EF1 tornado in Colbert County, Alabama

A tornado touched down along the south riverbank of the Tennessee River in Sheffield. The tornado initially produced substantial tree damage along Alabama Avenue along with minor roof and structural damage to several homes. The tornado then moved southeast uprooting or snapping numerous hardwood trees in the residential neighborhoods of Sheffield. Here many homes were damaged by falling trees or flying debris. Several homeowners said they witnessed seeing a funnel cloud approaching from the north. The most substantial damage was noted along Little Rock Avenue where power poles were snapped or pushed over. Many residents were without power due to the storm.

The tornado narrowed somewhat as it moved southeast toward Tuscumbia. Damage was noted to trees just east of the Helen Keller Hospital complex. Power lines were broken and transmission lines were bent over along Elm Street. A large light tower was completely destroyed at Deshler High School. The tornado continued to produce sporadic damage as it approached Highway 43 rolling over an un-anchored building and producing minor damage at a car dealership. The tornado crossed Highway 72 Alternate with mainly tree damage noted before it apparently lifted along Spring Valley Road.

A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) dropped southward into the Tennessee Valley during the afternoon and evening hours. The airmass was very unstable, and despite low to moderate low to mid level wind shear, multiple swaths of damaging winds occurred. Within these pockets of winds, a few weak and mostly short-lived tornadoes developed. The most concentrated wind and tornado damage occurred in portions of Lauderdale, Colbert, and Lawrence Counties including the Shoals region of Florence, Sheffield, Muscle Shoals, Town Creek and Courtland. Other short-lived tornadoes occurred in Madison, Morgan and Cullman Counties. Unfortunately, one person was killed by a falling tree near West Point in Cullman County.