EF1 Tornado — Bibb, Alabama

2019-12-16 · near Brierfield, Bibb, Alabama

Event narrative

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in east Bibb County and determined that it was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph.

The tornado began on the eastern edge of Brierfield Ironworks Park where several trees were uprooted. The tornado continued eastward and crossed State Route 139. At this location, dozens of trees were snapped and uprooted in the immediate vicinity of Mahan Creek. The tornado tracked eastward and damaged a barn on the Bridlewood Farms property before dissipating just west of County Road 1053.

Wider weather episode

A very warm and moist air mass developed over Central Alabama on Monday, December 16th. Afternoon temperatures warmed into the lower and middle 70s, which was 15 to 20 degrees above normal for the middle of December. A surface low tracked north of Alabama Monday night and pushed a strong cold across the state. Several bands of strong to severe storms developed across Mississippi during the afternoon and moved into west Alabama that evening. Most of the severe weather damage across Central Alabama was associated with a long track supercell that started in Mississippi and tracked into southwest Alabama. The supercell entered southern Sumter County and tracked northeast to Shelby County.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.0416, -86.9401)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 869161. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.