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F1 tornado in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

Tornado September 25, 2005 · Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

F1
Rating
4.8 mi
Path length
125 yd
Path width
$200K
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 125 yards (0.07 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 third tornado to affect the Buhl community in one afternoon touched down at approximately 559 PM CDT. The tornado started just east of Sipsey Valley Road and moved due north. The tornado damaged several homes near Sipsey Valley Road and Sipsey Lane. The tornado moved over rural countryside and then entered Buhl. The Volunteer Fire Department and several other buildings sustained minor roof damage. The tornado then turned to the left and crossed County Road 140 and US Highway 82. The tornado moved along the Sipsey River north of US 82 and lifted around 606 PM CDT. Numerous trees and several power lines were snapped off or were uprooted along the path. This tornado was occurred from the same parent thunderstorm that produced the tornado down the street on Sipsey Valley Road. The tornado damage path was 4.8 miles long and 125 yards wide at its widest point. This tornado was produced by the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Begin: 33 13.19/8745.60 End: 33 17.29/87 45.40

Began near Buhl (33.2167, -87.7667).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5471875. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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