...PRELIMINARY STORM SURVEYS COMPLETED FOR PORTIONS OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE COUNTY WARNING AREA AFFECTED DURING THE APRIL 7TH TORNADO OUTBREAK ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE...

REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES HAVE COMPLETED DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS RELATED TO THE SEVERE WEATHER EVENT.

AS OF MONDAY EVENING...APRIL 10TH...18 CONFIRMED TORNADOES HAVE BEEN FOUND ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED RANGED FROM THE F-0 TO F-1 DAMAGE ON THE FUJITA SCALE...RANGING FROM 60 TO 90 MPH.

FURTHER DAMAGE WAS SURVEYED DURING MONDAY APRIL 10TH...FOR LINCOLN AND MOORE COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND IN LIMESTONE AND LAUDERDALE COUNTIES IN NORTH ALABAMA.

...LINCOLN AND MOORE COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE...

A BRIEF AND SHORT-LIVED F-0 TORNADO WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE TOUCHED DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 231 ON CHESTNUT RIDGE ON THE LINCOLN AND MOORE COUNTY TENNESSEE LINE. THIS TORNADO HAD A PATH LENGTH AND PATH WIDTH OF 30 YARDS. TWO TREES WERE DOWN DUE TO THE TORNADO.

ANOTHER BRIEF AND SHORT LIVED F-0 TORNADO WITH MAXMIMUM WIND SPEEDS OF 60 MILES AN HOUR TOUCHED DOWN JUST WEST OF HIGHWAY 50...AND CONTINUED EAST FOR 200 YARDS BEFORE DISSIPATING. THE PATH WIDTH OF THIS TORNADO WAS 50 YARDS. THE TORNADO PRODUCED TREE DAMAGE WEST AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 50...ABOUT FIVE MILES NORTHEAST OF FAYETTEVILLE TENNESSEE NEAR MULBERRY...AS FOUR TREES WERE DAMAGED.

A SEPARATE THIRD TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 7 MILES EAST OF FAYETTEVILLE TENNESSEE NEAR THE CHAMP COMMUNITY AND DESTROYED A LARGE POLE BARN AND KNOCKED DOWN FIVE TREES. THIS TORNADO WAS RATED F-0 WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 70 MILES AN HOUR. THE PATH LENGTH WAS 50 YARDS AND THE PATH WIDTH WAS 30 YARDS.

IN MOORE COUNTY...A SHORT LIVED F-0 TORNADO WITH WIND SPEEDS AT A MAXIMUM OF 60 MILES AN HOUR TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT THREE MILES SOUTH OF MOTLOW COMMUNITY COLLEGE...ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH OF LYNCHBURG TENNESSEE. THE PATH LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO WAS AT 70 YARDS AND THE PATH WIDTH WAS AT 50 YARDS.

...LIMESTONE COUNTY...

A F-1 TORNADO WITH MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS AT 80 MILES AN HOUR TOUCHED DOWN IN THE SUGAR CREEK ESTATES COMMUNITY ALONG SUGAR CREEK IN WESTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY. THIS TORNADO MAINTAINED A PATH LENGTH OF THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE WITH A PATH WIDTH OF 200 YARDS. FIFTEEN LARGE TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN BY THE TORNADO.

...LAUDERDALE COUNTY...

A SMALL AND SHORT-LIVED F-0 TORNADO WITH MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS OF 60 MPH BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN IN THE ST FLORIAN COMMUNITY ABOUT THREE MILES NORTHEAST OF FLORENCE ALABAMA. THIS TORNADO HAD A 30 YARD PATH LENGTH AND WIDTH AND KNOCKED DOWN TWO TREES BEFORE QUICKLY DISSIPATING.

...PREVIOUS STORM SURVEY FROM SUNDAY APRIL 9TH...

...LAWRENCE AND MORGAN COUNTIES...

AN F-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN SOUTHEAST LAWRENCE COUNTY ABOUT THREE MILES SOUTHWEST OF DANVILLE ALABAMA. THIS TORNADO INITIALLY PRODUCED MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS OF 90 MILES AN HOUR AND DEMOLISHED A LARGE BARN. THE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO AT THIS POINT WAS AT 100 YARDS. THE TORNADO WEAKENED TO AN F-0 INTENSITY WITH MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS AT 70 MILES AN HOUR AS IT APPROACHED DANVILLE ALABAMA. THE TORNADO MOVED EAST AND NORTHEAST THROUGH DANVILLE...PRODUCING SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE DANVILLE HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM ROOF...THE ROOFS OF THE PRESS BOXES AT THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND TO THE BACK STOP AND OUTFIELD WALLS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL FIELD.

