EF2 tornado in Shelby County, Alabama

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in western Shelby County and determined that it was consistent with an EF2 tornado, with maximum winds near 120 mph. The tornado touched down in a wooded area near Red Oak Rd and Hancock Creek and tracked northeast, moving across a largely uninhabited area along the Cahaba River. The tornado quickly intensified to EF2 strength where it snapped or uprooted thousands of soft and hardwood trees just south and east of Shelby County Road 1 in the Ward Creek area. The tornado crossed many bends along the Cahaba River as it approached the Moss Bend area where trees were snapped or uprooted. Further northeast, numerous trees were snapped or uprooted along a portion of Oak View Lane. The tornado continued northeast into the Old Cahaba neighborhood where several homes sustained minor roof and siding damage. The window to a home was also blown out along with additional damage to trees. The tornado continued northeast roughly paralleling Hillsboro Parkway where more trees were uprooted. The tornado dissipated just southeast of the Helena Amphitheater.

Heavy rainfall and severe storms affected Central Alabama on February 5th and 6th as several impulses emanated from a deep upper trough centered over the central United States. This event yielded tornadoes, damaging winds, and flooding.

The northward progression of a warm front allowed a seasonably warm and moist air mass to overspread the region on Wednesday, February 5th, with afternoon temperatures in the 70s and dew points in the 60s. The initial round of convection on this day included areas of rain with embedded thunderstorms producing gusty winds as well as hail. There was a relative lull in thunderstorm activity during Wednesday evening, before the next upper-level impulse arrived, alongside a cold front and nearby surface low. This round of activity began its formation to the west in Mississippi and then moved through Alabama late Wednesday night through midday Thursday, February 6th. This round of convection produced widespread moderate to heavy rainfall, resulting in more substantial flooding. Some storms became tornadic due to the favorable wind shear and instability in place, while others produced damaging straight-line winds. Due to the overall wet and breezy conditions, trees fell in numerous locations from wind not associated with thunderstorms.