Preliminary review from storm survey

(Tree stripped of all leaves, most branches, and bark.  This is a strong indication of EF4, and possibly EF5 damage.)

I spent the day surveying damage in the Bimingham tornado…mainly in Forestdale, Pratt City, Smithfield, and Mulga, with a USA Today reporter.  I’ve been working in meteorology for 20 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it.  It started that way with the model helicity and CAPE we were seeing before the event, it continued that way with the violent, multiple-vortex tornadoes we have seen on video, and then today it ended that way with incredible damage.  I will be posting a lot more videos and pictures over the next few days, including the story of a Pratt City man who survived in a bathtub despite being thrown across the street along with his house, and many others.

Bathtub man survived in.

Pratt City just SE of US-78.

Category: Severe Weather