THE INTENSITY OF THE TORNADO INCREASED TO F-1 JUST EAST OF DANVILLE HIGH SCHOOL...AS IT UPROOTED A FEW LARGE TREES AND LIGHTLY DAMAGED SOME ROOFS AND AWNINGS OF AROUND FIVE HOMES. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS OF THE TORNADO AT THIS POINT WAS AT 80 MILES AN HOUR. THE TORNADO CONTINUED EAST TO CRAZE ROAD...ABOUT A MILE EAST OF DANVILLE...WHERE ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS INCREASED TO 90 MILES AN HOUR. AT LEAST FOUR HOMES SUFFERED MINOR ROOF AND AWNING DAMAGE AND A BARN WAS DESTROYED ON CRAZE ROAD. THE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO AT THIS POINT INCREASED TO 150 YARDS BEFORE IT RAPIDLY DISSIPATED 300 YARDS EAST AND NORTHEAST OF CRAZE ROAD. THE PATH LENGTH OF THE TORNADO WAS AT FIVE MILES.

A SEPARATE TORNADO THAT OCCURRED EARLIER FRIDAY EVENING EAST OF DECATUR ALABAMA WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE A F-0 INTENSITY. THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 20...ABOUT TWO MILES EAST OF DECATUR AND SPORADICALLY PRODUCED VERY LIGHT TREE DAMAGE UNTIL IT REACHED THE MADISON AND MORGAN COUNTY LINE. A LARGE BILLBOARD ALONG INTERSTATE 65 ALSO SUFFERED DAMAGE AS THE TORNADO APPROACHED MADISON COUNTY. THE MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WITH THIS TORNADO WAS AT 70 MILES AN HOUR. THE PATH WIDTH OF THE TORNADO WAS 50 YARDS.

...PREVIOUS STORM SURVEY FROM SATURDAY APRIL 8TH...

...MADISON AND LINCOLN COUNTIES...

A VERY BRIEF F-0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 4 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF HAZEL GREEN ALABAMA NEAR THE ALABAMA/TENNESSEE STATE LINE. A FEW TREES WERE TWISTED AND UPROOTED BY THE SHORT LIVED TORNADO AS TOUCHED DOWN ALONG THE ALABAMA/TENNESSEE STATE LINE AND MOVED TO ABOUT THREE MILES WEST OF VANNTOWN TENNESSEE. THE PATH LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO WAS 150 YARDS AND THE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO WAS 30 YARDS WITH A MAXIMUM WIND SPEED REACHING 60 MILES AN HOUR.

...MADISON COUNTY...

ANOTHER VERY BRIEF F-0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF HAZEL GREEN...ALONG CHARLEY PATTERSON ROAD NEAR THE SULPHUR SPRINGS COMMUNITY. A ROOF WAS PEELED FROM A MOBILE HOME AND INSULATION TOSSED INTO SOME NEARBY TREES. HOWEVER...THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO NEARBY STRUCTURES. THE RESIDENT OF THE HOME WAS INSIDE AT THE TIME...AND WAS AWAKENED BY THE STORM BUT UNHARMED. THE FIRST REPORT OF THE DAMAGE WAS CALLED INTO THE MADISON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AROUND 745 PM CDT. A TORNADO WARNING HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR NORTHERN MADISON COUNTY AT 721 PM CDT. MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS WITH THIS TORNADO WERE ESTIMATED TO BE AT 60 MILES AN HOUR.

ANOTHER SHORT LIVED F-0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST EAST OF INTERSTATE 65 ALONG INTERSTATE 565 ABOUT 8 MILES WEST OF HUNTSVILLE NEAR GREENBRIER ROAD. THIS TORNADO WAS VERY BRIEF AND WAS CONFIRMED BY TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THE ONLY BRIEF DAMAGE WAS TO A ROAD SIGN THAT WAS BLOWN OVER. THE PATH LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO WAS AROUND 30 YARDS...WITH A PATH WIDTH OF 50 YARDS. MAXIMUM WIND SPEED WITH THIS TORNADO WAS 60 MILES AN HOUR.

SEVERAL REPORTS OF HAIL DAMAGE WERE RECEIVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE MADISON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. HOWEVER...NO OTHER WIND OR TORNADO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED OR FOUND BY THE SURVEY TEAM AT THIS TIME IN MADISON COUNTY.

...CULLMAN COUNTY...

AN F-1 TORNADO STRUCK A CHICKEN FARM APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE CITY OF CULLMAN...NOT FAR FROM THE PLEASANT GROVE COMMUNITY. TWO WELL-BUILT CHICKEN HOUSES WERE COLLAPSED AND STRIPPED OF THEIR METAL ROOFING...AND A THIRD CHICKEN HOUSE WAS MODERATELY DAMAGED. METAL ROOFING WAS FLUNG INTO NEARBY TREES AND TWISTED AROUND THEIR BRANCHES...APPROXIMATELY 40 TO 50 YARDS AWAY. A SMALL WOODEN SHED WAS COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED...AND A FEED BIN ATTACHED TO THE FIRST CHICKEN HOUSE WAS COMPLETELY TOPPLED OVER. A BRANCH WAS THROWN AS A PROJECTILE INTO THE WINDOW OF A NEARBY RESIDENCE...BUT THE INHABITANTS OF THE HOUSE HAD TAKEN SHELTER IN THE BASEMENT AFTER RECEIVING A TORNADO WARNING ON NOAA WEATHER RADIO. THE PATH WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS IN LENGTH...AND APPROXIMATELY 30 YARDS WIDE. MAXIMUN WIND SPEEDS OF THIS TORNADO WAS ESTIMATED AT 80 MILES AN HOUR. ESTIMATED TIME OF THE TOUCHDOWN WAS AROUND 11 PM CDT. A TORNADO WARNING HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR CULLMAN COUNTY AT 1036 PM CDT.

