Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2022
EF0 tornado, Braggville to Eutaw Muni Arpt, Alabama, March 22, 2022
From Braggville to Eutaw Muni Arpt, this EF0 tornado ran 0.9 miles across Greene County on March 22, 2022, touching down at 6:00 PM CDT and reaching 150 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
- March 22, 2022
- Touchdown
- 6:00 PM CDT (23:00 UTC)
- Lifted
- 6:02 PM CDT (23:02 UTC)
- On the ground
- 2 minutes
- Path length
- 0.9 miles (1.4 km)
- Path width
- 150 yards (137 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Greene County
- Touchdown point
- 32.691, -87.938
- Lift-off point
- 32.696, -87.924
- Record number
- 2203221700-01
The damage survey
22 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.
- Chicken coop roof partially torn off
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
Several supercell thunderstorms developed ahead of a QLCS in advance of a cold front. One supercell produced three weak tornadoes, with another QLCS producing a weak tornado. Training thunderstorms resulted in many instances of flash flooding and river flooding, with three flash flood fatalities occurring in Tuscaloosa County.
National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southern Greene County and determined that it was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum winds near 65 mph. The tornado formed along County Road 20 just northwest of the intersection of County Road 142. It tracked northeastward crossing County Road 142 before dissipating in a wooded area. Damage was mainly limited to uprooted trees but a hunting blind was also blown over. A TDS was observed by a nearby Doppler on Wheels mobile radar. Special thanks to the NSSL UAS team for their assistance with this survey.
National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southern Greene County and determined that it was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum winds near 75 mph. A tornado formed west of Highway 43 just south of County Road 148. The tornado uprooted several trees as it crossed Highway 43 and caused roof damage to a chicken house. The tornado continued northeast and crossed County Road 146. A few shingles were blown off a house on County Road 148. The tornado downed a couple more trees before dissipating along County Road 150. Special thanks to the NSSL UAS team for their assistance with this survey.
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 17:42 UTC and running to 00:00 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15:00 UTC | 08:10 UTC | Wind Advisory | BMX |
| 17:42 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Tornado Watch | BMX |
| 21:00 UTC | 08:47 UTC | Flood Watch | BMX |
| 22:30 UTC | 00:30 UTC | Flood Advisory | BMX |
| 22:54 UTC | 23:16 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX |
| 23:59 UTC | 02:21 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | BMX |
| 00:02 UTC | 01:31 UTC | Tornado Watch | BMX |
| 00:40 UTC | 02:45 UTC | Flash Flood 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 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 19:37 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
11.0 hours before the tornado, 120 km from the path. March 22, 2022.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -75845 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1169 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 291 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 353 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 2.2 K/km
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), 00:00Z
1.0 hours after it, 120 km from the path. March 23, 2022.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 573 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -31 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 820 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1220 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 68 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 305 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 571 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.4
- Supercell composite
- 9.4
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 7.1 K/km
The surface observations
Demopolis (DYA), 26 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21:15 UTC | 74.7 | 63.7 | 150° 18 kt | 25 | 1005.8 | |
| 21:35 UTC | 74.5 | 63.7 | 130° 12 kt | 22 | 1006.1 | |
| 21:55 UTC | 73.6 | 64 | 140° 15 kt | 22 | 1005.8 | -RA |
| 22:15 UTC | 73.6 | 64 | 130° 12 kt | 26 | 1005.4 | RA |
| 22:35 UTC | 72.3 | 64.4 | 140° 16 kt | 26 | 1004.7 | -RA |
| 22:55 UTC | 72.5 | 64.4 | 150° 18 kt | 26 | 1005.8 | -RA |
