The following account is structured chronologically, tracing a single path between several of the more than a dozen separate places where AL.com witnessed the damage of the West Blocton-North Shelby Tornado firsthand on Friday: Tommy Conroy was driving home from his job as a heavy equipment mechanic when he says he witnessed what he believes was the start of what the National Weather Service would later dub the West Blocton-North Shelby Tornado. on Tuesday. Between 1 and 3 inches of rain have fallen. We'll help you understand the sharpest arguments on the most pressing issues of the week, from new and familiar voices. A hand-scrawled neon yellow sign solicited donations of household items, non-perishable food and hygiene products, piles of which sat waiting to be delivered to the homes of area residents impacted by the Thursday tornado. Police were using the Sawmeal Restaurant as a checkpoint for southbound travelers, turning back the majority who did not live in the area. Fortunately, the only damage the house sustained was to its trim and gutters. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for twisters to form, but not a guarantee. Radar indicates a possible tornado developing just west of Meridian, Miss., which is under a tornado warning until 3:30 p.m. 2:15 p.m.: Dangerous long-track tornado racing east of Birmingham; Meteorologist James Spann’s house damaged. A deadly tornado carved a 22-mile path through Brunswick County on Monday. After the 32.5-mile stretch that AL.com followed Friday, the tornado went on to decimate a swath of the Eagle Point community in Shelby County, where over 100 homes were damaged. Powerful tornadoes tore through Georgia and Alabama … 3:15 p.m.: Severe damage about 50 miles northeast of Birmingham. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The Storm Prediction Center’s language in its forecast discussion is even stronger compared with the high-risk event last week, signaling the significant potential for an extreme event. At least 5 deaths reported in Alabama after tornado touches down By Judson Jones , Dakin Andone and Jamiel Lynch , CNN Updated 12:48 AM ET, Fri March 26, 2021 The tornado continues to loft massive amounts of debris into the air, which is being detected by radar. The large tornado that was on the ground about 30 to 40 miles south of both Tuscaloosa and Birmingham lifted and the warning for the storm discontinued around 6:15 p.m. 6:00 p.m.: Tornado emergency extended into Columbiana and Wilsonville, about 30 miles southeast of Birmingham. Several flash flood warnings were also in effect in the north central and northeast portion of the state, including in Birmingham. Families toured the wreckage, taking videos and photographs with their smartphones and checking in on friends at local businesses. Driving through Shelby County Friday afternoon, the impact of the tornado that had whipped across the area the day before was starkly clear. “We usually go out of state because they generally get hit harder than us, but this time the need was here.”. A thick-trunked tree had been uprooted by the tornado and fallen through a section of the elder Martin’s wooden fence along Alabama 119, tearing several holes in the screen enclosing his back porch and nearly hitting his house. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The warning is in effect until 6 p.m. as the radar-confirmed tornado potentially tracks just north of the twister earlier in the afternoon that passed near Pell City and Ohatchee. Five dead in Alabama as South braces for tornadoes and 166mph winds Much of the South is bracing for continued storms this Thursday Residents survey damage to homes after a tornado … Social media photos show severe damage to homes in Eagle Point, which is near Meadowbrook, Ala. and about 10 miles southeast of Birmingham. Still, AL.com was able to track 32.5 miles of the path of what the weather service has since dubbed the West Blocton-North Shelby Tornado, driving back and forth across the storm’s wake to pinpoint exactly where it crossed roads and population centers. “There are people I know who have lost their homes. I feel extremely fortunate. Philicia Danner, disaster relief coordinator for Helena Cumberland Presbyterian Church, collects contributions on Friday for people impacted by the storm that tore through Helena on Thursday. “This is a particularly dangerous situation,” the Weather Service warned. According to the Tuscaloosa church’s outreach director, Steve Repke, who led the effort on the ground in West Blocton, the goal was to be of assistance in the way that Alabamians were in the aftermath of the 2011 tornadoes that devastated Tuscaloosa and other areas of the state. The NWS reported that five people were injured in the tornado, which had the second-longest path of the 10 that hit Alabama on Thursday. Stephen Quinn, a reporter for the Birmingham ABC television affiliate, tweeted that, according to the local fire department, “multiple people [were] pulled from their homes in Eagle Point subdivision and hospitalized” from the tornado that passed about 10 miles southeast of the city in the Eagle Point subdivision. Among the dead are a family of three that lived in a wood-frame house in the small town of Ohatchee, along with a man and a woman who lived in mobile homes in Ohatchee and Wellington, respectively, county coroner Pat Brown told The Washington Post. From Conroy’s house, the tornado barreled three miles northeast, missing downtown West Blocton but making direct impact with a residential community in the woods just north of Mount Carmel Baptist and Hickory Hill Cemetery, where generations of the town’s residents are buried. A tornado emergency was issued for Newnan at 12:10 a.m. Friday, about 35 miles southwest of Atlanta, where the Weather Service wrote “a confirmed large and destructive tornado was confirmed” and radar showed large amounts of debris lofted into the air. Just before noon, the Storm Prediction Center has issued a “particularly dangerous situation” tornado watch for central and eastern Mississippi, western and northern Alabama, southern middle Tennessee, and northwest Georgia until 8 p.m. central time. Social media footage provides ground truth: 4:50 p.m.: Tornado emergency south of Tuscaloosa due to large twister, while new tornado warning issued for northeast Birmingham. “In [your] safe places, have helmets for everybody, a portable air horn … first responders can hear that a mile a way … hard sole shoes [for] walking over tornado debris,” said Spann in a morning video posted to his Facebook page. A tractor dealer’s metal sign had been partially torn from its moors and flipped over the roof like a twist-tie. The South is even more vulnerable, research shows. All rights reserved (About Us). “Days like this, it all comes together … and conditions are favorable for these very long-lived storms.”