Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2011
EF2 tornado, Old Bethel, Alabama, May 25, 2011
This EF2 tornado ran 2.2 miles across Lawrence and Colbert counties on May 25, 2011, touching down at 11:17 PM CDT and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody.
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 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mphthis tornado
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
- EF2
- Date
- May 25, 2011
- Touchdown
- 11:17 PM CDT (04:17 UTC)
- Lifted
- 11:21 PM CDT (04:21 UTC)
- On the ground
- 4 minutes
- Path length
- 2.2 miles (3.5 km)
- Path width
- 100 yards (91 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Counties
- Lawrence and Colbert counties
- Touchdown point
- 34.593, -87.549
- Lift-off point
- 34.596, -87.511
- Record number
- 1105252217-01
What the Weather Service recorded
Supercells in northern Mississippi transitioned into a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) which progressed eastward through northern Alabama. The storms produced a few bow echoes and meso-vortices, which spawned a few tornadoes and produced widespread wind damage in northwest Alabama (mainly west of I-65). As the storms progressed eastward, the gust front began to outrun the storms, yet still produced sporadic wind damage.
A tornado touched down immediately west of Waldrep Loop and north of Lagrange Road in extreme southeastern Colbert County. Multiple large trees were snapped and uprooted along the path. The most significant damage occurred to a house along Waldrep Loop, where large sections of the roof structure were removed, or pushed off the adjoining carport. A chicken house across the street completely collapsed with roofing material tossed up to 100 yards. Tree damage continued eastward to the intersection of County Line and Wolf Springs Roads. A church at this intersection sustained roof damage and dozens of trees were snapped and uprooted around a nearby single family home.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 01:33 UTC and running to 06:35 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:33 UTC | 06:35 UTC | Tornado Watch | HUN |
| 03:29 UTC | 04:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN |
| 03:46 UTC | 04:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN |
| 04:11 UTC | 04:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN |
| 04:25 UTC | 04:53 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 Slight Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 00:57 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), 00:00Z
4.3 hours before the tornado, 172 km from the path. May 26, 2011.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 785 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -138 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1971 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2035 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 10 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 50 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 156 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 4.1
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 7.6 K/km
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), 12:00Z
7.7 hours after it, 172 km from the path. May 26, 2011.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2103 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -6 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2368 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 485 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 45 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 165 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 143 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.8
- Supercell composite
- 7.7
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.9 K/km
The radar
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 04:16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03:41 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 N Cherokee | Colbert, AL | LARGE SIGN DESTROYED AT CHEROKEE HIGH SCHOOL. DAMAGE TO A TRAILER. |
| 03:41 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Nne Cherokee | Colbert, AL | TREE DOWN ON A HOUSE ON GUTHRIE STREET. |
| 03:42 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 W Cherokee | Colbert, AL | TREES DOWN BLOCKING HIGHWAY 72 EASTBOUND. DEBRIS IN THE ROADWAY. |
| 03:43 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Cherokee | Colbert, AL | LARGE SWATH OF TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF CHEROKEE. ENTIRE CITY WITHOUT POWER. ALSO REPORTS OF DAMAGE TO A RAILROAD CROSSING ARM. |
| 03:55 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 6 W Oakland | Lauderdale, AL | TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ON CR 128. |
| 04:14 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Florence | Lauderdale, AL | WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN THROUGHOUT THE CITY. |
| 04:17 UTC | TSTM WND GST 67 | Muscle Shoals | Colbert, AL | MEASURED GUST TO 67 MPH. |
| 04:24 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Tuscumbia | Colbert, AL | WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE IS BEING REPORTED ALL ACROSS COLBERT COUNTY. LARGE TREES HAVE BEEN REPORTED DOWN ON CARS AND HOUSES AND ARE BLOCKING ROADWAYS. WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES ARE ALSO OCCURRING. |
| 04:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Wsw Killen | Lauderdale, AL | TOP OF LARGE HARDWOOD TREE BROKEN AT COVES COURT RESIDENCE. TOOK DOWN POWER LINE TO HOUSE. ALL POWER OUT IN NEIGHBORHOOD. |
| 04:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Muscle Shoals | Colbert, AL | ROOF TORN OFF OF HR BLOCK BUILDING ON THE CORNER OF AVALON AVE AND WOODWARD. |
| 04:30 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 2 Sw Kingtown | Lauderdale, AL | A SHORT-LIVED TORNADO DEVELOPED ALONG A SQUALL LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. BASED ON GROUND SURVEYS...THE TORNADO INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN JUST WEST OF COUNTY ROAD CR 92 IN EASTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY. THE WORST DAMAGE OCCU |
| 04:40 UTC | TORNADO 0 | 7 Ese Rogersville | Limestone, AL | A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST NORTH OF THE DAVIS/SNAKE ROAD INTERSECTION AND TRACKED NEARLY 2 MILES NORTHEAST BEFORE LIFTING NEAR FIELDING RD/CR 15 AND STANFORD RD. SEVERAL LARGE TREES WERE UPROOTED/SNAPPED...ONE WHICH FEL |
| 04:42 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Anderson | Lauderdale, AL | UNKNOWN DAMAGE REPORTED IN ANDERSON. SPOTTER REPORTED HEARING A ROAR. |
| 04:43 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Hatton | Lawrence, AL | TREES DOWN AND WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES. TREE ON A MOBILE HOME AT THE INTERSECTION OF 798 AND CR 235. |
| 04:43 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Town Creek | Lawrence, AL | TREES DOWN AND POWER OUTAGES. |
| 04:43 UTC | TROPICAL STORM | Town Creek | Lawrence, AL | TREES DOWN AND POWER OUTAGES. |
| 04:47 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Elgin | Lauderdale, AL | WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A MOBILE HOME. |
| 04:49 UTC | TORNADO 0 | 6 Nw Athens | Limestone, AL | A TORNADO CROSSED HWY 99/BUCK ISLAND RD NEAR LYDIA COREY RD UPROOTING SEVERAL LARGE TREES WITH ONE FALLING ON THE SIDE OF A HOUSE. ACROSS THE STREET...A LARGE BARN WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST AN |
| 04:52 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | Moulton | Lawrence, AL | DIME SIZED HAIL IN MOULTON. |
| 05:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Sw Leighton | Colbert, AL | ROOFS DAMAGED AND TREES DOWN IN THE LAGRANGE MOUNTAIN AREA. |
| 05:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Decatur | Morgan, AL | NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN DECATUR. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2011 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of May 25, 2011
93 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 1:30 AM CDT | EF1 | Webster, MO | 9.3 | 100 | $20,000 | ||
| May 25 | 7:35 AM CDT | EF1 | Macon, IL | 1.0 | 75 | $165,000 | ||
| May 25 | 7:39 AM CDT | EF1 | Macon, IL | 1.5 | 75 | $100,000 | ||
| May 25 | 9:04 AM CDT | EF1 | Kankakee, IL | 5.8 | 50 | $250,000 | ||
| May 25 | 9:13 AM CDT | EF0 | Newton, IN | 0.1 | 20 | $25,000 | ||
| May 25 | 9:19 AM CDT | EF2 | Newton, IN | 1.9 | 300 | $50,000 | ||
| May 25 | 9:24 AM CDT | EF1 | Jasper, IN | 2.9 | 100 | $500 | ||
| May 25 | 9:26 AM CDT | EF1 | Jasper, IN | 1.9 | 100 | $50,000 | ||
| May 25 | 10:45 AM EDT | EF0 | Pulaski, IN | 0.8 | 50 | |||
| May 25 | 10:45 AM CDT | EF0 | Miami, KS | 0.1 | 40 | $5,000 | ||
| May 25 | 11:10 AM CDT | EF0 | Johnson, KS | 0.7 | 60 | $10,000 | ||
| May 25 | 11:22 AM CDT | EF0 | Johnson, KS | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| May 25 | 11:35 AM CDT | EF0 | Cass, MO | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| May 25 | 11:38 AM CDT | EF0 | Johnson, KS | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| May 25 | 12:22 PM CDT | EF2 | Pettis, MO | 2.1 | 500 | 20 | $4.0 million | |
| May 25 | 12:33 PM CDT | EF0 | Clay, MO | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| May 25 | 12:45 PM CDT | EF0 | Clay, MO | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| May 25 | 12:52 PM CDT | EF0 | Pettis, MO | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| May 25 | 1:04 PM CDT | EF0 | Cooper, MO | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| May 25 | 1:07 PM CDT | EF0 | Lafayette, MO | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| May 25 | 2:15 PM CDT | EF1 | Montgomery, MO | 7.1 | 100 | |||
| May 25 | 3:26 PM EDT | EF0 | Van Wert, OH | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| May 25 | 2:56 PM CDT | EF1 | Oregon, MO | 2.5 | 100 | $20,000 | ||
| May 25 | 3:49 PM CDT | EF3 | Carter, MO | 47.4 | 1,200 | 2 | $800,000 | |
| May 25 | 4:13 PM CDT | EF1 | Jackson, AR | 5.5 | 500 | $40,000 | ||
| May 25 | 5:15 PM EDT | EF1 | Decatur, IN | 0.8 | 600 | $500,000 | ||
| May 25 | 5:20 PM EDT | EF1 | Decatur, IN | 0.1 | 400 | $250,000 | ||
| May 25 | 4:35 PM CDT | EF1 | Madison, MO | 5.5 | 40 | |||
| May 25 | 4:37 PM CDT | EF1 | Wayne, MO | 17.8 | 150 | $70,000 | ||
| May 25 | 4:44 PM CDT | EF0 | Carter, MO | 0.5 | 50 | $2,000 | ||
| May 25 | 4:45 PM CDT | EF1 | Des Moines, IA | 4.8 | 100 | $250,000 | ||
| May 25 | 4:46 PM CDT | EF1 | Madison, MO | 5.3 | 440 | |||
| May 25 | 4:47 PM CDT | EF1 | Madison, MO | 4.3 | 580 | |||
| May 25 | 4:51 PM CDT | EF0 | Perry, MO | 0.3 | 60 | $3,000 | ||
| May 25 | 4:58 PM CDT | EF0 | Ripley, MO | 0.7 | 50 | |||
| May 25 | 6:00 PM EDT | EF1 | Huron, OH | 8.0 | 50 | $250,000 | ||
| May 25 | 5:00 PM CDT | EF1 | Des Moines, IA | 3.6 | 50 | $50,000 | ||
| May 25 | 5:14 PM CDT | EF0 | Butler, MO | 0.7 | 40 | |||
| May 25 | 6:14 PM EDT | EF0 | Hardin, OH | 0.2 | 25 | |||
| May 25 | 5:26 PM CDT | EF1 | Bollinger, MO | 13.0 | 250 | $30,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:06 PM CDT | EF0 | McLean, IL | 0.9 | 25 | $8,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:09 PM CDT | EF1 | McLean, IL | 10.3 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| May 25 | 7:10 PM EDT | EF0 | Montgomery, OH | 0.1 | 25 | $5,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:18 PM CDT | EF1 | Cape Girardeau, MO | 2.1 | 250 | $20,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:18 PM CDT | EF0 | St. Francis, AR | 1.1 | 100 | |||
| May 25 | 6:28 PM CDT | EF2 | Jefferson, IL | 13.5 | 250 | $4.0 million | ||
| May 25 | 6:30 PM CDT | EF0 | Scott, MO | 0.4 | 50 | $1,000 | ||
| May 25 | 7:30 PM EDT | EF0 | Summit, OH | 4.2 | 50 | $200,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:39 PM CDT | EF1 | Union, IL | 2.0 | 125 | $150,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:40 PM CDT | EF1 | Pulaski, IL | 5.5 | 250 | $50,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:45 PM CDT | EF1 | Pulaski, IL | 10.0 | 120 | $40,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:48 PM CDT | EF1 | Crittenden, AR | 2.5 | 100 | $500,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:55 PM CDT | EF2 | Pulaski, IL | 19.9 | 325 | $255,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:58 PM CDT | EF0 | Champaign, IL | 0.2 | 15 | $5,000 | ||
| May 25 | 7:58 PM EDT | EF3 | Lawrence, IN | 6.8 | 300 | $150,000 | ||
| May 25 | 5:08 PM PDT | EF1 | Glenn, CA | 21.6 | 120 | $200,000 | ||
| May 25 | 5:12 PM PDT | EF1 | Glenn, CA | 26.4 | 120 | $150,000 | ||
| May 25 | 7:18 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay, IL | 1.0 | 75 | $510,000 | ||
| May 25 | 7:35 PM CDT | EF0 | Richland, IL | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| May 25 | 7:57 PM CDT | EF2 | Crawford, IL | 5.5 | 200 | $920,000 |
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.