EF4 Moulton–Decatur tornado, Alabama, February 6, 2008

1. EF065 to 85 mph

   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 mphthis tornado

   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.

Rating

EF4

Date

February 6, 2008

Touchdown

3:02 AM CST (09:02 UTC)

Lifted

3:24 AM CST (09:24 UTC)

On the ground

22 minutes

Path length

16.7 miles (26.9 km)

Path width

880 yards (805 m)

Deaths

4

Injuries

23

Counties

Lawrence and Morgan counties

Touchdown point

34.397, -87.289

Lift-off point

34.563, -87.055

Record number

0802060302-01

The WFO Huntsville County Warning Area experienced the worst tornado outbreak in 19 years on February 6, 2008. While the number of observed tornadoes was low (4), the area experienced two EF-4 tornadoes, the first time the area has witnessed more than one devastating tornado on the same day since 1974. ||This event was part of a large tornado outbreak which spanned both February 5th (Super Tuesday) and 6th (Wednesday). A series of tornadic supercell thunderstorms swept across the Mid-South and Southeast states ahead of a potent cold front.

Representatives from the National Weather Service and the Lawrence County Emergency Management Agency conducted a storm survey of damage that occurred in Lawrence County, Alabama early in the morning of February 6, 2008.||The damage was determined to originate from a strong tornado, which at its peak had winds of approximately 170 MPH, giving it a rating of EF-4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Based on reports and an aerial survey conducted by the Lawrence County EMA, the tornado is believed to have originally touched down near the Pinhook community in south-central Lawrence County (just north of the Bankhead National Forest) around 3:02 AM CST. The tornado remained on the ground for approximately 16.7 miles; the first 14 miles of the track occurred in Lawrence County, tracking through the Aldridge Grove, Fairfield, Five Points, Midway, and Caddo communities. The tornado exited Lawrence County about 3 miles south southeast of Caddo around 3:20 AM CST. ||The most significant damage occurred in two main areas. The first occurred just south of the Pinhook community, near the intersection of County Road 92 and 188. The second occurred north of Aldridge Grove near the intersection of County Road 94 and 183, where three fatalities occurred. Numerous homes received significant structural damage, including a 2300 square foot/2-story brick house that was nearly leveled off its foundation. Large trees, with diameters up to 4 feet, were completely snapped, with many uprooted. Fence posts embedded in concrete were ripped out of the ground and vaulted 50 to 100 feet in several different directions. A truck was thrown over a distance of more than 100 yards into an open field.

The deaths

4 direct deaths are recorded for this tornado, each with what Storm Data knows of it.

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

22 minutes of warning. NWS HUN issued a tornado warning for this county at 08:40 UTC, 22 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 09:30 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 04:01 UTC and running to 11:02 UTC.

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 Storm Prediction Center had this point in a General Thunderstorms Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 05:58 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.

NWS Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Feb 6, 2:28 AM CST, 34 minutes earlier.

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
228 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

.DISCUSSION...

ALL OF CWA UNDER A TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 5 AM.

SFC LOW OVER OHIO WITH CDFNT PUSHING INTO THE MO BOOT HEEL. TEMPS
ACROSS THE CWA WERE STILL ARND 70 WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE L0W 60S.
5H TROF OVER KS WITH GOOD UPPER SW FLOW ACROSS CWA. 5H WINDS ARE
PARALLEL WITH CDFNT....REASON CDFNT IS TAKING ITS TIME TO MOVE
EAST. AS A RESULT OF THE SLOW MOVING CDFNT...WENT AHEAD AND KEPT
LIKELY POPS IN GRIDS UNTIL 18Z TODAY...PCPN SHOULD BEGIN TO TAPER
OFF AFTER 18Z. AS FOR TEMPS TODAY...12Z WILL SEE TEMPS IN THE 60S
BUT WILL SLOWLY FALL ALL DAY INTO THE LOWER 50S TO UPPER 40S BY
LATE AFTN. EXPECT DECREASING CLOUDS TONIGHT AND MUCH COOLER TEMPS
(IN THE LOW 30S).

