Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2007

EF0 tornado, Wetumpka, Alabama, April 11, 2007

This EF0 tornado ran 0.1 miles across Elmore County on April 11, 2007, touching down at 5:05 PM CDT and reaching 25 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $5,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 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.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 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.

  7. 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
EF0
Date
April 11, 2007
Touchdown
5:05 PM CDT (22:05 UTC)
Path length
0.1 miles (0.1 km)
Path width
25 yards (23 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5,000
County
Elmore County
Touchdown point
32.481, -86.154
Lift-off point
32.481, -86.154
Record number
0704111605-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Supercell thunderstorms developed in the afternoon and evening hours, producing severe weather that included tornadoes and very large hail.

A brief tornado touched down near Ridgefield Drive in the New Bingham Community. The tornado caused minor damage to at least one home and knocked a few trees over.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

38 minutes of warning. NWS BMX issued a tornado warning for this county at 21:27 UTC, 38 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 22:15 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 18:44 UTC and running to 23:51 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
18:44 UTC23:51 UTCTornado WatchBMX
21:27 UTC22:15 UTCTornado WarningBMX
22:09 UTC22:35 UTCTornado WarningBMX

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, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 19:53 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.

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), 12:00Z

10.1 hours before the tornado, 97 km from the path. April 11, 2007.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2007-04-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1 joules per kilogram, CIN -195, lifted condensation level 501 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2007-04-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 342 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 51 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-195 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
501 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
342 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
389 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.3
0-3 km lapse rate
3.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), 00:00Z

