Story of Wednesday’s Severe Weather

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
300 PM CST THU FEB 19 2009

..SEVERE WEATHER EVENT ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA

…SURVEY TEAMS HAVE EXHAUSTED THEIR EFFORTS FOR THE DAY. RESULTS
WILL BE EVALUATED AND A REVIEW WILL BE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE IF
ADDITIONAL SURVEYS ARE NEEDED TOMORROW.

ON WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2009 NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS IMPACTED
CENTRAL ALABAMA WITH SOME SUPERCELLS TRAVERSING THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF
THE STATE.

IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT AN EF1 TORNADO IMPACTED A RURAL AREA OF
RANDOLPH COUNTY NEAR THE GEORGIA STATE LINE. NON TORNADIC STRAIGHT
LINE WINDS PRODUCED DAMAGE IN DALLAS COUNTY ON THE EAST SIDE OF
SELMA. IN PERRY…SUMTER…GREENE AND HALE COUNTIES…SPORADIC
DAMAGE WAS FOUND INCLUDING A SEVERELY DAMAGED BARN IN PERRY AND A
TIN ROOF PEELED OFF BELMONT CHURCH IN SUMTER COUNTY BUT SURVEY CREWS
DETERMINED THAT THIS DAMAGE WAS NOT THE RESULT OF A TORNADO.
LIKEWISE…DAMAGE IN CALHOUN AND CLEBURNE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO
NON-TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WIND.

..RANDOLPH COUNTY TORNADO

EVENT DATE: FEBRUARY 18, 2009
EVENT TYPE: EF-1 TORNADO
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): 90 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES: NONE
EVENT START LOCATION & TIME: N 33.23424 6:50 PM
W 85.27192
EVENT END LOCATION & TIME: N 33.23494 6:51 PM
W 85.25682
OR 1/4 MILE WEST OF COUNTY ROAD 296 IN RURAL EASTERN RANDOLPH COUNTY.

DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 1 MILE
DAMAGE WIDTH (IN YARDS): 500
WARNINGS: A TORNADO WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FROM 6:41 PM UNTIL 700 PM
WATCHES: TORNADO WATCH #24 WAS IN EFFECT FROM 12:43 PM UNTIL 8 PM

SEVERAL HUNDRED TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF AND TWISTED IN REMOTE AREAS
NORTH OF ROCK MILLS NEAR THE GEORGIA STATE LINE. MOSTLY SOFTWOOD
TREES WERE AFFECTED. TORNADIC WIND WERE ESTIMATED AT 90 MPH. THE PATH
LENGTH WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE LONG AND WAS 500 YARDS WIDE AT ITS
WIDEST POINT. THE MOST CONCENTRATED DAMAGE WAS ALONG COUNTY ROAD 296.
THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR AROUND 1 MINUTE.

..DALLAS COUNTY THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE

EVENT DATE: FEBRUARY 18, 2009
EVENT TYPE: THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): 60-70 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES: NONE
EVENT LOCATION & TIME: 3 MILES EAST OF SELMA ALONG HIGHLAND AVE. AND
HWY 140 AT 5:19 PM.
WARNINGS: A TORNADO WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FROM 4:52 PM UNTIL
5:30 PM
WATCHES: TORNADO WATCH #24 WAS IN EFFECT FROM 12:43 PM UNTIL 8
PM

A CHURCH WAS DESTROYED AND A FEW MOBILE HOMES WERE DAMAGED ON AL HWY
140. TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN ALONG HIGHLAND AVE.

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