWER REPORTED HIGH TENSION POWER POLES SNAPPED OFF. |
| 23:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 7 Ese Cherokee | Colbert, AL | TREE BRANCHES SNAPPED OFF AND FLAGPOLE BENT TO THE GROUND NEAR RED ROCK. |
| 23:36 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | Sheffield | Colbert, AL | DIME HAIL. |
| 23:40 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | N Florence | Lauderdale, AL | PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL. |
| 23:41 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | 3 E Muscle Shoals | Colbert, AL | DIME SIZE HAIL. |
| 23:52 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 1 W Coxey | Limestone, AL | SPOTTED NEAR THE LAUDERDALE COUNTY LINE/U.S. 72 BRIDGE OVER THE ELK RIVER. |
| 23:57 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | Rogersville | Lauderdale, AL | SPOTTED JUST NORTH OF TOWN. |
| 00:05 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | W Red Bay | Franklin, AL | RED BAY POLICE REPORTED POWERLINE DOWN ON HIGHWAY 23 WEST OF RED BAY. |
| 00:59 UTC | HAIL 0.88 | Red Bay | Franklin, AL | |
| 01:00 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Tuscumbia | Colbert, AL | WATER OVER ROADS IN TUSCUMBIA AND MUSCLE SHOALS. |
| 01:06 UTC | HAIL 1 | Rogersville | Lauderdale, AL | |
| 01:30 UTC | HAIL 0.88 | Russellville | Franklin, AL | |
| 01:38 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 2 Nw Littleville | Colbert, AL | GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL NEAR COLBERT HEIGHTS. |
| 01:55 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 6 N Hamilton | Marion, AL | *** 1 INJ *** SEVERAL TREES TWISTED AND BLOWN DOWN. DAMAGE TO A CHURCH AND SEVERAL OTHER STRUCTURES. DAMAGE PATH LENGTH 1/2 MILE LONG AND 50 YARDS WIDE. ONE PERSON WAS INJURED BY A FALLEN TREE. ONE WOMAN FROM HAMILTON DI |
| 01:55 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Hodges | Franklin, AL | PUBLIC REPORTED THE ROOF BLOWN OFF A BUILDING BEHIND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE HODGES COMMUNITY. A LARGE TREE WAS ALSO REPORTED DOWNED IN A CEMETERY BEHIND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE HODGES COMMUNITY. |
| 01:57 UTC | HAIL 1 | North Courtland | Lawrence, AL | |
| 02:01 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | Hackleburg | Marion, AL | A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED IN HACKELBURG. |
| 02:01 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | Hackleburg | Marion, AL | A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED IN HACKLEBURG. |
| 02:05 UTC | TORNADO | Hackleburg | Marion, AL | PUBLIC REPORTED POSSIBLE TORNADO JUST NORTHEAST OF HACKLEBURG. |
| 02:06 UTC | TORNADO | Sw Phil Campbell | Franklin, AL | TORNADO ON THE GROUND JUST SOUTHWEST OF PHIL CAMPBELL |
| 02:07 UTC | TORNADO | N Courtland | Lawrence, AL | TORNADO ON THE GROUND JUST NORTH OF THE CITY OF COURTLAND |
| 02:13 UTC | HAIL 1 | Phil Campbell | Franklin, AL | |
| 02:15 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Tuscumbia | Colbert, AL | ROAD WASHING OUT AT OLD LEE ROAD |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2006 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of April 7, 2006
46 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 7 | 12:40 PM CDT | F0 | Benton, TN | 1.1 | 10 | $50,000 | ||
