Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2025
EF1 tornado, Neel to Leesdale, Alabama, May 20, 2025
From Neel to Leesdale, this EF1 tornado ran 11.0 miles across Morgan County on May 20, 2025, touching down at 6:52 PM CDT and reaching 540 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
- May 20, 2025
- Touchdown
- 6:52 PM CDT (23:52 UTC)
- Lifted
- 7:00 PM CDT (00:00 UTC)
- On the ground
- 8 minutes
- Path length
- 11.0 miles (17.7 km)
- Path width
- 540 yards (494 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Morgan County
- Touchdown point
- 34.468, -87.029
- Lift-off point
- 34.537, -86.878
- Record number
- 2505201752-01
The damage survey
62 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS HUN, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EFU. The highest wind the damage implies is 125 mph.
- Tombstones were flipped and dragged at Anderson Cemetary. Surveyed by Chase Wilson of Tennessee Valley Weather.
- Move point north into the backyard by about 200 yards (done)
- Multiple large branches and trees uprooted
- Tombstones were flipped and dragged at Anderson Cemetary. A utility box was pulled up. Surveyed by Chase Wilson and Samuel Camp of Tennessee Valley Weather.
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
An outbreak of tornadoes, large hail, wind damage and flash flooding occurred during the afternoon and evening of the 20th. Fourteen tornadoes occurred in north Alabama, including 1 EF-0, 10 EF-1, 2 EF-2, and 1 EF-U (unknown) which was a waterspout on Wheeler Lake. One person was injured in Colbert County. There were also several reports of large hail, including baseball sized and larger in northern Lawrence and southeastern Lauderdale Counties. Damaging winds were also experienced as well with the severe thunderstorms. Lightning sparked a fire which resulted in severe structural and water damage and total loss to the Albertville Public Library which is scheduled to be demolished. There were two reports of flash flooding in Jackson County.
The tornado started near Rocky Ford Road and continued east toward U.S. Highway 31. Several large branches were found down along with trees uprooted along Van Bridge Road. A tree was found snapped at the trunk along Vaughn Bridge Road where the tornado reached its maximum intensity of EF-1 with a wind speed of 105 MPH. Northeast of|Vaughn Bridge Road the tornado reached its maximum width where several large branches were found. The tornado continued east crossing U.S. Highway 31 and then took a northeast turn with several large branches down along Indian Hills Road. The track continued northeast crossing Interstate 65 and ventured into Priceville. Several large branches were again found on various streets north of Point Mallard Parkway SE before the tornado dissipated along Cove Springs Road.
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 19:36 UTC and running to 02:43 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19:36 UTC | 02:43 UTC | Tornado Watch | HUN |
| 22:36 UTC | 23:15 UTC | Tornado Warning | HUN |
| 23:09 UTC | 23:18 UTC | Tornado Warning | HUN |
| 23:32 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN |
| 00:01 UTC | 00:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | HUN |
| 00:27 UTC | 00:49 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN |
| 00:30 UTC | 00:38 UTC | Tornado Warning | HUN |
| 01:04 UTC | 01:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | HUN |
| 01:08 UTC | 01:43 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN |
| 01:32 UTC | 02:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN |
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 19:52 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
11.9 hours before the tornado, 148 km from the path. May 20, 2025.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 218 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -151 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 929 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 831 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 19 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 82 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 136 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.7
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.4 K/km
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), 00:00Z
0.1 hours after it, 148 km from the path. May 21, 2025.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1265 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -6 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1796 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1357 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 48 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 21 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 175 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 235 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.8
