Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2019
EF1 tornado, Bonita to Joffre, Alabama, March 14, 2019
From Bonita to Joffre, this EF1 tornado ran 7.1 miles across Autauga County on March 14, 2019, touching down at 8:44 PM CDT and reaching 250 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 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
- March 14, 2019
- Touchdown
- 8:44 PM CDT (01:44 UTC)
- Lifted
- 8:55 PM CDT (01:55 UTC)
- On the ground
- 11 minutes
- Path length
- 7.1 miles (11.4 km)
- Path width
- 250 yards (229 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Autauga County
- Touchdown point
- 32.528, -86.788
- Lift-off point
- 32.566, -86.684
- Record number
- 1903141944-01
The damage survey
20 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS BMX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 100 mph.
- limbs snapped on other side of ravine
- also a large tree uprooted
- mobile home with singles missing
Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.
What the Weather Service recorded
A widespread severe weather event occurred across central Alabama aduring the afternoon and evening hours on Thursday, March 14th. The event began in the northwest counties and spread eastward all the way to the Georgia state line. A strong low level jet of 40-50 knots, combined with moderate instability (1000-1500 J/kg) and 0-6km bulk shear of 55-50 knots, produced an atmosphere favorable for severe thunderstorms and supercells.
National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in Autauga County and determined that it was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph.||The tornado touched down near the intersection of County Road 15 and County Road 45. At onset a few homes suffered minor roof damage and several trees were uprooted or snapped off. The tornado tracked northeast along County Road 15 and damaged numerous trees. The tornado turned eastward and crossed County Road 38, County Road 40, County Road 79, and County Road 137. The tornado weakened and narrowed east of County Road 137, and lifted before it crossed U.S. Highway 82. Trees were uprooted or snapped along the entire path.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
5 minutes of warning. NWS BMX issued a tornado warning for this county at 01:39 UTC, 5 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 02:30 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 23:41 UTC and running to 05:00 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23:41 UTC | 05:00 UTC | Tornado Watch | BMX |
| 01:39 UTC | 02:30 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 01:00 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
10.3 hours after it, 70 km from the path. March 15, 2019.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -59295 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1757 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 60 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 20 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 54 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 223 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.3
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.0 K/km
The surface observations
Prattville (1A9), 24 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23:55 UTC | 76 | 66.6 | 160° 5 kt | 1014.6 | ||
| 00:15 UTC | 75.4 | 66.6 | 180° 6 kt | 1015.2 | ||
| 00:35 UTC | 74.7 | 66.7 | 190° 7 kt | 1015.2 | ||
| 00:55 UTC | 74.3 | 66.7 | 170° 6 kt | 1015.2 | ||
| 01:15 UTC | 74.3 | 67 | 170° 8 kt | 1015.6 | ||
| 01:35 UTC | 73.4 | 67 | 170° 10 kt | 1015.9 | ||
| 01:55 UTC | 73 | 67.3 | 160° 8 kt | 14 | 1015.6 | |
| 02:15 UTC | 72.7 | 67.3 | 160° 9 kt | 18 | 1015.2 | |
| 02:35 UTC | 72.7 | 67.5 | 190° 10 kt | 18 | 1015.9 | |
| 02:55 UTC | 72 | 67.5 | 190° 5 kt | 15 | 1016.3 | |
| 03:15 UTC | 71.8 | 67.6 | 180° 8 kt | 1016.3 | ||
| 03:35 UTC | 71.4 | 67.6 | 180° 7 kt | 1016.3 |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 01:46 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23:19 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Ene Morgan Springs | Perry, AL | THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 3.8 MILES LONG AND WAS 100 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 70 MPH. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TREES. |
| 23:23 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Nne Heiberger | Perry, AL | SEVERAL TREES BLOWN DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 5, POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
| 23:37 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Ese Ellards | Perry, AL | THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 9.55 MILES LONG AND WAS 300 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 90 MPH. NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF AND WERE UPROOTED AND SOME POWER POLES WERE DOWNED. SEVERAL OUT |
| 23:46 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 4 Wnw Oakmulgee | Perry, AL | A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ALONG HIGHWAY 219, RADAR APPEARS TO CONFIRM THIS. NO DAMAGE REPORTED YET. |
| 23:49 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 W Oakmulgee | Perry, AL | NUMEROUS TREES DOWN NEAR HIGHWAY 219. POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
| 23:50 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Ssw Lay Lake Dam | Chilton, AL | SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN EASTERN CHILTON COUNTY. VIDEO INDICATED SEVERAL POWER FLASHES IN THE SAME AREA. POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
