EF2 tornado in Macon County, Alabama

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed the damage in Macon and Lee Counties and have determined that the damage was due to an EF-2 tornado. Wind speeds in Macon County are estimated at 120 mph. The tornado initially touched down along St. John's Church Road at Saint John's Church. Several tree branches were damaged along with several overturned grave markers. The tornado continued north-northeast crossing Hardwich Street where several outbuildings sustained damage, and County Road 39 and State Road 14 where several additonal homes and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. On County Road 39, one brick home sustained major roofing loss and window glass breakage. One minor injury was caused from flying glass. Also in the same area, one mobile home had significant damage while another was completely destroyed. The tornado crossed State Road 14, strengthening to its maximum intensity. It significantly damaged a well-built two-story home, with considerable loss of roof material, one outer wall completely destroyed and another outer wall significantly damaged. Of note, the family of five took cover in an interior closet on the lowest level which kept them from injury. The tornado continued northeastward where it damaged an additional outbuilding pavilion, and crossed into Lee County, lifting along Roxana Road.

Severe thunderstorms ahead of and along a cold front moved across Central Alabama on Thursday, April 11th. Storms along the cold front formed into a quasi-linear convective system, causing wind damage and producing seven tornadoes across the area. Ahead of the line, strong daytime heating and increasing instabilities coupled with strong diffluence aloft created prime conditions for discrete thunderstorms to form. These storms caused wind damage across portions of northeast Central Alabama during the late afternoon.