Tornado around 5:17pm

(Photos from John French)

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT…UPDATED

(From National Weather Service)
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
648 PM CST FRI JAN 27 2010

…UPDATED PRELIMINARY STORM SURVEY INFORMATION FROM MADISON
COUNTY…

…UPDATED BEGINNING POINT OF HUNTSVILLE TORNADO TRACK…

A PRELIMINARY STORM SURVEY OF THE DAMAGE INCURRED ACROSS MADISON
COUNTY HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND LOCAL
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL. INITIAL FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

* EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
* EVENT DATE: 01/21/2010

* ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 115.0 MPH
* PRELIMINARY RATING: EF-2

* PATH LENGTH: 6.6 MILES
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH: 150 YARDS

* INJURIES: 3
* SUMMARY: AT 5:17 PM CST A TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN IN A         
  RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON REDSTONE ARSENAL JUST NORTH OF GOSS    
  ROAD.  A NARROW TORNADO PATH UPROOTED A LARGE TREE…THEN         
  PROCEEDED INTO A RESIDENTIAL AREA ALONG MAGNOLIA CIRCLE.  IN THIS 
  LOCATION…THE TORNADO TORE SHINGLES OFF OF ROOFS AND RIPPED      
  SIDING OFF SEVERAL HOMES.  THE TORNADO THEN LIFTED BRIEFLY BEFORE 
  TOUCHING DOWN AGAIN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF TRIANA BLVD AND 9TH  
  AVE IN HUNTSVILLE.  FROM THERE…IT PROCEEDED NORTHEAST FOR AN    
  ADDITIONAL 4.4 MILES…THROUGH OLD TOWN AND THE FIVE POINTS AREA  
  BEFORE LIFTING NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF GABOURY LN AND ROSALIE    
  RIDGE RD NEAR CHAPMAN MOUNTAIN. ALONG THE WAY…MANY HARD AND     
  SOFTWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED…AS WERE SEVERAL WOODEN UTILITY      
  POLES. MULTIPLE WELL-BUILT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES SUSTAINED          
  SUBSTANTIAL ROOF DAMAGE…BOTH FROM TORNADIC WINDS AND FALLEN     
  TREES.

THESE FINDINGS ARE PRELIMINARY AND ARE SUBJECT TO ADJUSTMENT.
PICTURES AND SUMMARY MATERIALS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB
PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE /ALL LOWER CASE/.

SURVEYED BY: COYNE/LEE
AMENDED SURVEY BY: NADLER/KULA

Filed under: Huntsville, Regions, Tornadoes, Weather