Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2008
EF1 tornado, Socapatoy to Hackneyville, Alabama, February 17, 2008
From Socapatoy to Hackneyville, this EF1 tornado ran 10.8 miles across Coosa and Tallapoosa counties on February 17, 2008, touching down at 1:42 PM CST and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $105,000 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.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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
- EF1
- Date
- February 17, 2008
- Touchdown
- 1:42 PM CST (19:42 UTC)
- Lifted
- 1:53 PM CST (19:53 UTC)
- On the ground
- 11 minutes
- Path length
- 10.8 miles (17.3 km)
- Path width
- 100 yards (91 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $105,000
- Counties
- Coosa and Tallapoosa counties
- Touchdown point
- 32.999, -86.085
- Lift-off point
- 33.103, -85.948
- Record number
- 0802171342-01
What the Weather Service recorded
A broken squall line, sparked by an advancing cold front and strong upper level storm, caused severe thunderstorms and tornadoes across Central Alabama.
The tornado touched down along US Highway 280 near the Bradford Community. The tornado moved northeastward and crossed AL-9, before crossing into Tallapoosa County east of Goodwater. The most significant damage occurred in Coosa County, near the intersection of CR-77 and AL-9. At least 6 homes suffered varying degrees of damage, and at least three automobiles were heavily damaged by fallen trees.
The tornado touched down near Pearson Chapel Road, north of Barnett Road. It then traveled northeastward and ended just north of Hackneyville before it crossed County Road 5. A few homes suffered minor roof damage and a few trees were either snapped off or lost some limbs.
The tornado that touched in Coosa County moved into the northeastern portion of Tallapoosa County, between Goodwater and Hackneyville. It then continued to move northeast, crossing AL-63, before lifting just before the Tallapoosa and Clay County line. In Tallapoosa County, most of the damage was limited to broken limbs and snapped softwood trees.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
33 minutes of warning. NWS BMX issued a tornado warning for this county at 19:09 UTC, 33 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 19:48 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 18:34 UTC and running to 22:52 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Lake Wind Advisory | BMX |
| 17:24 UTC | 18:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX |
| 18:28 UTC | 19:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX |
| 18:34 UTC | 22:52 UTC | Tornado Watch | BMX |
| 19:09 UTC | 19:48 UTC | Tornado Warning | BMX |
| 19:27 UTC | 20:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX |
| 19:40 UTC | 20:02 UTC | Tornado Warning | BMX |
| 20:08 UTC | 20:48 UTC | Tornado Warning | BMX |
| 20:31 UTC | 21:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX |
| 20:49 UTC | 21:10 UTC | Tornado Warning | BMX |
| 21:26 UTC | 22:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | BMX |
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 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 16:17 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
7.7 hours before the tornado, 73 km from the path. February 17, 2008.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 5 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -13 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 560 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 56 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 277 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 350 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.0 K/km
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), 00:00Z
4.3 hours after it, 73 km from the path. February 18, 2008.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -17143 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 177 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1668 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 78 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 92 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 227 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.2
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.3 K/km
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:05 UTC | DOWNBURST | 4 Sse Clanton | Chilton, AL | NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES WERE BLOWN DOWN NEAR EXIT 205 ON INTERSTATE 65. THE DAMAGE SWATH WAS APPROXIMATELY 2.75 MILES LONG AND 1.5 MILES WIDE. THE DAMAGE WAS GENERALLY BETWEEN CR 7 AND CR 41. SEVERAL STRUCTURES WER |
| 19:05 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Clanton | Chilton, AL | TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN IN THE CITY. |