. Winding and meandering road networks make it impossible to escape a tornado if you’re caught on the roadways, too. A long-track, destructive tornado continues plowing east, south of Birmingham, where a tornado emergency, the most severe alert for twisters, is in effect until 6:30 p.m. There have been 14 reported tornadoes in Alabama and Mississippi as of Thursday night. The wreckage of a home destroyed by a tornado south of Birmingham, Alabama, on March 25, 2021. Late Thursday afternoon into early evening, a second long-track, destructive tornado was on the ground for about 100 miles in north central Alabama before it lifted, only about 10 miles south of the first tornadic storm. Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Brian Hastings estimated Thursday night that hundreds of homes were destroyed or damaged in his state. Y’all please stay safe and vigilant!”. Alabama tornado kills 5; as many as 8 twisters may have touched down John De Block, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Birmingham, said as many as eight tornado… “Multiple rounds of intense supercell thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and early evening, with the potential for long-track strong to violent tornadoes,” the Storm Prediction Center wrote. State highways 45, 20 and 72 in Mississippi, as well as the Natchez Trace Parkway, Highways 43 and 72 in Alabama, and Highways 64, 43 and 412 in Tennessee are among the major routes that could be impacted by especially dangerous weather. “DO NOT stay in a mobile home when a watch is issued. Tornado warnings are in effect about 30 miles south of Tuscaloosa, Ala. until 5 p.m. and 15 miles east of Rome until 4:45 p.m. (5:45 p.m. local time). First published on March 18, 2021 … © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: At least 5 dead as multiple tornadoes pummel Alabama; 7 Southern states in path of severe weather Continue Reading Show … (Connor Sheets | csheets@al.com), “We started this in 2011, after the big tornado came through Tuscaloosa,” she said. Tornado-producing storms left lines of damage late into Monday night in central Alabama. On Friday, the volunteers’ goal in Helena, as in West Blocton, was to help people get through the immediate aftermath of the storm, while they were still assessing the damage and working long hours on their properties, often without reliable electricity or clean drinking water. Butch Dill / AP "It was scary," said homeowner Carol Willis. The Weather Service reported the storm had recently produced tree damage. “I had to stop and let it pass. 3:45 p.m.: Birmingham ABC affiliate reporter: “multiple people pulled from their homes ... and hospitalized” southeast of the city. “They need to have a plan in place NOW which includes having multiple ways to get warning information and [knowing] where to take shelter should a tornado warning be issued for their location.”, The sentiment was echoed by other Weather Service offices and broadcast meteorologists, the Weather Service in Birmingham writing “the synoptic pattern checks nearly all the boxes for a Deep South/Tennessee Valley outbreak.”, Their neighboring office in Huntsville described the air mass as “very unstable and downright volatile,” while the Storm Prediction Center called the environment for violent, tornadic storms as “uncommon, upper echelon.”. “It’s just destruction in those areas,” Brown said. We heard all the trees snapping and we all got down on the floor behind the coolers,” he said. Farther south and north, severe thunderstorm activity may be a bit more scattered in nature, but some tornadoes, including a few significant ones, are possible in eastern Arkansas and southern Kentucky surrounding the moderate and high-risk areas. Kay Ivey said in a statement that she has received “reports of loss of life.”, “Significant and dangerous weather continues to impact portions of Alabama, and I urge all folks in the path of these tornadoes and storm systems to remain on high alert,” she said. Instigating the severe weather is a high-altitude weather disturbance that ejected east out of the southern Rockies early Wednesday after passing through the Four Corners region. The tornado damage path was 12.89 miles long and was 300 yards wide at its … through north central Alabama to just northeast of Rome, Ga. (see 3:55 p.m. update) has generated several areas of rotation, prompting both tornado and flash flood warnings. Radar suggested the storm crossed Interstate 65 around 1:30 p.m. and was between Meadowbrook and Chelsea at 1:40 p.m. A tornado emergency is issued in the most urgent “particularly dangerous” situations which the Weather Service deems “life-threatening.”. