EF3 Tornado — Jefferson, Alabama

2012-01-23 · near Ketona, Jefferson, Alabama

Event narrative

The tornado touched down in central Jefferson county and tracked northeastward for 15.69 miles, before lifting in western St. Clair county. It touched down along Pawnee Village Rd, about 3.25 miles northeast of Tarrant where several businesses sustained roof and wall damage. The tornado then tracked to the northeast, across Pinson Valley Parkway where several additional businesses were heavily damaged or destroyed. In the city of Center Point, the path width increased to 880 yds as the tornado strengthened to 120 mph. Center Point Elementary School sustained extreme damage, with one building destroyed and extensive damage to several other buildings. The destroyed building was valued at $13 million and the loss of contents inside at $5 million. The tornado continued northeast, crossing Center Point Parkway, causing damage to numerous businesses near 24th St. Minor roof damage, consistent with winds of 100 MPH, occurred to multiple businesses, gas stations, and a strip mall. The tornado crossed Sweeney Hollow Rd and Tyler Loop Rd, and moved through Paradise Valley subdivision, damaging or destroying approximately 200 homes. As the tornado crossed Old Springville Rd, it intensified to 150 MPH, causing extensive damage or destroying to two dozen homes in the George Brook subdivision. Of the homes destroyed, most, if not all, exterior and interior walls were collapsed. The tornado crossed the southern extent of Steeplechase subdivision, destroying two homes, where one fatality occurred, and causing minor to moderate roof damage to numerous other homes. Path width was approximately 600 yds wide at this point. The tornado continued northeast, causing minor to moderate damage to numerous homes in the Pilgrim's Rest subdivision. The heaviest damage was along Plymouth Rock Dr., where approximately a dozen homes were destroyed. As the tornado approached the St. Clair county line, it weakened to an EF1 with winds of 105 MPH, and caused significant damage to at least two homes, with minor damage to several others along Skyline Way. In addition, numerous trees were knocked down. The tornado crossed into St. Clair County south of Will Keith Rd, one mile north of Interstate 59, Exit 148. In total, approximately 50 businesses received some degree of damage, 200 homes were heavily damaged or destroyed, and 200 homes received minor to moderate damage. Merchantable timber losses estimated by the Alabama Forestry Commission for this track are approximately $132K.

Wider weather episode

An upper level low pressure system developed over the Great Plains and moved east across the Ohio River Valley, dragging a cold front through the lower Mississippi River Valley. As the cold front moved through Arkansas, a squall line formed, producing severe thunderstorms to areas west of Alabama. As the cold front progressed eastward, individual supercells developed in advance of the front and moved through Alabama during the early morning hours on January 23rd. Several long track supercells produced strong, long track tornadoes.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.6228, -86.7411)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 364295. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.