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F1 tornado in Dale County, Alabama

Tornado November 25, 2001 · Dale County, Alabama

F1
Rating
2.0 mi
Path length
100 yd
Path width
25
Injuries
$3.0M
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 100 yards (0.06 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

A strong F1 tornado touched down just southwest of Daleville, near the northwest corner of Cairns Army Airfield at Fort Rucker. Several maintenance buildings sustained minor roof damage. One aircraft suffered minor damage from flying sheet metal. The tornado tracked northeast into Daleville and damaged 25 businesses along Highway 85, including a church, gas station, two supermarkets, a bank and several homes. It destroyed a restaurant and two industrial park buildings. The tornado lifted the roof off of the Daleville Inn and Landing Zone Lounge, causing its walls to collapse. Of the 125 patrons inside, 23 suffered minor injuries and two serious injuries. One restaurant was destroyed. Nearly 40 businesses and 1,000 residential customers lost power after the tornado toppled numerous power poles. The intersection of Highways 85 and 134 in Daleville was closed and a curfew was imposed for 24 hours. Fort Rucker damage surveyed by an off-duty Air Force meteorologist and Daleville damage surveyed by the NWS.

Began near Daleville (31.2833, -85.7333).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5272575. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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