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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
508 PM CDT Tue May 28 2024

...NWS Damage Survey for May 27, 2024 Tornado and Damaging Wind
Event - Update #3...

.Update...Specific details regarding the two confirmed EF1 tornadoes
are now available below.

.Overview...A large complex of severe thunderstorms moved across
Central Alabama early Monday morning, May 27, 2024. Many of these
produced rather significant wind damage across the Interstate 20
and Interstate 59 corridors, affecting several counties in total.
Damaging winds led to numerous reports of tree and power line
damage, and some trees fell on homes. One of these instances
resulted in a fatality in Jefferson County. Radar estimated winds
were 60-70 mph, but local gusts could have been higher, across the
~20 mile wide wind swath. Additionally, two tornadoes occurred;
one impacting Cherokee County and another impacting Randolph
County. These tornadoes were both rated EF1 after storm surveys.
Additional thunderstorm activity occurred during Monday afternoon,
generally along and south of Interstate 85, but storm damage from
these was relatively minor.

.Tornado #1 Johnnies Creek Tornado (Cherokee County)...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    105 mph
Path Length /statute/:  3.41 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   550 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             05/27/2024
Start Time:             04:27 AM CDT
Start Location:         5 NNE Sand Rock / Cherokee County / AL
Start Lat/Lon:          34.3007 / -85.7183

End Date:               05/27/2024
End Time:               04:31 AM CDT
End Location:           4 NE Yellow Creek Falls / