EF2 Tornado — Dekalb, Alabama

2013-03-18 · near Kilpatrick, Dekalb, Alabama

Event narrative

A tornado tracked east from Marshall County along County Road 381. The tornado struck the Kilpatrick community along County Road 479 injuring 7 residents of mobile homes. Very large hardwood trees were snapped near the base. Numerous power poles were snapped at the base. Several mobile homes sustained significant damage with at least two completely destroyed. Several convectional homes sustained minor to moderate exterior damage in this area as well. At this location, the tornado was at its maximum width (220 yards) and intensity (estimated winds of 125 mph). The tornado continued to move east producing substantial damage to a large livestock building near the intersection of Highways 68 and 168. Metal from the roof that was damaged at the Sand Mountain Stockyards was blown down the road for around a mile. The convenience store at that point suffered minor roof damage. A semi truck pulling a trailer on Alabama 168 from the Family Dollar store chain was knocked onto its side by the high winds. The tornado continued to parallel Highway 68. A car wash sustained significant structural damage. A mobile home was flipped and destroyed near the intersection of Highway 68 and County Road 9004. The tornado narrowed and lifted near the intersection of Highway 68 and County Road 113.

Wider weather episode

An active severe weather episode was produced by two quasi-linear convective systems. The first developed during the midday hours across middle Tennessee into northwest Alabama, while another which originated as a small convective cluster in central Arkansas rapidly intensified and raced eastward through northern Mississippi into north Alabama during the afternoon hours. Numerous reports of wind damage, large hail and four tornadoes. Two of the tornadoes injured ten people and produced significant damage to mobile homes, trees, and power poles.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.2678, -86.1076)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 439571. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.