| 23:15 UTC | 71.4 | 64.8 | 140° 16 kt | 22 | 1005.8 | -RA |
| 23:35 UTC | 70.2 | 65.3 | 130° 12 kt | 20 | 1006.1 | RA |
| 23:55 UTC | 69 | 66 | 120° 9 kt | 1005.8 | +RA | |
| 00:15 UTC | 68.4 | 67 | 250° 8 kt | 1006.8 | +RA | |
| 00:35 UTC | 67.6 | 67.6 | 170° 6 kt | 1006.1 | RA | |
| 00:55 UTC | 64.4 | 63.3 | 320° 13 kt | 24 | 1005.4 | +RA |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 121 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:01 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23:00 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Wnw Thornhill | Greene, AL | A BRIEF EF0 TORNADO DOWNED TREES NEAR COUNTY ROAD 20 AND COUNTY ROAD 142. |
| 23:04 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Nne Thornhill | Greene, AL | AN EF0 TORNADO DOWNED TREES AND CAUSED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE NEAR HIGHWAY 43 AND COUNTY ROAD 148. |
| 23:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 W Wedgeworth | Hale, AL | MULTIPLE TREES UPROOTED ON CLEAR CREEK ROAD IN THE ROEBUCK LANDING AREA. |
| 23:36 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Ene Moundville Airpor | Hale, AL | DAMAGE TO MULTIPLE STRUCTURES NEAR INTERSECTION OF CR 52 AND HWY 69. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2022 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of March 22, 2022
40 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 22 | 5:35 AM CDT | EF0 | Fort Bend, TX | 0.8 | 30 | 4 | $100,000 | |
| March 22 | 7:21 AM CDT | EF0 | Brazoria, TX | 0.1 | 30 | $1,000 | ||
| March 22 | 11:23 AM CDT | EF1 | Madison Parish, LA to MS | 6.6 | 100 | $5,000 | ||
| March 22 | 11:29 AM CDT | EF0 | Warren, MS | 0.6 | 50 | $25,000 | ||
| March 22 | 11:43 AM CDT | EF0 | Warren, MS | 1.1 | 50 | $15,000 | ||
| March 22 | 11:58 AM CDT | EF1 | Warren, MS | 14.8 | 350 | $175,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:04 PM CDT | Unrated | Yazoo, MS | 0.7 | 50 | |||
| March 22 | 12:11 PM CDT | EF2 | Hinds, MS | 7.8 | 500 | $225,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:13 PM CDT | EF2 | Hinds, MS | 8.6 | 880 | $2,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:20 PM CDT | EF1 | Hinds, MS | 9.1 | 800 | $70,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:24 PM CDT | EF1 | Hinds, MS | 3.3 | 300 | $15,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:29 PM CDT | EF1 | Madison, MS | 2.6 | 350 | $75,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:30 PM CDT | EF1 | Yazoo, MS | 5.5 | 600 | $10,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:35 PM CDT | EF1 | Yazoo, MS | 1.4 | 550 | $40,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:42 PM CDT | EF1 | Madison, MS | 5.0 | 250 | $75,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:44 PM CDT | EF1 | Yazoo, MS | 6.5 | 200 | $10,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:49 PM CDT | EF1 | Holmes, MS | 7.4 | 700 | $50,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:49 PM CDT | EF0 | Copiah, MS | 4.9 | 100 | $75,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:52 PM CDT | EF1 | Holmes, MS | 14.2 | 700 | $600,000 | ||
| March 22 | 12:59 PM CDT | EF1 | Madison, MS | 6.4 | 200 | $50,000 | ||
| March 22 | 1:09 PM CDT | EF1 | Attala, MS | 1.5 | 100 | $15,000 | ||
| March 22 | 1:14 PM CDT | EF1 | Attala, MS | 3.4 | 200 | |||
| March 22 | 1:16 PM CDT | EF0 | Carroll, MS | 6.3 | 400 | $2,000 | ||
| March 22 | 1:45 PM CDT | EF0 | Scott, MS | 1.6 | 100 | $5,000 | ||
| March 22 | 2:34 PM CDT | EF0 | Smith, MS | 1.5 | 100 | |||
| March 22 | 2:35 PM CDT | EF3 | Kemper, MS | 9.2 | 800 | $400,000 | ||
| March 22 | 3:04 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay, MS | 15.5 | 650 | $115,000 | ||
| March 22 | 3:17 PM CDT | EF1 | Noxubee, MS | 11.6 | 450 | $55,000 | ||
| March 22 | 4:04 PM CDT | EF0 | Lauderdale, MS | 1.5 | 25 | $5,000 | ||
| March 22 | 4:58 PM CDT | EF2 | Choctaw, AL | 2.5 | 300 | |||
| March 22 | 5:29 PM CDT | EF0 | Lauderdale, AL | 1.9 | 140 | |||
| March 22 | 5:34 PM CDT | EF1 | Clarke, MS | 3.7 | 100 | $20,000 | ||
| March 22 | 6:04 PM CDT | EF0 | Greene, AL | 3.3 | 250 | |||
| March 22 | 6:21 PM CDT | EF0 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1.0 | 175 | |||
| March 22 | 6:33 PM CDT | EF1 | Choctaw, AL | 0.2 | 130 | |||
| March 22 | 6:38 PM CDT | EF0 | Hale, AL | 3.1 | 430 | |||
| March 22 | 7:21 PM CDT | EF3 | Arabi tornado, LA | 11.5 | 320 | 1 | 2 | $33 million |
| March 22 | 7:25 PM CDT | EF1 | Saint Tammany Parish, LA | 15.0 | 100 | $5,000 | ||
| March 22 | 9:08 PM CDT | EF0 | Bibb, AL | 2.8 | 100 | |||
| March 22 | 11:07 PM CDT | EF1 | Baldwin, AL | 5.7 | 30 |
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.