- Supercell composite
- 6.6
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 7.0 K/km
The radar
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21:27 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Ese Rogersville | Lauderdale, AL | Golf ball size observed hail along Elk River ESE of Rogersville. Time estimated from radar. |
| 22:10 UTC | TORNADO | 5 S Killen | Colbert, AL | *** 1 INJ *** An EF-1 tornado was found starting in Ford City. This tornado had a maximum intensity of 105 MPH, a maximum width of 575 yards, and a path length of 17.74 miles. Several large trees were downed by this torn |
| 22:12 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Sse Athens | Limestone, AL | Numerous trees down at Exit 347 off of I-65 in Limestone County. |
| 22:13 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 Sse Killen | Colbert, AL | *** 1 INJ *** A tree was uprooted and landed on a home causing Minor injury to child in home due to drywall falling and scratching the individual. |
| 22:21 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 6 Wsw Rogersville | Lawrence, AL | Baseball-size hail along the Tennessee River at Joe Wheeler State Park. Time estimated from radar. |
| 22:22 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 S Killen | Colbert, AL | Tree down on a house in Ford City. |
| 22:22 UTC | HAIL 2.75 | 5 Sw Rogersville | Lawrence, AL | Baseball size hail reported in Freeman Acres community of Lawrence County. |
| 22:23 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 Sse Killen | Colbert, AL | 911 call center reported a tree down at 720 Gargis Hollow Rd in Muscle Shoals AL. |
| 22:23 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 7 Wsw Rogersville | Lawrence, AL | Tree down on a camper at the Big Nance mobile home park Hwy 101. |
| 22:24 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 6 Sw Rogersville | Lawrence, AL | Several trees down, power lines down, and damage to roof tops on homes and barns in the Red Bank community north of Town Creek. Time estimated from radar. |
| 22:32 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 S Rogersville | Lauderdale, AL | Multiple power poles and trees down CR 605 in the Rogersville area. Time estimated by radar. |
| 22:32 UTC | HAIL 4 | 3 Wsw Rogersville | Lauderdale, AL | Hail of 3.75 inches in diameter was measured at the Joe Wheeler State Park Golf Course. Time estimated by radar. |
| 22:34 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 E North Courtland | Lawrence, AL | Power poles and trees down on County Road 389 north of Alabama Highway 20. Time estimated from radar. |
| 22:35 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 3 Ese Rogersville | Lauderdale, AL | EMA reported golf ball sized hail on HWY 72 at the Elk River. |
| 22:38 UTC | HAIL 2.75 | 7 N Town Creek | Lawrence, AL | EMA reported baseball size hail in the Red Bank area south of Wheeler Dam. |
| 22:38 UTC | HAIL 3 | 3 N Town Creek | Lawrence, AL | Picture of 3 inch hail in Town Creek. |
| 22:42 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Se Rogersville | Limestone, AL | Trees and power lines down along Little Elk Road. Time estimated from radar. |
| 22:44 UTC | HAIL 1 | 3 Sw Anderson | Lauderdale, AL | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 22:51 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Ne Hillsboro | Lawrence, AL | Two videos of a waterspout were provided via social media from the Blacks Landing area along Wheeler Lake. The waterspout formed south of Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant and tracked east toward the Round Island Creek Pu |
| 23:04 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 W Athens | Limestone, AL | Tree down at Hwy 72 and Glaze Rd. Timer estimated from radar. |
| 23:09 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Wsw Athens | Limestone, AL | Tree down on Hine Street South. Time estimated from radar. |
| 23:09 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Wsw Athens | Limestone, AL | Power lines down along Grisby lane and Brownsferry Roads. Time estimated from radar. |
| 23:09 UTC | TORNADO | 4 Ese Rogersville | Limestone, AL | An EF-1 tornado was found in Limestone county with a maximum speed of 100 MPH, a maximum width of 65 yards, and a path length of 0.86 miles. |
| 23:09 UTC | TORNADO | 5 S Athens | Limestone, AL | An EF-2 tornado with peak wind of 125 mph, path length of 13.15 miles, and maximum path width 380 yards. |
| 23:10 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 W Athens | Limestone, AL | Multiple downed power poles and poles snapped on Lucas Ferry Rd just south of hwy 72. |
| 23:12 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Wsw Athens | Limestone, AL | Several trees and powerlines down along Sanderfer Rd. Time estimated from radar. |