| 00:17 UTC | HAIL 1 | 2 Ne Campbell | Chilton, AL | |
| 00:39 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Nnw Gap of The Mounta | Chilton, AL | THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 12.02 MILES LONG AND WAS 350 YARDS WIDE. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 85 MPH. HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE DOWNED ALONG THE PATH AND SEVERAL STRUCTURES SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. |
| 00:39 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Nnw Gap of The Mounta | Chilton, AL | THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 12.0 MILES LONG AND WAS 350 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 85 MPH. NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED AND SEVERAL STRUCTURES SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. |
| 00:41 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Nne Gap of The Mounta | Chilton, AL | NUMEROUS TREES DOWN AND MANY STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED. POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
| 00:41 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Nne Gap of The Mounta | Chilton, AL | NUMEROUS TREES DOWN. POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
| 00:50 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Ssw Lay Lake Dam | Chilton, AL | CORRECTS PREVIOUS TSTM WND DMG REPORT FOR TIME FROM 2 SSW LAY LAKE DAM. SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN EASTERN CHILTON COUNTY. VIDEO INDICATED SEVERAL POWER FLASHES IN THE SAME AREA. POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
| 01:44 UTC | TORNADO | 4 S Dawson Mill | Autauga, AL | THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 7.09 MILES LONG AND WAS 50 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 100 MPH. A FEW HOMES SUFFERED DAMAGE AND HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE SNAPPED AND WERE UPROOTED. |
| 01:44 UTC | TORNADO | 4 S Dawson Mill | Autauga, AL | THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 7.1 MILES LONG AND WAS 50 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 100 MPH. A FEW HOMES SUFFERED DAMAGE AND HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. |
| 02:32 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Wnw Holtville | Elmore, AL | THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 8.58 MILES LONG AND WAS 650 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 120 MPH. AT LEAST 35 POWER POLES WERE DOWNED, AT LEAST 50 STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED, 2 CONVENIENCE STORES |
| 02:32 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Sw Titus | Elmore, AL | THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 8.5 MILES LONG AND WAS 650 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 120 MPH. OVER THE ENTIRE PATH, AT LEAST 35 POWER POLES WERE SNAPPED AND DOWNED, AT LEAST 50 STRUCTURES S |
| 02:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Nnw Holtville | Elmore, AL | TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN NEAR LIGHTWOOD ROAD AND HOGAN ROAD. POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
| 02:41 UTC | TORNADO | 1 W Ten Cedar Estates | Elmore, AL | SEVERAL HOMES DAMAGED ON THORNTON ROAD. GAS STATION DAMAGED ON HIGHWAY 231. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2019 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of March 14, 2019
31 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 14 | 9:18 AM CDT | EF2 | Carlisle, KY | 16.7 | 300 | 1 | $1.5 million | |
| March 14 | 10:10 AM CDT | EF1 | Union, KY | 9.9 | 125 | 1 | $60,000 | |
| March 14 | 11:14 AM CDT | EF0 | Henderson, KY | 1.3 | 100 | $4,000 | ||
| March 14 | 11:27 AM CDT | EF0 | Graves, KY | 0.7 | 75 | $2,000 | ||
| March 14 | 12:42 PM CDT | EF0 | Henderson, KY | 1.2 | 100 | $8,000 | ||
| March 14 | 2:06 PM EDT | EF1 | Jackson, IN | 1.2 | 40 | $70,000 | ||
| March 14 | 2:14 PM EDT | EF0 | Washington, IN | 3.0 | 35 | $30,000 | ||
| March 14 | 1:15 PM CDT | EF0 | Webster, KY | 2.3 | 50 | $1,000 | ||
| March 14 | 1:51 PM CDT | EF0 | Lake, IN | 1.5 | 75 | |||
| March 14 | 4:10 PM CDT | EF1 | Cullman, AL | 11.1 | 112 | |||
| March 14 | 5:04 PM CDT | EF0 | Blount, AL | 2.6 | 115 | |||
| March 14 | 5:05 PM CDT | EF1 | Blount, AL | 17.2 | 1,175 | |||
| March 14 | 5:25 PM CDT | EF0 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1.2 | 50 | |||
| March 14 | 6:45 PM EDT | EF2 | Shiawassee, MI | 18.2 | 700 | $9.8 million | ||
| March 14 | 6:47 PM EDT | EF0 | Shiawassee, MI | 6.4 | 100 | $50,000 | ||
| March 14 | 5:54 PM CDT | EF1 | St. Clair, AL | 4.7 | 530 | |||
| March 14 | 7:09 PM EDT | EF0 | Genesee, MI | 8.1 | 125 | $75,000 | ||
| March 14 | 6:19 PM CDT | EF0 | Perry, AL | 4.5 | 100 | |||
| March 14 | 6:22 PM CDT | EF0 | Calhoun, AL | 1.2 | 200 | |||
| March 14 | 7:24 PM EDT | EF0 | Genesee, MI | 6.5 | 75 | $100,000 | ||
| March 14 | 6:37 PM CDT | EF1 | Perry, AL | 9.4 | 300 | |||
| March 14 | 6:39 PM CDT | EF0 | Marengo, AL | 5.1 | 150 | |||
| March 14 | 8:06 PM EDT | EF0 | Floyd, GA | 1.7 | 150 | $50,000 | ||
| March 14 | 8:11 PM EDT | EF0 | Stark, OH | 8.7 | 50 | $100,000 | ||
| March 14 | 8:23 PM EDT | EF0 | Stark, OH | 1.6 | 100 | $100,000 | ||
| March 14 | 7:27 PM CDT | EF0 | Dallas, AL | 2.9 | 300 | |||
| March 14 | 7:39 PM CDT | EF0 | Chilton, AL | 11.9 | 350 | |||
| March 14 | 8:21 PM CDT | EF0 | Coosa, AL | 0.6 | 40 | |||
| March 14 | 8:46 PM CDT | EF0 | Coosa, AL | 2.1 | 150 | |||
| March 14 | 9:32 PM CDT | EF2 | Elmore, AL | 8.6 | 650 | |||
| March 14 | 10:00 PM CDT | EF0 | Randolph, AL | 4.4 | 75 |
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.