Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2026

EF0 tornado, Choctaw County, Alabama, May 22, 2026

This EF0 tornado ran 1.5 miles across Choctaw County on May 22, 2026, touching down at 9:28 AM CDT and reaching 180 yards wide. It killed nobody.

Preliminary. This is NWS MOB's damage survey, filed in the Damage Assessment Toolkit as Isney. The rating, the path and the casualties are the survey's and can change while it is revised. The Storm Prediction Center compiles the official record of 2026 from these surveys and publishes it in the spring of 2027; this page moves to that tornado's permanent address when it does.

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.

  1. EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. 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.

  7. 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 survey

Rating, as surveyed
EF0, preliminary
Date
May 22, 2026
Touchdown
9:28 AM CDT (14:28 UTC)
Lifted
9:32 AM CDT (14:32 UTC)
On the ground
4 minutes
Path length
1.5 miles (2.5 km)
Path width
180 yards (165 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Choctaw County
Touchdown point
31.767, -88.460
Lift-off point
31.782, -88.443
Highest wind the damage implies
85 mph
Surveyed by
NWS MOB
The office's name for it
Isney
Survey last edited
July 3, 2026
Record number
None yet. SPC numbers 2026 in the spring of 2027.

What the survey found

Available Sentinel 2 satellite imagery revealed a weak EF0 tornado occurred in the Isney area. The tornado began south of Wildflower Road, tracking northeast across Poultry Road, causing a roughly 180-yard-wide corridor of tree damage. This tornado also crossed the path of another tornado that occurred near this location back on March 11th of this year along Poultry Road. The tornado lifted just prior to reaching Highway 84. Additional adjustments to this tornado are possible as higher resolution imagery becomes available. Review of additional high resolution satellite imagery revealed the tornado crossed Highway 84 affecting a property to the north of the road damaging a few trees.

Written by NWS MOB in the NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit. A survey is revised as better evidence arrives.

The damage survey

12 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS MOB, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF0. The highest wind the damage implies is 85 mph.

  • Sentinel 2 satellite imagery reveals several trees uprooted/snapped at this location.
  • Sentinel 2 satellite imagery reveals several trees uprooted/snapped at this location. Southeast edge of damage path.
  • Sentinel 2 satellite imagery reveals minor tree damage at this location.
  • Narrow corridor of tree damage visible at this location via Sentinel 2 satellite imagery.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

The warnings

8 minutes of warning. NWS MOB issued a tornado warning for this county at 14:20 UTC, 8 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 15:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
13:56 UTC14:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB
14:20 UTC15:00 UTCTornado WarningMOB
15:01 UTC15:11 UTCTornado WarningMOB
15:57 UTC19:00 UTCFlood AdvisoryMOB

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 Marginal Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 12:49 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.

Jackson, MS (KJAN), 12:00Z

2.5 hours before the tornado, 165 km from the path. May 22, 2026.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Jackson, MS at 12:00Z on 2026-05-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 555 joules per kilogram, CIN -9, lifted condensation level 526 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Jackson, MS at 12:00Z on 2026-05-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 268 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 34 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
555 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1033 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
526 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
268 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
253 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
4.7
0-3 km lapse rate
4.6 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Jackson, MS (KJAN), 00:00Z

