EF1 tornado in Walker County, Alabama

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in Walker County, near Carbon Hill, and determined that it was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum winds near 110 mph.

A short-lived but intense tornado touched down near Nubbin Ridge Road in far northwestern Walker County. At this location, several trees were snapped and uprooted. As the tornado tracked into the town of Carbon Hill, dozens of trees were uprooted or snapped off throughout the town. Various residential and professional buildings sustained structural damage, including sections of roofing blown off of a site-built home as estimated winds peaked at 110 mph. The area of greatest structural damage occurred along Nauvoo Lane where at least 5 manufactured homes and outbuildings were either rolled and completely destroyed, shifted from block piers, or suffered substantial loss of roof and walls. The tornado continued towards Nauvoo Court and snapped off a few large branches before ending just south of Interstate 22.

An upper-level low over the southwest United States evolved into a negatively-tilted shortwave trough as it moved over the southeastern United States. A warm front steadily moved northward during the morning and afternoon hours on Sunday, April 12. This allowed an unstable air mass to move northward and overspread much of the region. At the same time, very strong wind shear developed over Alabama as the upper trough neared the state.

An initial wave of severe storms affected areas near and north of Interstate 20, involving tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds, and some hail. Through the evening, a second wave of thunderstorms affected the remaining areas of Central Alabama with tornadoes and damaging straight-line winds. Flooding also resulted from training rainfall near and north of Interstate 20. Some roads became impassible or were washed out. This weather event was large in scope and produced severe weather from Oklahoma and Texas, through the southeastern United States, then up the east coast to New York.