Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2021
EF2 tornado, Brewton Muni Arpt to Evergreen Arpt, Alabama, June 19, 2021
From Brewton Muni Arpt to Evergreen Arpt, this EF2 tornado ran 22.0 miles across Escambia and Conecuh counties on June 19, 2021, touching down at 7:31 AM CDT and reaching 650 yards wide. It killed nobody and injured 20, and did $3.2 million 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 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
- June 19, 2021
- Touchdown
- 7:31 AM CDT (12:31 UTC)
- Lifted
- 7:56 AM CDT (12:56 UTC)
- On the ground
- 25 minutes
- Path length
- 22.0 miles (35.4 km)
- Path width
- 650 yards (594 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 20
- Property damage
- $3.2 million
- Counties
- Escambia and Conecuh counties
- Touchdown point
- 31.059, -87.065
- Lift-off point
- 31.376, -87.045
- Record number
- 2106190631-01
The damage survey
44 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS MOB, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF2. The highest wind the damage implies is 127 mph.
- Starting point. Shed destroyed and shingle damage.
- Center of tornado just east
- Sig roof damage to a few homes
- Eastern side of circulation
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
Potential Tropical Cyclone Claudette moved west of the Alabama coastal waters on the evening of June 18th, 2021. Claudette was declared a Tropical Storm and made landfall in southeast Louisiana during the early morning hours of June 19th. Claudette then turned northeast across southeast Mississippi and across south central Alabama during the morning on Saturday June 19th.||Tropical Storm Claudette produced frequent tropical storm-force wind gusts across coastal Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle. A few areas of the coast, such as Dauphin Island, Fort Morgan, and the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier recorded a brief period of sustained minimal tropical storm-force winds.||The highest wind gusts were associated with strong to severe thunderstorms that developed well east of the center of Claudette. These storms most significantly impacted the western Florida Panhandle. The highest wind gust observed was 81 mph at Pensacola International Airport. A Weatherflow site in Santa Rosa Sound recorded a 70 mph wind gust, which was from the same line of storms that resulted in the Pensacola gust. This line of storms produced wind damage in parts of the Pensacola Metro, especially in Ferry Pass. Pace also experienced pockets of wind damage, including one mobile home that lost its roof||The highest winds recorded were sustained winds of 45 mph with gusts to 70 mph in Santa Rosa Sound, 58 mph with gusts to 81 mph at Pensacola Airport, 42 mph with gusts to 52 mph at Okaloosa Island fishing pier. In Mobile Bay, 40 mph with gusts to 49 mph at Buccaneer Yacht Club.||Storm surge inundation ranged from 1-3 feet above normally dry ground across southern Mobile County into Mobile Bay. This flooding resulted in the closure of a few roads, such as Shell Belt Rd in the Bayou La Batre and Coden communities and the US Highway 90 Causeway over Mobile Bay. The highest storm tide recorded was 3.67 ft MHHW at the NOS tide gauge on the Bayou La Batre bridge. In addition to the storm surge, surf heights of 6-12 feet battered the Gulf facing beaches. This impacted the west end of Dauphin Island with a portion of Bienville Blvd closed due to flooding and sand over the road. The Florida side of the Gulf Islands National Seashore was closed for several days due to flooding and sand on roads. ||Claudette produced 3 tornadoes in southwest and south central Alabama: A long track EF-2 tornado that impacted Escambia and Conecuh Counties, an EF-0 tornado in rural Covington County, and an EF-0 tornado in far southern Mobile County.||A widespread 3-6 of rain fell across coastal Alabama into the western Florida Panhandle. 6-9 of rain was recorded over parts of interior southeast MS, with a station in far western Stone County, 11 miles west of Perkinston, recording 9.43. This rainfall resulted in instances of flash flooding and river flooding across the area.
