EF1 tornado in Hale County, Alabama

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in northwestern Hale County and determined that it was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum winds near 105 mph. A tornado touched down near Martin Slough Lake in a mostly inaccessible area just east of the Black Warrior River. It traveled northeast causing mostly sporadic timber damage. Upon entering the town of Moundville, stronger winds were indicated by varying degrees of minor to moderate structural damage, including damage to the post office and a nearby apartment building. Many other structures were damaged from falling trees and other flying debris based on video footage. The tornado crossed into Tuscaloosa County near the intersection of Highway 72 and Highway 69.

An active southern jet stream set-up across the southern United States during the middle of March. Several short-wave troughs became negatively tilted as each one traversed across Texas and towards Alabama. This resulted in a single hail event one Monday, March 15, and significant tornado outbreak on Wednesday, March 17. Many supercells began to develop across Central Alabama by midday Wednesday and continued into the evening hours before a squall line moved through the state. Sufficient instability and strong wind shear produced conditions favorable for tornadoes to develop. The event consisted of twenty-one tornadoes in the NWS Birmingham forecast area.