EF2 tornado in Jefferson County, Alabama

The tornado touched down near Academy Drive and Southgate Lane in Bessemer and traveled to the northeast, snapping and uprooting dozens of trees along its path. In addition, dozens of homes sustained damage from downed trees. The tornado intensified with winds of 120 mph as it neared the Frank House Municipal Golf Course where the clubhouse was destroyed. The tornado continued on its northeast path, crossing the golf course, snapping and uprooting hundreds of trees. Several homes and an apartment complex sustained significant roof damage around Memorial Drive. The tornado continued to the northeast as it paralleled 4th Avenue North. The tornado took a slight turn to the east as it crossed Alabama Highway 150, causing minor damage to a home and small restaurant. Hundreds of trees were uprooted through Bessemer, before the tornado lifted near the intersection of Dartmouth Avenue and 31st Street South.

A large scale severe weather event began Saturday, April 26 and ended Wednesday, April 30th, producing several waves of severe weather from the Central Plains eastward through the Deep South, and across a significant portion of the eastern United States. Strong and violent tornadoes, very large hail, flash flooding, and damaging straight line winds accompanied this dynamic storm system. The most tornadoes occurred across the Deep South as the system moved into Mississippi and Alabama on Monday, April 28th. Supercell thunderstorms developed during the afternoon over eastern Mississippi and northwest Alabama in the warm sector well ahead of a cold front. The activity slowly spread east and southeast overnight, with this wave of severe storms ending early Tuesday morning. Storms redeveloped late Tuesday afternoon and moved into Central Alabama. A large area of rainfall across the northern Gulf Coast limited the amount of instability across the area, and storms remained below severe limits. The last wave of severe weather occurred early Wednesday morning across the south as an isolated storm produced large hail, as the system finally pulled east of the area.