EF0 Tornado — Cherokee, Alabama

2024-05-27 · near Mt Zion, Cherokee, Alabama

Event narrative

A brief EF1 tornado with winds up to 105 mph formed along the leading edge of a QLCS in northern Cherokee County. Minor timber damage began along County Road 768 near County Road 47. The tornado continued to down trees as it crossed County Road 43. The tornado intensified as it paralleled County Road 275, snapping numerous trees along the southwestern slope of the canyon containing Johnnies Creek. The tornado weakened as it moved near the mouth of Little River Canyon, but continued to down trees as it crossed Highway 273. The tornado dissipated as it crossed the Little River near where it flows into Weiss Lake.

Wider weather episode

A line of thunderstorms entered northern portions of Central Alabama after 4:30 AM CDT on May 27, producing scattered areas of wind damage and an embedded tornado in Cherokee County. Simultaneously, an area of intense thunderstorms moved northeastward from north of Meridian, Mississippi into the southern and eastern portions of the Birmingham metro area. This resulted in widespread tree and power line damage and occasional structure damage across northern Hale, southern Tuscaloosa, Bibb, Shelby, Jefferson, St. Clair, and Talladega counties. As the northern line progressed southeastward and later merged with the advancing thunderstorms moving east of Birmingham, a second tornado occurred over northern Randolph County at approximately 6:55 AM CDT. Additional activity occurred during the afternoon hours over the southeastern counties, with a few reports of nickel to quarter-size hail.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.3007, -85.7183)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1170320. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.