RELATIVELY QUITE WX PATTERN SHAPING UP FOR THE REST OF THIS FCST
PACKAGE. THERE IS A CHC OF LIGHT SHRA ON FRIDAY NIGHT DUE TO A
WEAK CDFNT...IF GFS IS RIGHT. NAM HAS NO PCPN ON FRIDAY NIGHT. WILL
KEEP CURRENT LOW POPS FOR NOW. OTHERWISE GOOD RIDGING WILL KEEP CWA
IN COOL BUT DRY CONDITIONS SATURDAY THRU EARLY MONDAY. RIDGE BEGINS TO
MOVE EAST BY LATE MONDAY NIGHT ALLOWING A CDFNT TO APPROACH THE
CWA WITH ANOTHER CHC OF PCPN BY MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. PCPN
SHOULD BE OVER BY TUESDAY NIGHT.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
HUNTSVILLE    64  32  51  33 /  60  10   0  10
SHOALS        60  30  52  34 /  60  10   0  10
CULLMAN       65  32  53  34 /  60  10   0  10
FAYETTEVILLE  64  32  49  33 /  60  10   0  10
ALBERTVILLE   65  33  52  35 /  60  10   0  10
FORT PAYNE    65  32  50  31 /  60  10   0  10

&&

.HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...NONE.
TN...NONE.
&&

07

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1257 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-070300-
LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN-
MARSHALL-JACKSON-DE KALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN-
1257 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS
OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORMS THIS MORNING IS MOVING
ACROSS THE REGION...RESULTING IN WINDY CONDITIONS. WINDS BETWEEN 20
TO 30 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH. THESE WINDS WILL
GRADUALLY DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET. PLEASE REFER TO WIND ADVISORY THAT
HAS BEEN ISSUED (HUNNPWHUN) FOR MORE INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT
ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

SL

In the hours before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1236 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

ALZ001>003-060730-
COLBERT-FRANKLIN-LAUDERDALE-
1236 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR WESTERN COLBERT...FRANKLIN AND
LAUDERDALE COUNTIES UNTIL 130 AM CST...

AT 1236 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SHILOH TENNESSEE TO
NEAR TUPELO MISSISSIPPI...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

DIME SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  WATERLOO.
  CHEROKEE.
  ALLSBORO.
  RED BAY.

SEVERAL STORMS ALONG THIS LINE SHOWED SIGNS OF STRENGTHENING. BE
READY TO ACT IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR NORTH ALABAMA.

27

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
156 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

ALZ002-003-060830-
COLBERT-FRANKLIN-
156 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR COLBERT AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES UNTIL
230 AM CST...

AT 151 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR TREMONT...OR NEAR HIGHWAY 78 AT THE ALABAMA
MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...AND FREQUENT
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  RED BAY.
  VINA.
  HALLTOWN.
  DEMPSEY.
  BELGREEN.
  CROOKED OAK.
  COLBERT HEIGHTS.

THIS THUNDERSTORM COULD INTENSIFY QUICKLY...SO BE READY TO ACT IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM CST
WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR NORTH ALABAMA.

27

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
236 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

ALZ001-002-004-005-060915-
COLBERT-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-
236 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR EASTERN COLBERT...EASTERN
LAUDERDALE...NORTHERN LAWRENCE AND LIMESTONE COUNTIES UNTIL 315 AM
CST...

AT 236 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 14 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF PULASKI TO 12 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MUSCLE SHOALS...MOVING EAST AT
60 MPH.

WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY
DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  TOWN CREEK.
  COURTLAND.
  ROGERSVILLE.
  OLIVER.
  WHEELER.
  RIPLEY.
  HOLLAND GIN.
  TANNER.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

JE

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.

Decatur/Pryor Field (DCU), 28 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 09:02 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.

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

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

The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are

23 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

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.

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.