EF2 tornado, Richter Crossroads to Farley Nuclear Plant, Florida, January 9, 2024

1. EF065 to 85 mph

   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 mphthis tornado

   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.

Rating

EF2

Date

January 9, 2024

Touchdown

7:50 AM CST (13:50 UTC)

Lifted

8:22 AM CST (14:22 UTC)

On the ground

32 minutes

Path length

34.8 miles (55.9 km)

Path width

1,000 yards (914 m)

Deaths

1

Injuries

10

Property damage

$6.3 million

Counties

Jackson and Houston counties

Touchdown point

30.868, -85.580

Lift-off point

31.179, -85.119

Record number

2401090750-01

303 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS TAE, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF2. The highest wind the damage implies is 130 mph.

• Photo courtesy Houston County EMA.
• Some pre-existing roof damage.
• Extension of home completely removed
• Root ball uplifted house as tree fell. That destroyed us.

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

A high impact severe weather event impacted the tri-state region on January 9th with supercells producing tornadoes, large hail, and damaging wind gusts, followed by a major squall line with widespread wind damage and additional tornadoes. Preceding this activity, very strong non-thunderstorm wind gusts of 40-60 mph occurred, with even a gust to 70 mph at the Albany airport. There were 14 tornadoes confirmed across the tri-state region, including 3 EF0s, 5 EF1s, 5 EF2s, and 1 EF3. This activity was driven by a deepening area of low pressure west of the region with a record strong low level jet crossing the region. The winds at 850 mb were in in the 65-80 knot range, and sufficient instability existed to support mixing some of these very strong environmental winds to the surface. ||Two significant tornadoes touched down in Bay county, including 1 EF3 and 1 EF2. These two tornadoes in Bay county resulted in damage to 326 buildings for a total market value loss of $20,350,311. There were 234 single family homes damaged, 46 mobile homes damaged, 22 condos damaged, 2 multi-family homes damaged, and 22 commercial buildings damaged. Of these 326 buildings, 113 sustained 5% damage, 86 sustained 15% damage, 2 sustained 20% damage, 29 sustained 30% damage, 17 sustained 35% damage, 28 sustained 45% damage, and 51 sustained 100% damage.

A high impact severe weather event impacted the tri-state region on January 9th with supercells producing tornadoes, large hail, and damaging wind gusts, followed by a major squall line with widespread wind damage and additional tornadoes. Preceding this activity, very strong non-thunderstorm wind gusts of 40-60 mph occurred, with even a gust to 70 mph at the Albany airport. There were 14 tornadoes confirmed across the tri-state region, including 3 EF0s, 5 EF1s, 5 EF2s, and 1 EF3. This activity was driven by a deepening area of low pressure west of the region with a record strong low level jet crossing the region. The winds at 850 mb were in in the 65-80 knot range, and sufficient instability existed to support mixing some of these very strong environmental winds to the surface.

This tornado started in Jackson county and continued into Houston county. The Jackson county portion of the tornado is rated as an EF1. The Houston county portion of the tornado is rated EF2 with max winds estimated at 130 mph. This tornado touched down in a swampy area, just east of Holmes Creek in northwest Jackson County. The tornado initially uprooted and snapped several softwood and hardwood trees, along Hickshill Road and in addition, it damaged an outbuilding there. The tornado continued northeast, damaging more hardwood and softwood trees along Piano Road. The first structure to be impacted by this tornado was a double-wide manufactured home on the northern side of Piano Road. Additional softwood and hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted along Danford Bay Road. Tree damage continued along Orchid Road, Damascus Church Road and Layton Road as the tornado continued to progress northeastward. An outbuilding was damaged along Orchid Road, and a single-family home suffered significant roof damage along Layton Road. The tornado then destroyed two ninety foot, seventy-year-old concrete silos. Damage was found along the entire length of Everett Road which was composed of the snapping and uprooting of trees, along with damage to an outbuilding and a mobile home succumbing to window damage. More trees were damaged along Heislar Road and Peanut Road as the tornado continued its northeastward trek. A single-family home on Peanut Road suffered significant roof damage. When the tornado reached Shiloh Church Loop, a single-family home suffered significant roof damage. The tornado continued to move northeast across Highway 2 where more softwood and hardwood trees were uprooted and snapped. Most of the damage to this point is classified as EF-1. Before the tornado crossed into Alabama, it damaged the roof of a small business on US-231. After crossing into Houston County Alabama, the tornado produced a continuous swath of damage on either side of State Line Road all the way towards the city of Cottonwood. This is also consistent of EF-1 damage. The first instance of EF-2 damage was when the tornado approached Cottonwood proper, along Ramer Loop rolling a single-wide mobile home, destroying it, despite it being well strapped. As the tornado moved through downtown Cottonwood, numerous small businesses sustained damage, ranging from blown out windows, roof damage and in one case the failure of the front-facing brick facade. Additional EF-2 damage occurred when the tornado removed the entire roof of a large two-story home. The tornado continued its northeastward jog, leaving Cottonwood proper, and commenced to destroy a two-story Moose Lodge that was composed of cinder-blocks resulting in another instance of EF-2 damage. The most significant tree damage noted on this survey occurred when the tornado paralleled Dyers Road, thus snapping numerous hardwood and softwood trees. The most significant damage along this northeastward path occurred on September Road where a double-wide home was completely destroyed, and resulted in one fatality. As the tornado continued to move northeast to across Whitaker Road and Creek Church Road, EF-1 tree damage was noted. The tornado caused mainly EF-0 damage to softwood and hardwood trees along Green Frog Road and Ed Tolar Road. One last structural damage occurred to a single-family home where it caused significant roof damage before lifting near the Chattahoochee River. In summary, while most damage was EF-1, there were instances of EF-2 damage with the max wind of 130 mph. In addition to the one fatality, there were also ten direct injuries from the tornado and an additional six indirect injuries during the response phase of the disaster, all in the Cottonwood area. Thanks to Houston County and Jackson County Emergency Management for assistance with this damage survey.

This is a continuation of the Jackson county tornado. The Houston county portion of the tornado is rated EF2 with max winds estimated at 130 mph. This tornado touched down in a swampy area, just east of Holmes Creek in northwest Jackson County. The tornado initially uprooted and snapped several softwood and hardwood trees, along Hickshill Road and in addition, it damaged an outbuilding there. The tornado continued northeast, damaging more hardwood and softwood trees along Piano Road. The first structure to be impacted by this tornado was a double-wide manufactured home on the northern side of Piano Road. Additional softwood and hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted along Danford Bay Road. Tree damage continued along Orchid Road, Damascus Church Road and Layton Road as the tornado continued to progress northeastward. An outbuilding was damaged along Orchid Road, and a single-family home suffered significant roof damage along Layton Road. The tornado then destroyed two ninety foot, seventy-year-old concrete silos. Damage was found along the entire length of Everett Road which was composed of the snapping and uprooting of trees, along with damage to an outbuilding and a mobile home succumbing to window damage. More trees were damaged along Heislar Road and Peanut Road as the tornado continued its northeastward trek. A single-family home on Peanut Road suffered significant roof damage. When the tornado reached Shiloh Church Loop, a single-family home suffered significant roof damage. The tornado continued to move northeast across Highway 2 where more softwood and hardwood trees were uprooted and snapped. Most of the damage to this point is classified as EF-1. Before the tornado crossed into Alabama, it damaged the roof of a small business on US-231. After crossing into Houston County Alabama, the tornado produced a continuous swath of damage on either side of State Line Road all the way towards the city of Cottonwood. This is also consistent of EF-1 damage. The first instance of EF-2 damage was when the tornado approached Cottonwood proper, along Ramer Loop rolling a single-wide mobile home, destroying it, despite it being well strapped. As the tornado moved through downtown Cottonwood, numerous small businesses sustained damage, ranging from blown out windows, roof damage and in one case the failure of the front-facing brick facade. Additional EF-2 damage occurred when the tornado removed the entire roof of a large two-story home. The tornado continued its northeastward jog, leaving Cottonwood proper, and commenced to destroy a two-story Moose Lodge that was composed of cinder-blocks resulting in another instance of EF-2 damage. The most significant tree damage noted on this survey occurred when the tornado paralleled Dyers Road, thus snapping numerous hardwood and softwood trees. The most significant damage along this northeastward path occurred on September Road where a double-wide home was completely destroyed, and resulted in one fatality. As the tornado continued to move northeast to across Whitaker Road and Creek Church Road, EF-1 tree damage was noted. The tornado caused mainly EF-0 damage to softwood and hardwood trees along Green Frog Road and Ed Tolar Road. One last structural damage occurred to a single-family home where it caused significant roof damage before lifting near the Chattahoochee River. In summary, while most damage was EF-1, there were instances of EF-2 damage with the max wind of 130 mph. In addition to the one fatality, there were also ten direct injuries from the tornado and an additional six indirect injuries during the response phase of the disaster, all in the Cottonwood area. Thanks to Houston County and Jackson County Emergency Management for assistance with this damage survey.

The deaths

1 direct deaths are recorded for this tornado, each with what Storm Data knows of it.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

8 minutes of warning. NWS TAE issued a tornado warning for this county at 13:42 UTC, 8 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 14:15 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 12:08 UTC and running to 16:40 UTC.

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 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 12:58 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 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.

The Ft Rucker radar (KEOX), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 13:50 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.

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

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

The live radar over the trackEvery 2024 tornado in FloridaEvery tornado in Florida since 1950Warnings in force in Florida nowThe forecast where you are

31 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

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.

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.