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F2 tornado in Cherokee County, Alabama

Tornado November 10, 2002 · Cherokee County, Alabama

F2
Rating
10.5 mi
Path length
440 yd
Path width
1
Death
4
Injuries
$1.2M
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 440 yards (0.25 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F2 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F2 meant considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted; the scale paired it with winds of 113–157 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 Centre Tornado touched down near Highway 411, just to the east of the Cherokee Country Club. It then traveled northeast, crossed over Cowan Creek, and damaged houses along County Road 40 at approximately 1122 pm CST. The tornado continued its northeastward movement and crossed over County Road 16 at approximately 1125 pm CST. One death was reported in a mobile home at the point where the tornado crossed over County Road 16. From this point, the tornado crossed County Road 31, damaging more homes before moving over Spring Creek. The tornado turned more to the east-northeast, damaging even more homes, before finally lifting near the eastern end of Weiss Lake near Mud Creek.The Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency estimates that 88 homes were either damaged or destroyed as this tornado moved across the county. In addition to the one fatality, there were also 4 injuries reported.The tornado was on the ground from 1120 pm CST to approximately 1132 pm CST. It had a path 10.5 miles long, and at its widest point was 440 yards wide.Beg: 34 07.176/85 38.020 End: 34 10.010/85 27.928

Began near Centre (34.1167, -85.6333).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5321578. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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