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EF1 tornado in Jackson County, Alabama

Tornado March 3, 2023 · Jackson County, Alabama

EF1
Rating
3.2 mi
Path length
50 yd
Path width
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 50 yards (0.03 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF1 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF1 is moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken, consistent with estimated gusts of 86–110 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

A tornado tracked from County Road 88 where several trees were uprooted. Another tree was uprooted on County Road 61. Then, the tornado lifted on County Road 126 after producing minor roof damage to chicken houses.

The wider storm

A prolonged damaging gradient wind event combined with an intense squall line during the daylight hours of the 3rd to produce widespread wind damage and impacts to the region. Numerous power outages resulted from power poles being snapped and power lines being brought down. All told, thousands were without power in north Alabama for at least for a couple of hours, and in some cases lasting into the next two to three days. Hundreds of reports of trees or limbs being knocked down were received, in many cases on homes, vehicles and other structures. Sadly, two people were killed outside their homes from fallen trees while picking up debris after the line of thunderstorms went through and additional high winds developed. Other minor injuries were also reported including one utility worker who was working to restore power.

A powerful low pressure system intensified rapidly as it moved northeast from Texas through Arkansas, southeast Missouri into western Kentucky. In doing so, very windy conditions developed across the Tennessee Valley ahead of an associated cold front and squall line. South winds increased to 35-45 mph, with gusts of 55-60 mph at times. An intense squall line moved in from Mississippi during the mid morning hours, sweeping east across the rest of the area through the midday hours. Peak wind gusts of 50-60 mph were reported frequently, with one gust up to 77 mph at Pryor Field in Decatur (Morgan County) and 69 mph at the Huntsville International Airport (Madison County). Also, at least two tornadoes were spawned by the line in Jackson County. Behind the line of thunderstorms, the sky cleared out rapidly, but southwest winds intensified as well, with 35-45 mph sustained winds, gusting at 55-65 mph. The winds finally subsided quickly near sunset, but not after additional damage occurred.

Began near Pisgah (34.6785, -85.8392).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

1 more tornado the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

EF1 Jackson County

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1081959. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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