The tornado first touched down on Jay Road just west of Highway 41 in Riverview. The tornado intensified and widened as it moved northeast into East Brewton, crossing over|Highway 41. During this time, the tornado produced EF-1 intensity damage to numerous trees, homes, businesses in the area. Some of the most severe damage was located at the intersection of Forrest Avenue and Andrew Jackson Street where several mobile homes were completely destroyed. This was rated as EF-2 intensity damage with peak estimated winds of 125-130 mph. There was also significant roof damage to the auditorium at W S Neal High School. The tornado continued northeast and moved across Shoffner Street. Primarily EF-1 intensity damage to trees and homes was noted here, but a swath of EF-2 intensity tree damage was noted in a valley just north of Ballard Street. Major tree damage continued north across Cook Road. Additional major structural damage was observed along Riddle Road near Horseshoe Road. A single wide mobile home was completely destroyed with the frame tossed over a 100 yards away. The owner was ejected from the building and found near the frame and suffered serious injuries. A home on the north side of Riddle Road had its entire roof torn off. The tornado continued north, crossing Kirkland Road and Highway 31. Most of the damage was in the EF-1 range and most notably to trees. ||The tornado crossed into Conecuh County and produced EF-1 damage on the west side of Castleberry, impacting areas of Braggert Road, Kennedy Street, and Durham McLendon Road. The tornado began to weaken as it moved north of west Cleveland Avenue but still produced spotty EF-0 to EF-1 damage all the way north to |Interstate 65 where some tree damage was noted just north of the rest area. This is near where the tornado is estimated to have lifted. The survey team found no damage crossing Highway 84 further to the north.||Escambia County Emergency Management reported up to 20 total injuries, mostly minor. However, there were 2 serious injuries.
This tornado is the continuation of a tornado from Escambia County AL.||The tornado first touched down on Jay Road just west of Highway 41 in Riverview in Escambia County AL. The tornado intensified and widened as it moved northeast into East Brewton, crossing over Highway 41. During this time, the tornado produced EF-1 intensity damage to numerous trees, homes, businesses in the area. Some of the most severe damage was located at the intersection of Forrest Avenue and Andrew Jackson Street where several mobile homes were completely destroyed. This was rated as EF-2 intensity damage with peak estimated winds of 125-130 mph. There was also significant roof damage to the auditorium at W S Neal High School. The tornado continued northeast and moved across Shoffner Street. Primarily EF-1 intensity damage to trees and homes was noted here, but a swath of EF-2 intensity tree damage was noted in a valley just north of Ballard Street. Major tree damage continued north across Cook Road. Additional major structural damage was observed along Riddle Road near Horseshoe Road. A single wide mobile home was completely destroyed with the frame tossed over a 100 yards away. The owner was ejected from the building and found near the frame and suffered serious injuries. A home on the north side of Riddle Road had its entire roof torn off. The tornado continued north, crossing Kirkland Road and Highway 31. Most of the damage was in the EF-1 range and most notably to trees. The tornado crossed into Conecuh County and produced EF-1 damage on the west side of Castleberry, impacting areas of Braggert Road, Kennedy Street, and Durham McLendon Road. The tornado began to weaken as it moved north of west Cleveland Avenue but still produced spotty EF-0 to EF-1 damage all the way north to Interstate 65 where some tree damage was noted just north of the rest area. This is near where the tornado is estimated to have lifted. The survey team found no damage crossing Highway 84 further to the north. Escambia County Emergency Management reported up to 20 total injuries, mostly minor. However, there were 2 serious injuries.
