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EF3 tornado in Bibb County, Alabama

Tornado March 30, 2022 · Bibb County, Alabama

EF3
Rating
29.2 mi
Whole path
1,200 yd
Path width
2
Injuries

NOAA records this tornado county by county. Its path ran through Perry County → Bibb County → Shelby County; the totals above are for the whole tornado.

EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 1,200 yards (0.68 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF3 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF3 is severe damage: whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, consistent with estimated gusts of 136–165 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in eastern Bibb County and determined that it was consistent with an EF3 tornado, with maximum winds near 145 mph. This tornado originated in Perry County and crossed into southern Bibb County about one mile west of Beaverdam Creek. The most widespread tree damage occurred near the Perry/Bibb county line in the Oakmulgee National Forest. The tornado continued northeast and crossed Highway 82 near the northeast corner of the National Forest. Trees were uprooted and snapped in this area. The tornado tracked across northeast Bibb County, causing additional timber damage as it approached the Brierfield community. It crossed into Shelby County near Moreland Road.

The wider storm

A strong storm system approached Central Alabama on the afternoon of March 30th. A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved west to east across the area during the evening and into the overnight hours. A few discrete supercell storms developed ahead of the main convective line as well. Damage from tornadoes, straight-line winds, and gradient winds ahead of the convective line was reported across numerous counties.

A total of 12 tornadoes occurred across Central Alabama. This included 3 EF2 tornadoes, 7 EF1 tornadoes, and 2 EF0 tornadoes. Widespread, significant tree damage and destruction of some residences occurred along the paths of the most intense tornadoes. There were no fatalities, but 2 injuries were reported in Bibb and Shelby Counties.

Began near Active (32.8360, -87.0760).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

11 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1018993. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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