May 6, 2003
The May 6, tornado event across north Alabama began across western
Lauderdale county with damage indicated along county roads 14 and
19, about 5 miles west of Florence. (Note: Most of these photographs
were taken by WFO Huntsville WCM/Warning Coordination Meteorologist
Tim Troutman, unless otherwise noted.)
The damage path of this tornado was about 10 miles through Lauderdale
county. The tornado at this point was rated as an F-1 tornado on
the Fujita scale with wind speeds determined to be at 80 mph. The
tornado had a broad circulation associated with it with a path width
estimated at 600 yards wide.
Figure 2. More damage along County road 14 about 5 miles west of
Florence, Alabama.
Figure 3. More damage along county road 14.
Figure 4. Barn roof damage along county roads 14 and 19 intersection.
Figure 5. More barn damage about 5 miles west of Florence.
Figure 6. Large tree uprooted and twisted near McGee Town just west
of Florence, Alabama. Photo taken by Mark Senf, Lauderdale County
Emergency Management.
The tornado continued with an F-1 rating (80 mph) as it continued
its eastward track through McGee Town toward the Petersville-Underwood
area. The below two photos, Figures 7 through 9 show the continued
F-1 tornado damage with 70-80 mph winds continuing until it lifted
in the Petersville-Underwood area just north of Florence.
Figure 7. Tree snapped in the Petersville-Underwood area about
two miles north of Florence.
Figure 8. Roof damage and tree blown down in the Petersville-Underwood
community.
Figure 9. Home damaged due to tree being uprooted and falling on residence
in Underwood-Petersville community.
The tornado lifted as it moved out of the Underwood-Petersville
area just ot the north of Florence in Lauderdale County, then touched
down again in Limestone county. Initial damage occurred in Limestone
County near the Shanghai community, about 15 miles northwest of
Athens. The tornado continued on an east-northeast track with continuous
F1 (80 mph) damage continuing consistently until it lifted about
5 miles northeast of Athens. The maximum wind speeds with the F1
tornado reached 90 mph during the middle of the 10 mile damage path
as it moved through Limestone County. The tornado had a path width
ranging from 500 to 700 yards in width as a broad circulation was
continuously noted. The damage characteristics of the tornado was
that the tornado seemed to continuously grab the tops of large trees
and pull them out of the ground, with little damage noted at the
ground. At least 150 trees in Limestone County were twisted, snapped
and uprooted in the tornadoes path. At least 17 homes had minor
damage to roofs and structural damage throughout the 15 mile path
length of the tornado.
Figures 10-17 indicate the damage that occurred in Limestone County
between the Shanghai and the area just to the northeast of Athens.
Figure 10. Large tree uprooted and snapped along Lydia Corey Road
(County road 47) about 7 miles northwest of Athens.
Figure 11. Another large tree lifted and uprooted along Lydia Corey
Road (County road 47).
Figure 12. Large tree uprooted along Lydia Corey Road (County road
47).
Figure 13. More trees uprooted and snapped along Lydia Corey Road
(County Road 47) about 7 miles northwest of Athens.
Figure 14. Home with significant roof damage along Coffman Road
about 5 miles north of Athens.
Figure 15. Trees with twisted damage on the other side of the road
from home in Figure 13 along Coffman Road.
Figure 16. Home with extensive roof damage along Easter Lane about
5 miles northwest of Athens.
Figure 17. Mobile home with tree damage about 5 miles northwest
of Athens.
The tornado again touched down in the Meridianville, Alabama area.
This touchdown with minor tree damage occurred about one mile west
of Highway 231 in Merdianville. The tornado had a path length of
one mile and a path width of 200 yards. The tornado was classified
as an F-1 tornado with winds determined to be at a maximum at 80
mph. At least two homes and two businesses along Highway 231 had
minor roof damage and a mobile home was slightly moved off of its
foundation.
Figure 18. Trees blown down and twisted in Meridianville just west
of Highway 231.
Figure 19. Minor roof damage at Meridianville.
Figure 20. Roof damage to business in Meridianville.
Figure 21. Mobile home with roof damage, blown slightly off of its
foundation and tree uprooted due to tornado damage in Meridianville.
The line of severe thunderstorms continued to move east into Jackson
county, with damage indicated again at Hollywood, Alabama, about
5 miles northeast of Scottsboro, Alabama. Figures 22-24 shows the
F0 damage (60 mph winds) to six bradford pear trees in the old regions
bank parking lot. The tornado at this point, quickly lifted,
with a path length of 50 yards and width of 80 yards.
Figure 22. F0 tornado damage (60 mph winds) with trees down and other
damage indicating twisting and trees in different angles in Hollywood
along Highway 72.
Figure 23. More tree damage associated with F0 tornado in Hollywood
along Highway 72.
Figure 24. More tree damage at Hollywood along Highway 72 associated
with F0 tornado (60 mph winds).
As the line of severe storms continued to move east, a tornado
again touched down along county road 36, about 3 miles east-northeast
of the previous damage in Hollywood. Figure 24 shows the twisting
and trees being blown down in differing directions, clearly indicating
tornado damage. The damage path of the F0 tornado (60 mph winds)
was at a 20 yard length and a 10 yard width.
Figure 25. F0 tornado damage along county road 36 about 3 miles
east-northeast of Hollywood.
The tornado quickly lifted along county road 36, with more damage
noted about 5 miles northeast of Hollywood with four trees uprooted
and again in differing directions. The F0 tornado had a final path
length and width of 20 yards in Jackson county.
Figure 26. More F0 tornado (60 mph wind) damage about 5 miles northeast
of Hollywood just east of highway 72.
The line of severe storms continued to move east into De Kalb
County by late morning. Damage was first determined to begin just
west of Interstate 59 with a few trees twisted and blown down as
the storms approached Hammondville. Figures 27-33 shows the progression
of the tornado damage (F-1, 80 mph) as the tornado moved through
the Hammondville to the Valley Head communities. The total path
length of the tornado was 2.7 miles with a broad circulation accounting
for a 50 yard width. The tornado finally weakened and lifted
in the Valley Head community, with no further damage indicated in
the National Weather Service Huntsville county warning area.
Figure 27. Roof damage to home along Highway 11 just south of Hammondville.
Figure 28. F1 tornado (70-80 mph damage) occurred along Highway
11 just south of Hammondville.
Figure 29. F1 tornado (80 mph damage) occurred along Highway 11
just south of Hammondville.
Figure 30. F1 tornado (80 mph wind) damage occurred in Hammondville
along Highway 11.
Figure 31. F1 tornado (80 mph wind) damage occurred in Hammondville
along Highway 11.
Figure 32. F1 tornado (80 mph wind) damage between Hammondville
and Valley Head.
Figure 33. F0 damage (winds at 70 mph) in the Valley Head community
as the tornado began to show signs of weakening and lifting.
I would like to thank the Emergency management personnel from
Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison, Jackson and De Kalb Counties for
their precise information and willingness to help with determining
damage locations and their time involving surveying the tornado
damage.
Columbus (KGWX) NEXRAD 0.5 degree Base Reflectivity at 0623
AM CDT just prior to touchdown of F1 tornado west of Florence. |
Columbus (KGWX) NEXRAD 0.5 degree Storm Relative Velocity at
0623 AM CDT just prior to touchdown of F1 tornado west of Florence. |
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Hytop (KHTX) NEXRAD 0.5 degree Base Reflectivity at 0815 AM
CDT, just prior to touchdown of Meridianville Tornado. |
Hytop (KHTX) NEXRAD 0.5 degree Storm Relative Velocity at 0815
AM CDT, just prior to touchdown of Meridianville Tornado. |
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