Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2021
EF0 tornado, Levert to Benson, Alabama, May 4, 2021
From Levert to Benson, this EF0 tornado ran 24.8 miles across Perry and Chilton counties on May 4, 2021, touching down at 5:19 PM CDT and reaching 620 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 mphthis tornado
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 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
- EF0
- Date
- May 4, 2021
- Touchdown
- 5:19 PM CDT (22:19 UTC)
- Lifted
- 5:44 PM CDT (22:44 UTC)
- On the ground
- 25 minutes
- Path length
- 24.8 miles (40.0 km)
- Path width
- 620 yards (567 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Counties
- Perry and Chilton counties
- Touchdown point
- 32.738, -87.216
- Lift-off point
- 32.765, -86.793
- Record number
- 2105041619-01
The damage survey
19 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS BMX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF0. The highest wind the damage implies is 80 mph.
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 multi-day severe weather event unfolded across Central Alabama from May 2nd through May 4th. Alabama remained on the eastern side of a broad upper trough positioned over the Plains States. Several upper level impulses emanated from the trough axis and produced severe weather across Alabama. The main severe weather event occurred on May 4th when a QLCS tracked eastward across areas along and east of I-20 and produced widespread wind damage, flash flooding, and tornadoes.
National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in northeast Perry County and determined that it was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum winds near 80 mph. The tornado was embedded within a fast moving QLCS and touched down along J Mitchell Road in the Talladega National Forest. It traveled east-northeastward through the National Forest and crossed into Chilton County near Jim Foundry Road. Damage consisted mainly of snapped and uprooted trees.
National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southwest Chilton County and determined that it was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum winds near 80 mph. This tornado began in Perry County and crossed into Chilton County near Jim Foundry Road. The tornado traveled east-northeast through the Talladega National Forest before a right turn near County Road 307. It then traveled east-southeast crossing near the intersection of Highway 82 and Highway 22. The tornado then tracked in a more easterly direction before dissipating near County Road 15. Damage consisted mainly of snapped and uprooted trees.
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.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 20:36 UTC and running to 23:31 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14:20 UTC | 20:36 UTC | Tornado Watch | BMX |
| 20:36 UTC | 23:31 UTC | Tornado Watch | BMX |
| 22:00 UTC | 22:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX |
| 22:30 UTC | 22:36 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 Enhanced Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 19:49 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 before the tornado, 52 km from the path. May 4, 2021.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2158 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -5 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2450 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 569 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 25 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 145 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 195 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.4
- Supercell composite
- 7.3
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 6.3 K/km
The surface observations
Selma (SEM), 45 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:35 UTC | 87.8 | 71.6 | 190° 12 kt | 22 | 1008.1 | HZ |
| 20:55 UTC | 87.8 | 71.6 | 190° 14 kt | 20 | 1008.1 | |
| 21:15 UTC | 87.8 | 71.6 | 200° 10 kt | 16 | 1008.5 | |
| 21:35 UTC | 86 | 69.8 | 200° 14 kt | 20 | 1008.5 | |
| 21:55 UTC | 84.2 | 69.8 | 210° 12 kt | 19 | 1009.1 | |
| 22:15 UTC | 84.2 | 69.8 | 210° 13 kt | 18 | 1009.1 | |
| 22:35 UTC | 82.4 | 69.8 | 210° 9 kt | 1009.5 | ||
| 22:55 UTC | 310° 26 kt | 43 | 1014.2 | VCTS | ||
| 23:15 UTC | 66.2 | 64.4 | 310° 10 kt | 1013.2 | TS | |
| 23:35 UTC | 66.2 | 64.4 | 340° 6 kt | 1013.5 | VCTS RA | |
| 23:55 UTC | 66.2 | 64.4 | 350° 5 kt | 1013.5 | VCTS RA | |
| 00:15 UTC | 66.2 | 64.4 | 3 kt | 1014.2 | -RA |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 52 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21:57 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Sse Harper Hill | Hale, AL | LARGE TREES SNAPPED. |
| 22:01 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 E Greensboro | Hale, AL | WIDESPREAD TREES DOWNED AND POWER LINES DOWNED ALONG HIGHWAY 14 IN HALE COUNTY. |
| 22:01 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Ese Greensboro Muni A | Hale, AL | DAMAGE TO A HOME ON HWY 69, SOUTH OF GREENSBORO. MANY TREES SNAPPED AT SAME LOCATION. |
| 22:17 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Marion | Perry, AL | TREES BLOWN DOWN AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS ACROSS PERRY COUNTY. SOME ROOF DAMAGE IN AREAS AS WELL. |
| 22:19 UTC | TORNADO | 4 N Sprott | Perry, AL | AN EF-0 TORNADO TRACK WAS CONFIRMED BY NWS BMX SURVEY TEAM FROM NORTHEAST PERRY COUNTY TO SOUTHWEST CHILTON COUNTY. THE TORNADO BEGAN ALONG J MITCHELL ROAD AND MOVED EAST-NORTHEASTWARD BEFORE TAKING A RIGHT-HAND JOG AND |
| 22:28 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Joe Tucker Park | Shelby, AL | FLOODING NEAR COUNTY ROADS 52 AND 95 IN HELENA. |
| 22:30 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | 1 Ese Marvel | Bibb, AL | A SECTION OF EDDINGS TOWN ROAD WASHED OUT. |
| 22:31 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | 1 N Shelby County Airpo | Shelby, AL | WATER ACROSS COUNTY ROAD 87. ROADWAY IS IMPASSABLE. |
| 22:33 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | 2 W Alabaster | Shelby, AL | HIGHWAY 17 NORTHBOUND BETWEEN CEDAR GROVE PARKWAY AND HIGH GROVE PARKWAY IMPASSABLE. |
| 22:33 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | 2 W Alabaster | Shelby, AL | WATER OVER THE ROADWAY AT FOX VALLEY FARMS ROAD NEAR BRIDGE. |
| 22:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Wsw Maplesville | Chilton, AL | TREES BLOWN DOWN AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN SOUTHWEST CHILTON COUNTY. |
| 22:38 UTC | TORNADO | 1 S Maplesville | Chilton, AL | MULTIPLE TREES AND POWER LINES DOWNED. ASSOCIATED WITH TDS ON RADAR. LIKELY TORNADO. |
| 22:40 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | 1 Nw Alabaster Veterans | Shelby, AL | 1 LANE IMPASSABLE AT BUTLER ROAD AND BIG OAK DRIVE. |
| 22:45 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Selma | Dallas, AL | TREES BLOWN DOWN AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS ACROSS DALLAS COUNTY. A BUSINESS IN SELMA HAD ITS ROOF PEELED OFF. |
| 22:50 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lomax | Chilton, AL | TREES BLOWN DOWN AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS ACROSS CHILTON COUNTY. |
| 23:05 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Nne New Prospect | Autauga, AL | MULTIPLE TREES DOWN ON I-65 SOUTHBOUND AT MILE MARKER 197. |
| 23:11 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Se Lyle | Coosa, AL | TREES BLOWN DOWN AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS ACROSS COOSA COUNTY. |
| 23:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Ese New Prospect | Autauga, AL | TREES DOWN. |
| 23:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Booth | Autauga, AL | TREES DOWN. |
| 23:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Mulberry | Autauga, AL | TREES DOWN. |