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. One was issued for the county at another hour that day.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03:00 UTC | 20:54 UTC | Wind Advisory | MOB |
| 11:33 UTC | 17:30 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | MOB |
| 12:32 UTC | 16:45 UTC | Flood Advisory | MOB |
| 12:33 UTC | 13:01 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MOB |
| 12:37 UTC | 12:54 UTC | Tornado Warning | MOB |
| 13:21 UTC | 16:00 UTC | Tornado Watch | MOB |
| 15:30 UTC | 20:10 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | MOB |
| 17:37 UTC | 20:45 UTC | Flood Advisory | MOB |
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 05:55 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 surface observations
Evergreen (GZH), 22 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:35 UTC | 90° 5 kt | 1014.2 | +RA BR | |||
| 10:40 UTC | 90° 5 kt | 1014.2 | RA BR | |||
| 10:45 UTC | 90° 5 kt | 1014.6 | RA BR | |||
| 10:50 UTC | 80° 5 kt | 1014.6 | +RA BR | |||
| 10:53 UTC | 74 | 70 | 70° 6 kt | 1014.6 | +RA BR | |
| 10:55 UTC | 80° 5 kt | 1014.6 | +RA BR | |||
| 11:00 UTC | 70° 5 kt | 1014.2 | +RA BR | |||
| 11:05 UTC | 70° 9 kt | 1013.9 | +RA BR | |||
| 11:10 UTC | 70° 9 kt | 14 | 1013.5 | +RA BR | ||
| 11:15 UTC | 90° 8 kt | 1013.5 | +RA BR | |||
| 11:20 UTC | 80° 11 kt | 1013.2 | +RA BR | |||
| 11:25 UTC | 90° 11 kt | 16 | 1013.2 | RA BR | ||
| 11:30 UTC | 90° 11 kt | 1012.9 | -RA | |||
| 11:35 UTC | 80° 11 kt | 17 | 1012.9 | -RA | ||
| 11:40 UTC | 80° 9 kt | 15 | 1012.5 | -RA | ||
| 11:45 UTC | 80° 11 kt | 1012.5 | -RA | |||
| 11:50 UTC | 80° 9 kt | 1012.5 | -RA | |||
| 11:53 UTC | 75 | 71 | 90° 9 kt | 18 | 1012.5 | -RA |
| 11:55 UTC | 90° 9 kt | 1012.5 | -RA | |||
| 12:00 UTC | 100° 8 kt | 1012.9 | -RA | |||
| 12:05 UTC | 100° 9 kt | 1012.9 | -RA | |||
| 12:10 UTC | 90° 10 kt | 1013.2 | RA | |||
| 12:15 UTC | 100° 8 kt | 1013.2 | RA BR | |||
| 12:16 UTC | 76 | 72 | 90° 8 kt | 18 | 1013.2 | RA BR |
| 12:20 UTC | 90° 10 kt | 1013.2 | RA BR | |||
| 12:25 UTC | 110° 11 kt | 1013.2 | RA BR | |||
| 12:30 UTC | 90° 11 kt | 17 | 1012.9 | RA BR | ||
| 12:30 UTC | 76 | 72 | 90° 12 kt | 1012.9 | RA BR | |
| 12:35 UTC | 90° 13 kt | 1012.9 | +RA BR | |||
| 12:40 UTC | 90° 10 kt | 16 | 1012.9 | +RA BR | ||
| 12:45 UTC | 90° 11 kt | 1012.5 | +RA BR | |||
| 12:50 UTC | 80° 11 kt | 16 | 1011.9 | +RA BR | ||
| 12:53 UTC | 76 | 73 | 70° 11 kt | 23 | 1011.5 | +RA BR |
| 12:55 UTC | 13 kt | 1011.5 | +RA BR | |||
| 13:00 UTC | 11 kt | 18 | 1012.2 | +RA BR | ||
| 13:01 UTC | 77 | 73 | 220° 14 kt | 35 | 1013.2 | +RA BR |
| 13:05 UTC | 17 kt | 32 | 1012.9 | +RA BR | ||
| 13:05 UTC | 77 | 73 | 210° 17 kt | 35 | 1012.9 | +RA BR |
| 13:10 UTC | 170° 21 kt | 26 | 1013.2 | +RA | ||
| 13:15 UTC | 170° 17 kt | 30 | 1013.2 | +RA BR | ||
| 13:17 UTC | 76 | 72 | 180° 20 kt | 30 | 1012.9 | +RA BR |
| 13:20 UTC | 16 kt | 22 | 1012.9 | +RA BR | ||
| 13:25 UTC | 170° 19 kt | 29 | 1013.2 | +RA BR | ||
| 13:30 UTC | 160° 22 kt | 1013.2 | +RA BR | |||
| 13:31 UTC | 76 | 72 | 160° 21 kt | 32 | 1013.5 | +RA BR |
| 13:35 UTC | 160° 19 kt | 24 | 1013.2 | +RA BR | ||
| 13:40 UTC | 150° 20 kt | 27 | 1013.2 | +RA BR | ||
| 13:43 UTC | 76 | 72 | 160° 17 kt | 31 | 1013.2 | VCTS +RA BR |
| 13:45 UTC | 160° 16 kt | 22 | 1013.2 | RA BR | ||