| 19:05 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 3 Se Clanton | Chilton, AL | A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN TOWARD THE END OF A LARGE DOWNBURST SWATH SOUTH OF CLANTON. THE TORNADO STARTED NEAR EXIT 205 ON INTERSTATE 65 AND ENDED ALONG CR 41. ONE MOBILE HOME WAS DESTROYED AND SEVERAL OTHER STRUCTURES WERE |
| 19:05 UTC | TORNADO | Rockford | Coosa, AL | TORNADO REPORTED ON THE GROUND IN ROCKFORD. |
| 19:10 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 Se Clanton | Chilton, AL | POSSIBLE TORNADO...NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ON COUNTY ROAD 41 JUST NORTH OF THE STATE EMA OFFICE...MOBILE HOME DESTROYED AND DAMAGE TO A GARAGE. |
| 19:10 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 3 Se Clanton | Chilton, AL | A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN TOWARD THE END OF A LARGE DOWNBURST SWATH SOUTH OF CLANTON. THE TORNADO STARTED NEAR EXIT 205 ON INTERSTATE 65 AND ENDED ALONG CR 41. ONE MOBILE HOME WAS DESTROYED AND SEVERAL OTHER STRUCTURES WERE |
| 19:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Clanton | Chilton, AL | DOWNED POWER LINES AND SIGNS BLOWN DOWN NEAR EXIT 205 ON INTERSTATE 65. |
| 19:20 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Verbena | Chilton, AL | TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN IN THE CITY. |
| 19:20 UTC | HAIL 0.75 | 13 Wnw Rockford | Coosa, AL | PENNY SIZE HAIL NORTHWEST OF DOLLAR. |
| 19:30 UTC | HAIL 0.88 | 5 N Rockford | Coosa, AL | NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED ON COUNTY ROAD 49. |
| 19:30 UTC | HAIL 1.5 | 5 N Rockford | Coosa, AL | 1.5 INCH HAIL REPORTED ON COUNTY ROAD 49. |
| 19:30 UTC | TORNADO | Rockford | Coosa, AL | TORNADO REPORTED ON THE GROUND IN ROCKFORD. |
| 19:45 UTC | HAIL 1.5 | 2 W Goodwater | Coosa, AL | 1.5 INCH HAIL REPORTED JUST WEST OF GOODWATER. |
| 19:51 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Goodwater | Coosa, AL | POSSIBLE TORNADO. DAMAGE TO 5 HOUSES AND POWER LINES DOWN. |
| 20:05 UTC | TORNADO | 10 E Millerville | Clay, AL | POSSIBLE TORNADO IN THE MELLOW VALLEY AREA...TREES DOWN AND HOMES DAMAGED. |
| 20:11 UTC | HAIL 0.75 | 10 S Heflin | Cleburne, AL | EMA REPORTED PENNY SIZE HAIL AND CIRCULATION IN CLOUDS IN THE HOLLIS CROSSROADS AREA NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 431 AND COUNTY ROAD 2. |
| 20:20 UTC | TORNADO | 6 Nnw Roanoke | Randolph, AL | POSSIBLE TORNADO...TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN IN THE ROCK STAND AREA...TREES DOWN ON COUNTY ROAD 15...STRUCTURE DAMAGE ON COUNTY ROADS 44 AND 609 JUST SOUTH OF WEDOWEE. |
| 21:15 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD 0 | Jacksons' Gap | Tallapoosa, AL | FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED IN JACKSONS GAP...COULD NOT TELL IF IT WAS ON THE GROUND. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of February 17, 2008
25 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 17 | 12:00 AM CST | EF1 | Barbour, AL | 2.3 | 50 | $75,000 | ||
| February 17 | 1:30 AM CST | EF1 | Saint Landry Parish, LA | 5.6 | 125 | $125,000 | ||
| February 17 | 3:42 AM CST | EF1 | Saint Helena Parish, LA | 0.3 | 15 | $30,000 | ||
| February 17 | 3:55 AM CST | EF1 | Tangipahoa Parish, LA | 2.0 | 15 | $15,000 | ||
| February 17 | 4:25 AM CST | EF0 | Washington Parish, LA | 0.1 | 15 | $8,000 | ||
| February 17 | 5:05 AM CST | EF0 | Washington Parish, LA | 0.3 | 15 | $20,000 | ||
| February 17 | 11:59 AM CST | EF1 | Escambia, FL | 5.1 | 200 | $750,000 | ||
| February 17 | 12:14 PM CST | EF1 | Santa Rosa, FL | 2.1 | 75 | $200,000 | ||
| February 17 | 12:26 PM CST | EF2 | Dallas, AL | 7.6 | 400 | $350,000 | ||
| February 17 | 1:04 PM CST | EF2 | Escambia, AL | 14.4 | 500 | $950,000 | ||
| February 17 | 1:05 PM CST | EF1 | Chilton, AL | 1.2 | 200 | $150,000 | ||
| February 17 | 1:47 PM CST | EF0 | Tallapoosa, AL | 4.5 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| February 17 | 2:03 PM CST | EF0 | Clay, AL | 1.6 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| February 17 | 2:17 PM CST | EF1 | Coffee, AL | 1.2 | 100 | $25,000 | ||
| February 17 | 2:22 PM CST | EF1 | Randolph, AL | 14.7 | 150 | $100,000 | ||
| February 17 | 2:23 PM CST | EF1 | Pike, AL | 8.4 | 250 | $60,000 | ||
| February 17 | 2:24 PM CST | EF2 | Lowndes, AL | 11.0 | 225 | 10 | $215,000 | |
| February 17 | 3:52 PM EST | EF1 | Carroll, GA | 4.0 | 150 | $150,000 | ||
| February 17 | 2:58 PM CST | EF3 | Autauga, AL | 14.7 | 440 | 50 | $10 million | |
| February 17 | 3:40 PM CST | EF2 | Russell, AL to GA | 17.1 | 1,000 | 4 | $140,000 | |
| February 17 | 5:05 PM EST | EF0 | Chattahoochee, GA | 48.5 | 100 | $310,000 | ||
| February 17 | 4:17 PM CST | EF1 | Barbour, AL | 21.4 | 75 | $35,000 | ||
| February 17 | 4:38 PM CST | EF0 | Barbour, AL | 0.4 | 300 | $6,000 | ||
| February 17 | 6:18 PM EST | EF1 | Crawford, GA | 10.0 | 250 | 8 | $550,000 | |
| February 17 | 7:01 PM EST | EF0 | Jones, GA | 2.4 | 50 | $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.