| 23:17 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Nne Prattville | Autauga, AL | WIND DAMAGE WAS PREVALENT ALONG A LINE OF STORMS THAT MOVED THROUGH AUTAUGA AND ELMORE COUNTIES, MAKING IT HARD TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE AND TORNADIC DAMAGE; HOWEVER, A CORRIDOR OF ENHANCED DAMAGE |
| 23:18 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 N Capitol Hill Golf C | Elmore, AL | NUMEROUS TREES UPROOTED ON ROCKY MOUNT ROAD. |
| 23:23 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Coosada | Elmore, AL | TREES DOWN COUNTY-WIDE, INCLUDING IN COOSADA AND REDLAND. |
| 23:30 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | 1 Ne Maylene | Shelby, AL | BIG OAK DRIVE FLOODED. |
| 23:35 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | 2 Se Shelby County Airp | Shelby, AL | INTERSECTION OF US HIGHWAY 31 AND CR 22 COMPLETELY UNDER WATER. |
| 00:12 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Alabaster Veterans Park | Shelby, AL | PARKING LOT FLOODED AT INTERSECTION OF CR80 AND HWY 119. PER SOCIAL MEDIA. |
| 00:18 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Pelham | Shelby, AL | WATER COVERING CR 52 BETWEEN HWY 31 AND I-65. |
| 00:30 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Maylene | Shelby, AL | HIGHWAY 17 IS WASHED OUT BETWEEN BUTLER RD AND BIG OAKS DRIVE. VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. |
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 May 4, 2021
38 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4 | 2:09 AM CDT | EF0 | Greene, AR | 2.2 | 100 | $25,000 | ||
| May 4 | 2:55 AM CDT | EF0 | Pemiscot, MO | 2.7 | 90 | $50,000 | ||
| May 4 | 3:19 AM CDT | EF1 | Mississippi, MO | 3.7 | 400 | $85,000 | ||
| May 4 | 3:23 AM CDT | EF1 | Obion, TN | 2.6 | 50 | $225,000 | ||
| May 4 | 3:31 AM CDT | EF1 | Hickman, KY | 5.3 | 100 | $350,000 | ||
| May 4 | 3:33 AM CDT | EF2 | Fulton, KY | 6.1 | 150 | $310,000 | ||
| May 4 | 3:55 AM CDT | EF1 | Graves, KY | 4.7 | 125 | $165,000 | ||
| May 4 | 3:59 AM CDT | EF1 | Graves, KY | 0.5 | 100 | $15,000 | ||
| May 4 | 4:35 AM CDT | EF0 | Benton, TN | 3.1 | 80 | $75,000 | ||
| May 4 | 5:12 AM CDT | EF0 | Christian, KY | 2.6 | 75 | $45,000 | ||
| May 4 | 5:54 AM CDT | EF0 | Cheatham, TN | 4.9 | 100 | $15,000 | ||
| May 4 | 5:56 AM CDT | EF0 | Robertson, TN | 1.8 | 25 | $10,000 | ||
| May 4 | 6:01 AM CDT | EF0 | Robertson, TN | 2.2 | 200 | $25,000 | ||
| May 4 | 6:02 AM CDT | EF0 | Robertson, TN | 9.4 | 50 | $15,000 | ||
| May 4 | 6:03 AM CDT | EF0 | Davidson, TN | 6.4 | 200 | $15,000 | ||
| May 4 | 6:10 AM CDT | EF0 | Sumner, TN | 0.7 | 25 | $10,000 | ||
| May 4 | 6:21 AM CDT | EF0 | Sumner, TN | 3.9 | 50 | $25,000 | ||
| May 4 | 6:31 AM CDT | EF0 | Sumner, TN | 6.9 | 50 | $15,000 | ||
| May 4 | 6:38 AM CDT | EF0 | Sumner, TN | 5.0 | 200 | $25,000 | ||
| May 4 | 6:54 AM CDT | EF0 | Trousdale, TN | 3.3 | 50 | $15,000 | ||
| May 4 | 6:56 AM CDT | EF0 | Macon, TN | 1.9 | 25 | $10,000 | ||
| May 4 | 7:20 AM CDT | EF0 | DeKalb, TN | 1.0 | 25 | $15,000 | ||
| May 4 | 7:43 AM CDT | EF0 | DeKalb, TN | 4.8 | 200 | $25,000 | ||
| May 4 | 8:07 AM CDT | EF0 | White, TN | 1.1 | 50 | $15,000 | ||
| May 4 | 9:01 AM CDT | EF1 | Rankin, MS | 9.7 | 75 | $35,000 | ||
| May 4 | 9:44 AM CDT | EF0 | Jackson, AL | 0.6 | 50 | |||
| May 4 | 1:21 PM EDT | EF0 | Lumpkin, GA | 4.7 | 350 | $150,000 | ||
| May 4 | 1:13 PM CDT | EF0 | Richland Parish, LA | 8.6 | 700 | $75,000 | ||
| May 4 | 2:51 PM EDT | EF1 | Elk, PA | 0.6 | 125 | |||
| May 4 | 1:59 PM CDT | EF1 | Madison Parish, LA to MS | 17.7 | 600 | $255,000 | ||
| May 4 | 2:22 PM CDT | EF0 | Yazoo, MS | 9.2 | 250 | $25,000 | ||
| May 4 | 2:24 PM CDT | EF1 | Hinds, MS | 30.7 | 880 | $855,000 | ||
| May 4 | 3:06 PM CDT | EF1 | Leake, MS | 15.0 | 1,050 | $100,000 | ||
| May 4 | 4:23 PM EDT | EF1 | Fairfield, SC | 3.9 | 300 | |||
| May 4 | 3:43 PM CDT | EF1 | Newton, MS | 5.5 | 400 | $25,000 | ||
| May 4 | 4:08 PM CDT | EF1 | Lauderdale, MS | 3.5 | 450 | $55,000 | ||
| May 4 | 6:17 PM CDT | EF1 | Autauga, AL | 10.6 | 330 | |||
| May 4 | 6:46 PM CDT | EF0 | Macon, AL | 2.2 | 50 |
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.