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Severe storms and flash flooding, somewhat less intense than those earlier in the day, continued Thursday night. Click here for full coverage of the storms. Although the most widespread severe storms will threaten central and northeast Mississippi, much of Middle Tennessee and northern and western Alabama, the threat of at least a few tornadoes extends as far north as Louisville or Indianapolis. “They call this tornado alley, you know?” Brown said. “We were told roads were blocked, and we sent a team down here … and we’ve been clearing roads and helping families get their yards cleared,” Repke said. Tornado Alley in the Plains is an outdated concept. The watch, reserved for the most serious severe weather situations, calls for “numerous tornadoes and several intense tornadoes,” widespread damaging wind gusts up to 80 mph, and widespread large hail. By Associated Press Jan. 26, 2021 Specific threats will depend on where one is in relation to the overarching storm system, but storms are expected to be both unusually widespread and intense across a large swath of area. An outbreak of severe weather, including several destructive tornadoes, swept across the South Thursday, killing at least five people in Alabama and one in Georgia. The “particularly dangerous situation” tornado watch issued signaled a high-end threat and the possibility of intense tornadoes. Throughout the day on Friday, workers repaired power lines and utility poles, and the creek ran high, muddy from the post-storm deluge. That’s an ominous atmospheric signal of a violent weather day. There have been reports of downed trees and damaged homes and businesses in Calhoun County and across the state, with some houses reduced to rubble. I’m not as worried about my damage as I am about their damage,” he said. The threat wanes into Louisiana, as well as north into the Ohio Valley, but an isolated tornado, as well as instances of wind, hail and localized flooding are still concerns. At 12:30 p.m. the Weather Service issued a particularly dangerous situation tornado warning for “a confirmed large and very dangerous tornado” about 15 miles southeast of Tuscaloosa. The zone most threatened by dangerous storms includes Birmingham and Huntsville, Ala., and Tupelo, Miss. That means being able to shelter in a basement, storm cellar or interior room, away from windows, on the lowest floor of a site-built location at a moment’s notice. The same tornadic thunderstorm which caused damage southeast of Birmingham had charged into northeast Alabama, near the border with Georgia where a tornado warning is in effect until 4 p.m. Governor Kay Ivey placed Alabama under a state of emergency, and communities across the South used social media to share the location of tornado shelters. AL.com was unable to determine exactly where a funnel cloud may have touched down, but the pattern of damage strongly suggests that the storm hit or passed over each of these points along its inexorable journey, a fact that people on the ground verified in each location. Noon: Particularly dangerous situation tornado watch issued. Multiple mobile homes were crushed by trees felled by the tornado’s high winds, and a handful of larger houses were badly damaged. Matt Bishop, owner of The Depot Deli & Grill on the banks of Buck Creek, was working at his restaurant when the tornado came through on Thursday. Studies show we're underestimating the destructive power of tornadoes. But workers were on the scene Friday morning to repair downed utility lines and restore their power. “Unfortunately, the day is not over yet. The tornado’s damage path appeared to be about a half mile wide as it passed south of the two communities, a vast expanse of downed trees … More than 50 million Americans are threatened by severe weather, including about 9 million within the two zones of highest risk. The large tornado that passed south of Tuscaloosa is now roaring east into the zone about 40 miles south of Birmingham where a tornado emergency is in effect until 6 p.m. Agree to disagree, or disagree better? Weather radar detected an enormous debris ball as the storm passed through Centreville, Ala, about 30 miles southeast of Tuscaloosa, indicating materials from the ground lofted high into the air and significant damage. One fatality was reported in Coweta County, home to Newnan, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. That’s why meteorologists stress on days such as Thursday that it’s imperative to stay weather-aware, have a plan and know what to do. The South is an area known for systematic vulnerability to severe weather and tornadoes. “Anything that’s donated will be distributed to those who need it – people who lost their homes, people who might need canned goods to eat, just people in need,” Danner said. Both states are in a tornado threat zone, along with parts of … The tornado was radar-indicated with no confirmation as of yet. Updated: May 6, 2021 10:06 AM CDT by Alabama News Network Staff Clean up is underway in Prattville and Millbrook after an EF-1 tornado moved along Cobbs Ford Rd. Alabama tornado strikes south of Birmingham By Associated Press | March 25 , 2021 at 7:58 PM EDT - Updated March 26 at 3:05 AM (AP) - A string of deadly tornadoes roared through Alabama … Damage to a home in Newnan A possible tornado caused extensive damage in Coweta County. The tornado passed south of downtown Brent and Centreville, sparing the most heavily populated neighborhoods, but several structures were heavily damaged or destroyed on Belcher Road. 4:30 p.m.: New tornado warning south of Tuscaloosa and flash flood warnings through Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. Volunteers from the Tuscaloosa campus of Church of the Highlands pack meals on Friday to distribute to first responders and people impacted by the Thursday tornado in West Blocton. 2:30 p.m.: Tornado warning for Meridian, Miss. On Friday, an AL.com reporter set out to follow the path of the only EF3 tornado to hit Alabama on Thursday. Like they do after every tornado, the scientists were pursuing the tracks of the storms that tore across the state on Thursday, claiming five lives and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. Thursday morning and afternoon, a warm front was lifting north through Mississippi and Alabama, ushering in an unstable and dangerous air mass. Further northeast, in an unincorporated part of Shelby County, Bob Martin and his grandson Jeffrey stood at the far edge of Bob Martin’s backyard, assessing the damage. If you can’t do that in just three or four minutes, relocate to somewhere you can — high-risk days are when you want to be close to a shelter at all times.

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