9.5 hours after it, 165 km from the path. May 23, 2026.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 2026-05-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 910 joules per kilogram, CIN -6, lifted condensation level 1408 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 2026-05-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 29 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 39 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
910 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Surface CAPE
2192 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1408 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
5 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
29 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
84 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
2.7
0-3 km lapse rate
7.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Meridian/Key Field (MEI), 68 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
12:29 UTC7271240° 7 kt1013.9+TSRA BR
12:30 UTC240° 8 kt1013.9+RA BR
12:35 UTC220° 7 kt1013.5+RA FG
12:40 UTC200° 6 kt1013.9+RA FG
12:45 UTC180° 10 kt1013.9+RA BR
12:49 UTC7170160° 10 kt151013.5-TSRA BR
12:50 UTC160° 10 kt1013.5-RA BR
12:55 UTC180° 4 kt1013.5-RA
12:56 UTC71.669.8170° 3 kt151013.5VCTS -RA
12:58 UTC7170150° 4 kt151013.5VCTS
13:00 UTC170° 4 kt1013.5
13:05 UTC7169160° 5 kt1013.9VCTS
13:05 UTC160° 5 kt1013.9
13:10 UTC150° 4 kt1013.9
13:15 UTC120° 3 kt1013.5
13:20 UTC120° 3 kt1013.5
13:25 UTC120° 3 kt1013.5
13:28 UTC71700° 0 kt1013.5
13:30 UTC120° 3 kt1013.5
13:35 UTC140° 4 kt1013.5
13:40 UTC140° 5 kt1013.5
13:45 UTC140° 4 kt1013.5
13:50 UTC150° 4 kt1013.5
13:55 UTC150° 4 kt1013.5
13:58 UTC7271160° 6 kt1013.5
14:00 UTC150° 5 kt1013.5
14:05 UTC140° 6 kt1013.2
14:10 UTC150° 7 kt1013.2
14:15 UTC170° 6 kt1013.2
14:20 UTC170° 7 kt1013.5
14:25 UTC170° 7 kt1013.5
14:30 UTC170° 8 kt1013.5
14:35 UTC180° 8 kt1013.5
14:40 UTC190° 7 kt1013.2
14:45 UTC190° 8 kt1013.2
14:50 UTC190° 7 kt1013.2
14:55 UTC180° 7 kt1013.2
14:58 UTC7372180° 7 kt1013.2
15:00 UTC180° 7 kt1013.2
15:05 UTC170° 7 kt1013.2
15:10 UTC170° 8 kt1013.2
15:15 UTC190° 9 kt1013.2
15:20 UTC180° 8 kt1012.9
15:25 UTC180° 12 kt1013.2
15:30 UTC200° 10 kt151012.9
15:35 UTC190° 11 kt1012.9
15:40 UTC210° 11 kt1012.9
15:45 UTC190° 10 kt1012.9
15:50 UTC 1012.9
15:55 UTC210° 9 kt1012.9
15:58 UTC8073210° 15 kt241012.9
16:00 UTC200° 12 kt1012.9
16:05 UTC 1013.2
16:10 UTC200° 9 kt141013.2
16:15 UTC210° 10 kt1012.9
16:20 UTC 1013.2
16:25 UTC 1013.2

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 14:30 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)ReportWhereCountyRemark
14:28 UTCTORNADO1 Ssw IsneyChoctaw, ALAvailable Sentinel 2 satellite imagery revealed a weak EF0 tornado occurred in the Isney area. The tornado began south of Wildflower Road, tracking northeast across Poultry Road, causing a roughly 180-yard-wide corridor
15:33 UTCTORNADO3 Ene West BendClarke, ALAvailable Sentinel 2 satellite imagery revealed an EF1 tornado occurred in the Smyer area off of Highway 69. The tornado remained solely within forest staying just east of Highway 69. It tracked northeast for approximate
15:52 UTCTORNADO3 Se Woods BluffClarke, ALAvailable Sentinel 2 satellite imagery revealed that an EF1 tornado tracked across forested parts of Clarke County in the Campbell area just west of Highway 69. The tornado remained solely within the forest, causing an a
16:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Sse MorvinClarke, ALTree down across AL 69 blocking both the northbound and southbound lanes.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2026 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of May 22, 2026

11 more have been surveyed in the United States that day, so far.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 224:37 AM CDTEF0Hinds, MS2.0175
May 2210:33 AM CDTEF1Clarke, AL3.1100
May 2210:43 AM CDTEF1Marengo, AL2.3150
May 2210:47 AM CDTEF0Marengo, AL0.240
May 2210:52 AM CDTEF1Clarke, AL2.2250
May 2212:13 PM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa, AL2.6150
May 2212:57 PM CDTEF1Cullman, AL8.7300
May 225:16 PM CDTUnratedWoodbury, IA0.60
May 225:42 PM CDTUnratedCass, NE0.10
May 226:58 PM EDTEF0Claiborne, TN1.575
May 227:02 PM CDTEF0Butler, KY0.330

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. A survey can be revised, so the rating, the path and the casualties can all still change.

Sources

NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit, the record the survey teams file from the damage, and NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports. Neither is the official database for 2026, which SPC publishes in the spring of 2027.