Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2026
EF0 tornado, Exmoor, Alabama, May 22, 2026
This EF0 tornado ran 0.2 miles across Marengo County on May 22, 2026, touching down at 10:47 AM CDT and reaching 40 yards wide. It killed nobody.
Preliminary. This is NWS BMX's damage survey, filed in the Damage Assessment Toolkit as Exmoor Tornado. 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.
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 survey
- Rating, as surveyed
- EF0, preliminary
- Date
- May 22, 2026
- Touchdown
- 10:47 AM CDT (15:47 UTC)
- Lifted
- 10:48 AM CDT (15:48 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 0.2 miles (0.4 km)
- Path width
- 40 yards (37 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Marengo County
- Touchdown point
- 32.054, -87.862
- Lift-off point
- 32.057, -87.861
- Highest wind the damage implies
- 65 mph
- Surveyed by
- NWS BMX
- The office's name for it
- Exmoor Tornado
- Survey last edited
- May 23, 2026
- Record number
- None yet. SPC numbers 2026 in the spring of 2027.
What the survey found
A brief tornado occurred in the Exmoor community along County Road 6, between County Road 7 and Lewis Road. The tornado began along the back tree line of a property then moved northeast where it shifted a camper northward a few feet off of its cinder block supports. A manufactured home suffered damage to its porch and awning. Some trees were snapped and uprooted as the tornado crossed County Road 6 before dissipating as it downed trees across the road.
Written by NWS BMX in the NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit. A survey is revised as better evidence arrives.
The damage survey
25 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS BMX and NWS MOB, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 90 mph.
- Resident home at time, heard and saw tornado.
- Skirting removed, tossed across road.
- Narrow corridor of tree damage visible at this location via Sentinel 2 satellite imagery.
- Tree damage visible at this location via high resolution satellite imagery.
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
Numerous showers and thunderstorms occurred across Central Alabama during the late morning to early afternoon of May 22. Enough shear and instability were present to promote the development of small, low-topped supercells within a tropical environment. A few of these cells produced brief rotation, and three brief tornadoes occurred in Marengo and Tuscaloosa counties.
A brief tornado occurred in the Exmoor community along County Road 6, between County Road 7 and Lewis Road. The tornado began along the back tree line of a property then moved northeast where it shifted a camper northward a few feet off of its cinder block supports. A manufactured home suffered damage to its porch and awning. Some trees were snapped and uprooted as the tornado crossed County Road 6 before dissipating as it downed trees across the road. Maximum winds were estimated at 65 mph.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at May 22, 6:53 AM CDT, 3 hours 54 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Issued at 653 AM CDT FRI MAY 22 2026
- Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected each day through next week.
- There is a level 1 out of 5 risk for severe weather on Friday, May 22nd from late morning to early evening. Threats include a brief tornado and damaging wind gusts.
Area forecast discussion, May 22, 6:53 AM CDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 653 AM CDT Fri May 22 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 653 AM CDT FRI MAY 22 2026 - Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected each day through next week. - There is a level 1 out of 5 risk for severe weather on Friday, May 22nd from late morning to early evening. Threats include a brief tornado and damaging wind gusts. && .DISCUSSION... (Friday through next Thursday) Issued at 1152 PM CDT THU MAY 21 2026 A pattern of unsettled weather will continue over the next several days, with chances for showers and thunderstorms each day into next week. Deep-layer southerly to southwesterly flow will remain in place adjacent to a stalled front, pumping Gulf moisture across Alabama to keep conditions warm and humid. For today, a Level 1 of 5 Marginal risk is in place for the potential of damaging winds or a brief, low-end tornado. Bulk shear of 25-35 kts will promote organized storms capable of briefly sustaining weak updrafts, along with 1200-2000 J/kg surface-based CAPE and 0-3 km SRH in the 100-200 m2/s2 range. These numbers support the notion that cells may become strong and briefly rotate. While tornadoes are not necessarily expected, potential for a brief tornado or two exists and should be watched closely. Meager mid-level lapse rates of 5.5-6.0 C/km should make updrafts hard to maintain over time and limit any hail threat. The main corridor of concern looks to be from late morning to early evening for most areas of Central Alabama northwest of I- 85. Latest CAMs indicate activity waning after 7 or 8 pm this evening before more showers and storms return Saturday morning into the evening. An upper low looks to build in briefly early next week over East Texas, reinforcing southerly flow and keeping elevated rain and storm chances going into mid next week. Beneficial rainfall will begin to add up over the next 5-7 days as showers and storms continue to work through the region. 