1.9 hours after it, 97 km from the path. April 12, 2007.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2007-04-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 557 joules per kilogram, CIN -7, lifted condensation level 743 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2007-04-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 33 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 71 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
557 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1064 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
743 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
71 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
288 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.5
0-3 km lapse rate
6.1 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
21:00 UTCHAIL 0.88ClantonChilton, ALNICKEL SIZE HAIL WAS OBSERVED IN CLANTON.
21:00 UTCHAIL 0.88ClantonChilton, AL
21:16 UTCHAIL 1Pine LevelAutauga, AL
21:39 UTCHAIL 1Pine LevelAutauga, ALQUARTER SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED IN THE PINE LEVEL COMMUNITY.
21:39 UTCHAIL 1Pine LevelAutauga, AL
21:47 UTCHAIL 1.252 N MillbrookElmore, ALHAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF HALF DOLLARS WAS REPORTED NEAR NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF STATE HIGHWAY 14 AND STATE HIGHWAY 143.
21:47 UTCHAIL 1.25MillbrookElmore, ALHW 14 / HW 143
21:50 UTCHAIL 1CoosadaElmore, ALIN TOWN
21:50 UTCHAIL 1CoosadaElmore, ALQUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS OBSERVED IN COOSADA.
21:51 UTCHAIL 2.753 W WetumpkaElmore, ALBASEBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED ALONG STATE HIGHWAY 14 BETWEEN WETUMPKA AND ELMORE.
21:51 UTCHAIL 2.753 W WetumpkaElmore, ALHW 14
21:55 UTCHAIL 0.8810 Nw WetumpkaElmore, ALNICKEL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN THE HOLTVILLE COMMUNITY.
21:55 UTCHAIL 0.8810 Nw WetumpkaElmore, AL
21:58 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD2 W WetumpkaElmore, ALHWY 14 AND HW 143 CITY OF ELMORE
21:58 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD5 W WetumpkaElmore, ALA FUNNEL CLOUD WAS OBSEVED ALOGN STATE HIGHWAY 14 AND STATE HIGHWAY 143 NEAR ELMORE.
21:58 UTCHAIL 2MillbrookElmore, AL
21:58 UTCHAIL 2.75MillbrookElmore, ALHAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF BASEBALLS FELL IN AND AROUND MILLBROOK.
22:00 UTCFLASH FLOODMillbrookElmore, ALCARPORT DAMAGE WINDOWS BLOWN OUT
22:00 UTCHAIL 0.75MillbrookElmore, ALPENNY SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS.
22:00 UTCHAIL 0.75MillbrookElmore, ALWIDESPREAD HAIL ACROSS SOUTHERN SECTION OF COUNTY
22:00 UTCHAIL 1.755 Ne EqualityCoosa, ALGOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED 2 MILES EAST OF THE NIXBURG COMMUNITY IN SOUTHEAST COOSA COUNTY.
22:00 UTCHAIL 1.75E RockfordCoosa, AL2 MILE E OF NIXBURG
22:00 UTCHAIL 1.75MillbrookElmore, ALONE CARPORT WAS DAMAGED AND WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT OF A HOME IN MILLBROOK DUE TO HAIL DAMAGE.
22:00 UTCHAIL 1.75MillbrookElmore, ALONE PORCH WAS DAMAGED AND A BAY WINDOW WAS BLOWN OUT OF A HOME IN MILLBROOK DUE TO HAIL DAMAGE. ADAM-EMA CALLED TO REPORT.
22:00 UTCLIGHTNINGMillbrookElmore, AL*** 1 INJ *** ONE PERSON WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING NEAR EMERALD MOUNTAIN. THE PERSON WAS WORKING IN A HOUSE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
22:04 UTCHAIL 12 S Alexander CityTallapoosa, ALQUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS OBSERVED NEAR ALEXANDER CITY.
22:04 UTCHAIL 12 S Alexander CityTallapoosa, AL
22:05 UTCHAIL 0.56 Se Alexander CityTallapoosa, ALMARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED WHERE US HIGHWAY 280 CROSSES LAKE MARTIN.
22:05 UTCHAIL 0.56 Se Alexander CityTallapoosa, AL
22:05 UTCTORNADO5 Se WetumpkaElmore, ALA BRIEF EF0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE NEW BINGHAM COMMUNITY. AT LEAST ONE HOME RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE AND A FEW TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN.
22:15 UTCHAIL 0.25E WetumpkaElmore, ALPEA SIZE FELL AROUND WETUMPKA.
22:15 UTCHAIL 0.25E WetumpkaElmore, AL
22:18 UTCTORNADO 1DadevilleTallapoosa, ALTORNADO CAPTURED ON VIDEO ON THE EAST SIDE OF DADEVILLE. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS REPORTED NORTHEAST OF US HIGHWAY 280 IN DADEVILLE. A LUMBER COMPANY AND A FEW HOMES SUSTAINED DAMAGE. NUMEROUS TREES WERE UPROOTED.
22:20 UTCHAIL 1.752 E Alexander CityTallapoosa, ALGOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AROUND ALEXANDER CITY.
22:20 UTCHAIL 1.752 E Alexander CityTallapoosa, AL
22:26 UTCHAIL 2.754 W TallasseeElmore, ALBASEBALL SIZE HAIL FELL IN THE FRIENDSHIP COMMUNITY.
22:26 UTCHAIL 2.75E WetumpkaElmore, ALFRIENSHIP COMMUNITY
22:30 UTCTORNADODadevilleTallapoosa, ALON THE GROUND HWYS 280 AND CNTY 49
22:54 UTCTORNADO 16 Se TuskegeeMacon, ALAN EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BETWEEN TUSKEGEE AND WARRIORSTAND AND TRACKED EAST SOUTHEAST FOR ABOUT 12 MILES. IT LIFTED NEAR THE UCHEE COMMUNITY IN RUSSELL COUNTY. THE TORNADO SNAPPED OFF OR DOWNED HUNDREDS OF TREES ALONG
22:54 UTCTORNADO6 Se TuskegeeMacon, ALAN EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BETWEEN TUSKEGEE AND WARRIORSTAND AND TRACKED EAST SOUTHEAST FOR ABOUT 12 MILES. IT LIFTED NEAR THE UCHEE COMMUNITY IN RUSSELL COUNTY. THE TORNADO SNAPPED OFF OR DOWNED HUNDREDS OF TREES ALONG

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2007 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of April 11, 2007

9 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 113:14 PM CDTEF1Jefferson, AL0.640$20,000
April 114:20 PM EDTEF0Clay, IN0.150$3,000
April 113:47 PM CDTEF1Chilton, AL1.0200$11,000
April 115:35 PM EDTEF0Hendricks, IN0.150
April 115:18 PM CDTEF1Tallapoosa, AL0.950$20,000
April 116:37 PM EDTEF1Hendricks, IN4.975$70,000
April 115:54 PM CDTEF1Macon, AL11.5400$15,000
April 117:25 PM EDTEF2Hamilton, IN4.0100$150,000
April 117:30 PM EDTEF1Tipton, IN0.1100$32,000

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.