| 23:12 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Athens | Limestone, AL | Tree down on a house behind the Staples in Athens. Time estimated from radar. |
| 23:20 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 6 N Mooresville | Limestone, AL | Several reports of trees and lines down on Mooresville Road near Greenbrier Pkwy. Time estimated by radar. |
| 23:20 UTC | TORNADO | 6 Nne Mooresville | Limestone, AL | Storm chaser video confirmation of tornado. |
| 23:21 UTC | HAIL 0.75 | 3 Nw Athens | Limestone, AL | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 23:26 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 4 S Athens | Limestone, AL | Golfball size hail reported near Tanner. Time estimated by radar. |
| 23:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 N Madison | Madison, AL | Numerous trees down near West Madison Elementary School and the Sage Trails Apartments on Wall-Triana Highway in Madison. |
| 23:31 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Nnw Madison | Madison, AL | Public report of a tornado with pictures of multiple trees uprooted, snapped, and at least one tree on a structure on Markum Lane. |
| 23:31 UTC | TORNADO | 2 N Madison | Madison, AL | Roof torn off of a two story home as well as significant damage to roofs and walls of surrounding houses. |
| 23:39 UTC | HAIL 1.25 | 6 E Athens | Limestone, AL | Report from mPING: Half Dollar (1.25 in.). |
| 23:40 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Sse Harvest | Madison, AL | Tree down on house on Glenmore Dr. |
| 23:40 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Sse Harvest | Madison, AL | Tree through a house in the area of Wedgewood Terrace Road and Nick Davis. Time estimated by radar. |
| 23:40 UTC | HAIL 1 | 2 Ese Madison | Madison, AL | Quarter size hail reported at Shelton Rd and Madison Blvd. |
| 23:41 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 4 Sw Athens | Limestone, AL | Report from mPING: Golf Ball (1.75 in.). |
| 23:43 UTC | HAIL 0.75 | 2 Nw Madison | Madison, AL | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2025 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of May 20, 2025
38 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20 | 1:08 AM CDT | EF1 | Cape Girardeau, MO | 1.7 | 150 | $200,000 | ||
| May 20 | 1:41 AM CDT | EF0 | Lamar, TX | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| May 20 | 1:46 AM CDT | EF1 | Union, IL | 1.8 | 50 | $80,000 | ||
| May 20 | 2:08 AM CDT | EF1 | Hot Spring, AR | 3.8 | 100 | |||
| May 20 | 12:03 PM CDT | EF1 | Lauderdale, AL | 1.8 | 80 | |||
| May 20 | 1:20 PM CDT | EF0 | Marshall, TN | 1.4 | 300 | $250,000 | ||
| May 20 | 2:58 PM EDT | EF1 | Roane, TN | 0.5 | 100 | $50,000 | ||
| May 20 | 2:15 PM CDT | EF0 | Douglas, IL | 2.9 | 20 | |||
| May 20 | 3:15 PM CDT | EF0 | Madison, TN | 1.3 | 75 | $15,000 | ||
| May 20 | 3:27 PM CDT | Unrated | Logan, IL | 1.1 | 30 | |||
| May 20 | 3:59 PM CDT | EF0 | Lewis, TN | 2.7 | 50 | |||
| May 20 | 4:09 PM CDT | Unrated | Ford, IL | 0.7 | 100 | |||
| May 20 | 4:57 PM CDT | EF0 | Champaign, IL | 0.9 | 30 | |||
| May 20 | 5:04 PM CDT | EF1 | Chicot, AR | 11.6 | 700 | |||
| May 20 | 5:06 PM CDT | EF1 | Vermilion, IL | 5.0 | 80 | |||
| May 20 | 5:06 PM CDT | EF0 | Vermilion, IL | 6.7 | 40 | |||
| May 20 | 5:08 PM CDT | EF0 | Montgomery, TN | 9.3 | 100 | $250,000 | ||
| May 20 | 5:10 PM CDT | EF1 | Lauderdale, AL | 17.1 | 575 | $688,000 | ||
| May 20 | 5:25 PM CDT | EF0 | Montgomery, TN | 3.2 | 200 | $250,000 | ||
| May 20 | 5:39 PM CDT | EF0 | Vermilion, IL | 1.7 | 30 | |||
| May 20 | 5:47 PM CDT | EF0 | Coffee, TN | 1.1 | 150 | $250,000 | ||
| May 20 | 5:51 PM CDT | Unrated | Limestone, AL | 2.2 | 25 | |||
| May 20 | 6:09 PM CDT | EF2 | Limestone, AL | 13.2 | 125 | |||
| May 20 | 6:09 PM CDT | EF1 | Limestone, AL | 0.9 | 65 | |||
| May 20 | 6:11 PM CDT | EF1 | Limestone, AL | 2.8 | 160 | $927,000 | ||
| May 20 | 6:51 PM CDT | EF1 | Madison, AL | 8.7 | 280 | |||
| May 20 | 7:07 PM CDT | EF2 | Madison, AL | 7.3 | 400 | |||
| May 20 | 7:14 PM CDT | EF1 | Jackson, AL | 10.5 | 275 | |||
| May 20 | 7:29 PM CDT | EF1 | Cumberland, TN | 4.8 | 150 | $250,000 | ||
| May 20 | 8:46 PM CDT | EF1 | Marshall, AL | 3.4 | 150 | |||
| May 20 | 8:47 PM CDT | EF0 | Jackson, AL | 6.1 | 105 | |||
| May 20 | 9:33 PM CDT | EF1 | DeKalb, AL | 6.0 | 700 | |||
| May 20 | 9:49 PM CDT | EF1 | DeKalb, AL | 0.4 | 250 | |||
| May 20 | 11:42 PM EDT | EF0 | Gordon, GA | 4.7 | 200 | |||
| May 20 | 11:43 PM EDT | EF0 | Gordon, GA | 2.4 | 100 | |||
| May 20 | 12:09 AM EDT | EF0 | Cherokee, GA | 2.0 | 150 | |||
| May 20 | 11:38 PM CDT | EF1 | Calhoun, AL | 3.5 | 1,000 | |||
| May 20 | 12:28 AM CDT | EF1 | Cleburne, AL | 2.0 | 550 |
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.