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F1 tornado in Jefferson County, Alabama

Tornado April 3, 2000 · Jefferson County, Alabama

F1
Rating
5.7 mi
Path length
350 yd
Path width
$4.0M
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 350 yards (0.20 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F1 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F1 meant moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken; the scale paired it with winds of 73–112 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

The tornado path began on Shades Crest just west of US 31. The tornado paralleled Shades Crest before moving down a hill and across the Birmingham Water Works and US 280. The tornado continued to travel northeasterly just north of Overton Road through a heavily wooded residential area and continued along Overton Road to I-459. The tornado ended just east of I-459 in the Cahaba River area in the vicinity of Liberty Park.Damage was primarily to trees with generally minor roof damage to structures. Several structures sustained major damage at the Birmingham Water Works on US 280. Some structures sustained heavy damage when trees fell on them. Beginning: 33 27.310/86 47.330 End: 33 29.243/86 41.825

Began near Vestavia Hills (33.4000, -86.7833).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5141878. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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