...COLBERT COUNTY...

A SHORT LIVED F-0 TORNADO OCCURRED INITIALLY ABOUT TWO MILES EAST OF CHEROKEE ALABAMA. THE PATH LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO WAS AROUND 50 YARDS WITH A PATH WIDTH ALSO OF 50 YARDS.

A SECOND TORNADO WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS OF 90 MILES AN HOUR OCCURRED ABOUT 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TUSCUMBIA. INITIALLY...THIS F-1 TORNADO HAD A WIDTH OF 100 YARDS AND PRODUCED THIS DAMAGE ALONG A 200 YARD PATH LENGTH BEFORE WEAKENING TO AN F-0 TORNADO. A GAS STATION SUFFERED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE...WHERE A 50 FOOT BILLBOARD WAS TWISTED BACKWARDS AND SEVERAL OF THE GAS PUMPS WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED. ONE OF THE GAS PUMPS WAS DISLODGED FROM THE PAVEMENT. THE TORNADO CONTINUED THROUGH TUSCUMBIA...WITH F-0 DAMAGE OCCURRING. THE TORNADO FINALLY DISSIPATED JUST SOUTHEAST OF MUSCLE SHOALS ALABAMA. MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS OF THE F-0 TORNADO WAS AROUND 70 MILES AN HOUR THROUGH TUSCUMBIA AND INTO MUSCLE SHOALS ALABAMA.

A THIRD TORNADO REACHING A MAXIMUM WIND SPEED OF 90 MILES AN HOUR BEGAN A NEARLY CONTINUOUS 10 MILE PATH IN SOUTHEAST COLBERT COUNTY. THE F-1 TORNADO BEGAN ITS PATH FROM COLBERT HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL...CONTINUING EAST AND NORTHEAST TO THE COLBERT HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL. THE TORNADO FIRST PRODUCED DAMAGE AT A BALL FIELD NEAR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL...WHERE THE FENCE WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL...A MANUFACTURED HOME SUFFERED EXTENSIVE ROOF AND PORCH DAMAGE. MOST OF THE ROOF WAS BLOWN AS MUCH AS 100 YARDS BEHIND THE HOME. AT COLBERT HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL... DAMAGE INCLUDED A SCOREBOARD...WHICH WAS BLOWN AND TWISTED OFF OF ITS BASE AND A NEARBY BASEBALL DUGOUT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LOST ITS ROOF. ALSO...A LARGE ANTENNA AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WAS TWISTED IN TWO.

THE TORNADO WEAKENED TO AN F-0 INTENSITY ABOUT TWO MILES EAST OF COLBERT HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL. THERE WAS CONTINUOUS LIGHT TREE DAMAGE ALONG THE PATH OF THE TORNADO UNTIL IT MOVED THROUGH THE LEIGHTON ALABAMA COMMUNITY. NEAR LEIGHTON...THE TORNADO REACHED F-1 INTENSITY AGAIN WITH WIND SPEEDS ESTIMATED AT A MAXIMUM OF 80 MILES AN HOUR. A LARGE BARN SUFFERED EXTENSIVE ROOF DAMAGE JUST WEST OF LEIGHTON. THE ROOF OF THIS BARN WAS BLOWN 200 YARDS FROM THE STRUCTURE. CORN STALKS FROM A NEARBY FIELD WERE FOUND EMBEDDED BETWEEN THE REMAINING WALLS IN THE BARN. THE TORNADO UPROOTED FIVE LARGE OAK TREES IN LEIGHTON ALABAMA...BEFORE ABRUPTLY DISSIPATING ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN.

...LAWRENCE COUNTY...

A BRIEF F-0 TORNADO OCCURRED ONE MILE NORTHWEST OF HATTON ALABAMA. THIS TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN...WITH MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS ESTIMATED AT AROUND 60 MILES AN HOUR. THE PATH LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO WAS 30 YARDS AND THE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO WAS ALSO AT 30 YARDS.

A SECOND WEAK F-0 TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT ONE MILE EAST OF MOUNT HOPE ALABAMA. THIS TORNADO PRODUCED MINOR TREE DAMAGE WITH MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS ESTIMATED AT 70 MILES AN HOUR. THE PATH LENGTH OF THE TORNADO WAS 60 YARDS AND THE PATH WIDTH WAS AT 50 YARDS.

A THIRD WEAK F-0 TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN NEAR CADDO ALABAMA... WHICH IS ABOUT 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF MOULTON ALABAMA. THIS TORNADO ALSO PRODUCED MINOR TREE DAMAGE AND ROOF DAMAGE TO A MANUFACTURED HOME. MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS OF THIS TORNADO WAS 70 MILES AN HOUR. THE PATH LENGTH OF THE TORNADO WAS 100 YARDS AND THE PATH WIDTH WAS 60 YARDS.