| 13:50 UTC | 160° 11 kt | 1013.2 | +RA BR | |||
| 13:53 UTC | 76 | 72 | 150° 14 kt | 23 | 1013.2 | VCTS +RA BR |
| 13:55 UTC | 150° 13 kt | 1013.2 | +RA BR | |||
| 14:00 UTC | 150° 14 kt | 24 | 1013.2 | RA BR | ||
| 14:05 UTC | 150° 10 kt | 1012.9 | +RA BR | |||
| 14:10 UTC | 150° 11 kt | 1012.9 | +RA BR | |||
| 14:15 UTC | 150° 13 kt | 19 | 1012.5 | RA BR | ||
| 14:15 UTC | 76 | 72 | 150° 13 kt | 20 | 1012.5 | TSRA BR |
| 14:20 UTC | 150° 13 kt | 1012.5 | -RA BR | |||
| 14:25 UTC | 140° 11 kt | 1012.5 | RA BR | |||
| 14:29 UTC | 76 | 72 | 140° 10 kt | 20 | 1012.5 | VCTS RA BR |
| 14:30 UTC | 150° 10 kt | 15 | 1012.5 | RA BR |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Mobile radar (KMOB), 128 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 12:29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:35 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Se East Brewton | Escambia, AL | *** 20 INJ *** ESCAMBIA COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS APPROXIMATELY 15-20 INJURIES FROM THE TORNADO THAT TOUCHED DOWN IN EAST BREWTON. MOST WERE MINOR INJURIES. HOWEVER, THERE WERE 2 SERIOUS INJURIES. SIGNIFICANT DAMA |
| 12:35 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Se East Brewton | Escambia, AL | MULTIPLE TRAILER HOMES DAMAGED. EMS ON SCENE NO CURRENT INJURIES. PHOTOS PROVIDED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. |
| 12:35 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Se East Brewton | Escambia, AL | *** 20 INJ *** NWS STORM SURVEY REPORTED AN EF-2 TORNADO WITH A PEAK WIND OF 127MPH TRACKED 22 MILES FROM SW OF EAST BREWTON, AL, NE INTO CONECUH COUNTY THROUGH CASTLEBERRY, AL WITH A PEAK WIDTH OF 650YDS. EMA REPORTED ~ |
| 12:35 UTC | TORNADO | East Brewton | Escambia, AL | *** 20 INJ *** NWS STORM SURVEY REPORTED AN EF-2 TORNADO WITH A PEAK WIND OF 127MPH TRACKED 22 MILES FROM SW OF EAST BREWTON, AL, NE INTO CONECUH COUNTY THROUGH CASTLEBERRY, AL WITH A PEAK WIDTH OF 650YDS. EMA REPORTED ~ |
| 12:36 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Se Sardine | Escambia, AL | NEW MEDIAS REPORTS FLOMATON FIRE DPT DISPATHCED TO UPPER CREEK RD FOR LARGE TREE DOWN BLOCKING ROAD. |
| 12:37 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Sse Osaka | Escambia, AL | EMA DISPATCH REPORTS LARGE TREE DOWN AT WOLF LOG RD & OIL WELL RD. TIME ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR. |
| 12:40 UTC | TORNADO | 3 S Kirkland | Escambia, AL | TRAILER FLIPPED OVER ON SAMS LN. BREWTON FIRE DEPARTMENT DISPATCHED NO INJURIES REPORTED. |
| 12:43 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Nnw Kirkland | Escambia, AL | RADAR CONFIRMED TORNADO. |
| 15:01 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Atmore | Escambia, AL | WATER OVER MAIN ST IN ATMORE, AL. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2021 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of June 19, 2021
11 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 19 | 2:31 AM CDT | EF0 | Harrison, MS | 1.2 | 75 | $50,000 | ||
| June 19 | 3:16 AM CDT | EF0 | Mobile, AL | 0.1 | 25 | 1 | ||
| June 19 | 5:08 AM CDT | EF0 | Jackson, MS | 0.5 | 25 | $15,000 | ||
| June 19 | 5:35 AM CDT | EF1 | Jackson, MS | 0.8 | 50 | $5,000 | ||
| June 19 | 1:31 PM EDT | EF1 | Early, GA | 29.0 | 400 | $3,000 | ||
| June 19 | 1:12 PM CDT | EF0 | Covington, AL | 0.6 | 25 | |||
| June 19 | 2:05 PM MDT | EF0 | Adams, CO | 0.0 | 25 | |||
| June 19 | 2:17 PM MDT | EF0 | Adams, CO | 0.0 | 25 | |||
| June 19 | 2:26 PM MDT | EF0 | Adams, CO | 0.0 | 25 | |||
| June 19 | 2:34 PM MDT | EF0 | Adams, CO | 0.0 | 25 | |||
| June 19 | 2:43 PM MDT | EF0 | Morgan, CO | 0.0 | 25 |
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.