Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2019
EF1 tornado, Morgan Spgs to Maplesville, Alabama, March 14, 2019
From Morgan Spgs to Maplesville, this EF1 tornado ran 9.4 miles across Perry and Chilton counties on March 14, 2019, touching down at 6:37 PM CDT and reaching 300 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
- 6:37 PM CDT (23:37 UTC)
- Lifted
- 6:57 PM CDT (23:57 UTC)
- On the ground
- 20 minutes
- Path length
- 9.4 miles (15.2 km)
- Path width
- 300 yards (274 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Counties
- Perry and Chilton counties
- Touchdown point
- 32.797, -87.171
- Lift-off point
- 32.832, -87.014
- Record number
- 1903141737-01
The damage survey
24 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 90 mph.
- Several trees snapped or uprooted. Track does not get to Hwy 5.
- Small pines snapped in a large clear cut area. center of couplet.
- Tree down blocking the roadway, large but hollow. Other smaller trees snapped around same path.
- Possible start point of NE Perry Co tornado.
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 Perry County and determined that it was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph.||The tornado touched down in rural northwest Perry County near Willie Martin Road. This location is about 5 miles northwest of Heiberger. The tornado tracked due east and crossed Burlia Curb Road, and Jack Green Road. The tornado lifted just east of the intersection of Alvin Carter Road and Ironville Road. The tornado damage was limited to trees in this rural area. Numerous trees were snapped off and uprooted and a few trees blocked roadways.
National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in Perry County and determined that it was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph.||The same supercell that produced the tornado near Heiberger produced another tornado in northeast Perry County. The tornado touched down west of AL Highway 219 near the intersection of Fire Tower Road and Sherman Huey Road. This location is about 10 miles south southwest of Centreville. Several trees were snapped off and many trees had broken branches. The tornado tracked northeast and crossed Highway 219 near the intersection of Star Circle. This is where the most concentrated damage occurred. Numerous trees were snapped off and uprooted and some power poles were downed. Several outbuildings were damaged here mainly due to fallen trees. The tornado continued east northeast and crossed Foster Road, Whitetail Road, Buck Road, and Mill Creek Road and then crossed into Chilton County. Hundreds of trees were snapped off or uprooted.
National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in Chilton County and determined that it was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph. This tornado is a continuation of a track from Perry county. The tornado was only in Chilton County briefly before lifting, mainly uprooting some softwood trees.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
24 minutes of warning. NWS BMX issued a tornado warning for this county at 23:13 UTC, 24 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 00:00 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 21:13 UTC and running to 23:41 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21:13 UTC | 23:41 UTC | Tornado Watch | BMX |
| 23:04 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX |
| 23:13 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | BMX |
| 23:41 UTC | 05:00 UTC | Tornado Watch | BMX |
| 00:15 UTC | 01:03 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 19:55 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
11.6 hours before the tornado, 50 km from the path. March 14, 2019.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -76398 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 822 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 52 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 46 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 522 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 618 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 3.7 K/km
The surface observations
Marion (A08), 43 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21:35 UTC | 77 | 67.6 | 190° 14 kt | 22 | 1012.9 | |
| 21:55 UTC | 76.6 | 67 | 200° 15 kt | 22 | 1013.2 | |
| 22:15 UTC | 76.6 | 66.7 | 200° 16 kt | 22 | 1012.9 | |
| 22:35 UTC | 76.3 | 66.7 | 190° 15 kt | 23 | 1012.5 | |
| 22:55 UTC | 76 | 67 | 190° 18 kt | 24 | 1012.9 | |
| 23:15 UTC | 76 | 67 | 190° 14 kt | 29 | 1012.5 | |
| 23:35 UTC | 73.8 | 68 | 200° 12 kt | 28 | 1013.5 | -RA |
| 23:55 UTC | 73.2 | 69 | 200° 13 kt | 20 | 1014.2 | +RA |
| 00:15 UTC | 71 | 70.3 | 190° 14 kt | 1013.9 | +RA | |
| 00:35 UTC | 69.8 | 69.4 | 180° 8 kt | 17 | 1014.2 | -RA |
| 00:55 UTC | 69.3 | 68 | 190° 9 kt | 17 | 1014.6 | +RA |
| 01:15 UTC | 67.5 | 67 | 220° 4 kt | 1014.2 | -RA |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:34 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22:33 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Ese Akron | Hale, AL | 8-10 TREES BLOWN DOWN AND BLOCKING THE ROADWAY. NO APPARENT PATH OF DAMAGE. |
| 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. |
| 23:19 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Ene Morgan Springs | Perry, AL | THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 4.48 MILES LONG AND WAS 100 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 70 MPH. NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED AND SOME POWER POLES WERE DOWNED. SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED. |
| 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 | |
| 00:27 UTC | TORNADO | 4 Nnw Central Mills | Perry, AL | THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 3.05 MILES LONG AND WAS 300 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 75 MPH. ONE HOME HAD A LARGE SECTION OF ROOF REMOVED, OTHERWISE, THE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO TREES. |
| 00:27 UTC | TORNADO | 4 Nnw Central Mills | Perry, AL | THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 3.2 MILES LONG AND WAS 400 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 75 MPH. THE TORNADO DAMAGE WAS MAINLY LIMITED TO ALL TREE DAMAGE AND WAS MAINLY IN VERY RURAL AREAS. |
| 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. |
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 | 6:39 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 | 8:44 PM CDT | EF1 | Autauga, AL | 7.1 | 250 | |||
| 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.