| April 7 | 1:05 PM CDT | F0 | Humphreys, TN | 0.2 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| April 7 | 1:10 PM CDT | F0 | Humphreys, TN | 0.2 | 20 | $1,000 | ||
| April 7 | 1:30 PM CDT | F3 | Dickson, TN | 18.8 | 880 | $6.0 million | ||
| April 7 | 1:34 PM CDT | F2 | Henderson, TN | 9.0 | 100 | 5 | $2.0 million | |
| April 7 | 1:40 PM CDT | F1 | Henderson, TN | 3.5 | 100 | $40,000 | ||
| April 7 | 1:53 PM CDT | F2 | Benton, TN | 6.0 | 50 | $250,000 | ||
| April 7 | 2:05 PM CDT | F1 | Humphreys, TN | 4.5 | 50 | $100,000 | ||
| April 7 | 2:08 PM CDT | F3 | Davidson, TN | 22.7 | 880 | 7 | 128 | $79 million |
| April 7 | 2:43 PM CDT | F0 | Lewis, TN | 0.3 | 100 | |||
| April 7 | 3:04 PM CDT | F2 | Barren, KY | 8.1 | 250 | 4 | $1.6 million | |
| April 7 | 3:35 PM CDT | F0 | Union Parish, LA | 6.8 | 250 | $70,000 | ||
| April 7 | 5:14 PM EDT | F1 | Adams, IN | 0.8 | 100 | $40,000 | ||
| April 7 | 4:36 PM CDT | F0 | Leflore, MS | 3.0 | 50 | |||
| April 7 | 4:45 PM CDT | F1 | Pike, IN | 0.7 | 75 | $120,000 | ||
| April 7 | 4:45 PM CDT | F1 | Warren, TN | 11.0 | 150 | 2 | $500,000 | |
| April 7 | 4:53 PM CDT | F0 | Washington, MS | 1.0 | 50 | $100,000 | ||
| April 7 | 4:56 PM CDT | F0 | Pontotoc, MS | 6.0 | 30 | $30,000 | ||
| April 7 | 5:43 PM CDT | F0 | Humphreys, MS | 1.0 | 30 | |||
| April 7 | 5:46 PM CDT | F1 | Cumberland, TN | 6.2 | 150 | 4 | $4.0 million | |
| April 7 | 5:50 PM CDT | F0 | Colbert, AL | 0.1 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| April 7 | 5:52 PM CDT | F0 | Leflore, MS | 1.0 | 50 | |||
| April 7 | 6:14 PM CDT | F0 | Lauderdale, AL | 0.1 | 30 | |||
| April 7 | 6:17 PM CDT | F0 | Moore, TN | 0.2 | 30 | |||
| April 7 | 6:28 PM CDT | F1 | Warren, TN | 4.0 | 100 | 1 | $100,000 | |
| April 7 | 6:30 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln, TN | 0.5 | 50 | $1,000 | ||
| April 7 | 6:55 PM CDT | F1 | Colbert, AL | 10.0 | 100 | $70,000 | ||
| April 7 | 7:02 PM CDT | F1 | Muhlenberg, KY | 1.7 | 150 | $40,000 | ||
| April 7 | 7:05 PM CDT | F1 | Limestone, AL | 0.7 | 200 | $10,000 | ||
| April 7 | 7:35 PM CDT | F0 | Chickasaw, MS | 0.2 | 15 | $10,000 | ||
| April 7 | 7:45 PM CDT | F0 | Madison, AL | 0.2 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| April 7 | 7:48 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln, AL to TN | 2.1 | 30 | |||
| April 7 | 8:01 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln, TN | 0.1 | 30 | $5,000 | ||
| April 7 | 8:45 PM CDT | F0 | Lawrence, AL | 0.1 | 30 | |||
| April 7 | 8:55 PM CDT | F1 | Marion, AL | 9.4 | 50 | $50,000 | ||
| April 7 | 9:00 PM CDT | F0 | Franklin, AL | 3.0 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| April 7 | 9:30 PM CDT | F0 | Lawrence, AL | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| April 7 | 9:55 PM CDT | F0 | Sunflower, MS | 3.0 | 50 | $30,000 | ||
| April 7 | 10:00 PM CDT | F0 | Lawrence, AL | 0.1 | 60 | $10,000 | ||
| April 7 | 10:00 PM CDT | F1 | Winston, AL | 4.7 | 150 | $80,000 | ||
| April 7 | 10:16 PM CDT | F0 | Morgan, AL | 1.0 | 50 | $1,000 | ||
| April 7 | 10:24 PM CDT | F0 | Limestone, AL | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| April 7 | 10:35 PM CDT | F1 | Morgan, AL | 9.0 | 150 | $110,000 | ||
| April 7 | 11:15 PM CDT | F0 | Marshall, AL | 0.1 | 150 | $20,000 | ||
| April 7 | 11:50 PM CDT | F1 | Cullman, AL | 0.2 | 30 | $120,000 | ||
| April 7 | 12:44 AM CDT | F0 | DeKalb, AL | 0.1 | 85 | $10,000 |
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.