12 && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 653 AM CDT FRI MAY 22 2026 Scattered convection will move through the state this morning ahead of a line of storms moving west to east. Behind this line, more scattered convection will continue through the afternoon and evening. Have gone with MVFR conditions prevailing by mid morning in each TAF, due to the persistent coverage expected. The moisture content in the air is so high, any thunderstorm over a TAF site will cause visibilities to drop to IFR or LIFR due to heavy rain. Later this evening, low level moisture should remain high with another night of showers sporadically over central AL. Ceilings should likely drop, though confidence is low on how much. Left MVFR ceilings in for now through the early morning on Friday. 24 && .FIRE WEATHER... A persistent weather pattern will produce a daily scattering of showers and thunderstorms through next week. Bouts of precipitation and lack of low RH will keep fire weather conditions at bay. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 78 65 82 64 / 90 70 90 60 Anniston 78 66 81 65 / 80 60 90 60 Birmingham 77 67 82 67 / 90 70 90 60 Tuscaloosa 78 69 83 68 / 90 60 80 50 Calera 78 67 82 67 / 90 60 90 60 Auburn 82 69 82 68 / 60 50 100 50 Montgomery 80 69 82 68 / 90 50 100 40 Troy 82 69 83 68 / 60 50 90 40 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...12 AVIATION...24
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 22, 9:31 AM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
931 AM CDT Fri May 22 2026
ALZ023-221500-
Tuscaloosa AL-
931 AM CDT Fri May 22 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT CENTRAL TUSCALOOSA COUNTY
THROUGH 1000 AM CDT...
At 931 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Northport, moving northeast at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Tuscaloosa, Northport, Holt, University Mall, Deerlick Creek
Campgrounds, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, Bryant Denny Stadium,
Tuscaloosa Regional Airport, Lake Tuscaloosa, Lake Tuscaloosa Dam,
Flatwoods, Sexton Bend, University Of Alabama Quad, Lake Harris,
Stillman College, Lake Nicol, Highway 69 Bridge, Lake Nicol Park,
Holt Lock And Dam, and Oliver Lock And Dam.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3316 8756 3322 8767 3348 8753 3336 8728
TIME...MOT...LOC 1431Z 215DEG 25KT 3325 8756
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
86/MartinSpecial weather statement, May 22, 10:14 AM CDT, 33 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
1014 AM CDT Fri May 22 2026
ALZ039-221545-
Marengo AL-
1014 AM CDT Fri May 22 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTH CENTRAL MARENGO COUNTY
THROUGH 1045 AM CDT...
At 1014 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Putnam, or 15 miles northwest of Thomasville, moving northeast at 25
mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Sweet Water, Putnam, Wayne, Miller, Dixons Mill, Clayhill, and
Nicholsville.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3225 8786 3208 8770 3199 8783 3199 8807
TIME...MOT...LOC 1514Z 225DEG 21KT 3200 8797
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
86/MartinThe 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
3.8 hours before the tornado, 161 km from the path. May 22, 2026.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 647 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -3 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1087 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 566 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 25 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 123 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 146 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.3
- Supercell composite
- 2.1
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.7 K/km
The surface observations
Demopolis (DYA), 46 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Mobile radar (KMOB), 157 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 15:46 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.
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.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22 | 4:37 AM CDT | EF0 | Hinds, MS | 2.0 | 175 | |||
| May 22 | 9:28 AM CDT | EF0 | Choctaw, AL | 1.5 | 180 | |||
| May 22 | 10:33 AM CDT | EF1 | Clarke, AL | 3.1 | 100 | |||
| May 22 | 10:43 AM CDT | EF1 | Marengo, AL | 2.3 | 150 | |||
| May 22 | 10:52 AM CDT | EF1 | Clarke, AL | 2.2 | 250 | |||
| May 22 | 12:13 PM CDT | EF1 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 2.6 | 150 | |||
| May 22 | 12:57 PM CDT | EF1 | Cullman, AL | 8.7 | 300 | |||
| May 22 | 5:16 PM CDT | Unrated | Woodbury, IA | 0.6 | 0 | |||
| May 22 | 5:42 PM CDT | Unrated | Cass, NE | 0.1 | 0 | |||
| May 22 | 6:58 PM EDT | EF0 | Claiborne, TN | 1.5 | 75 | |||
| May 22 | 7:02 PM CDT | EF0 | Butler, KY | 0.3 | 30 |
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.