EF1 Tornado — Cleburne, Alabama

2018-03-19 · near Oak Level, Cleburne, Alabama

Event narrative

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in northern Cleburne County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph. This tornado began in Calhoun County just west of Highway 431 and crossed into Cleburne County just south of County Road 534. The tornado continued east-southeast across a very rural portion of the county where it snapped or uprooted hundreds of softwood trees. The tornado crossed into the state of Georgia near County Road 57.

Wider weather episode

Six tornadoes and hail up to 3 inches in diameter affected the northern areas of Central Alabama on the afternoon and evening hours of March 19th, with a rare PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) Tornado Watch issued for a large portion of Central Alabama. An environment favorable for significant severe thunderstorms developed as a low-amplitude upper-level trough moved into the region with a deepening surface low passing across far north Alabama. These two features resulted in a deep column of strong wind shear with 0-6km Bulk Shear values of 60-70 knots. Additionally, moist southerly flow, warm surface temperatures, and colder temperatures aloft yielded a moderately unstable air mass. Initially, thunderstorms were producing large to very large hail. However, the tornado threat increased in the late afternoon and evening hours as wind speeds at low levels increased with the arrival of a low-level jet.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.8031, -85.5863)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 747016. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.