F1 Tornado — Clarke, Alabama

1996-03-18 · near Jackson Muni Arpt, Clarke, Alabama

Wider weather episode

A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST EAST OF U. S. HWY 43, JUST SOUTH OF JACKSON NEAR THE BOISE CASCADE PLANT AND THE AIRPORT. HEAVY DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED AT THE BOISE CASCADE PLANT TO A BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION. SEVERAL HOMES NEAR THE AIRPORT ALSO SUFFERED ROOF DAMAGE. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST AND CROSSED STATE HIGHWAY 2 AND THEN PASSED JUST SOUTH OF WALKER SPRINGS. SEVERAL HOMES WERE DAMAGED HERE, WITH SEVERAL BARNS AND OUTBUILDINGS AND A TRAILER BEING DESTROYED. A LADY IN THE TRAILER CRAWLED UNDER A TRACTOR TO ESCAPE THE TORNADO. ANOTHER LADY ESCAPED INJURY BY HIDING IN THE CLOSET OF HER HOME. FIFTEEN PEOPLE WERE INJURED BUT NONE SERIOUSLY AND THREE COWS WERE ALSO KILLED. MOST OF THE OTHER DAMAGE WAS TO SHINGLES BEING BLOWN FROM ROOFS AND ALSO FROM TREES BEING BLOWN ON HOMES. THE TORNADO THEN LIFTED BACK INTO THE CLOUD NEAR COUNTY ROAD 29. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR ABOUT EIGHT MILES.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (31.4700, -87.9000)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5552291. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.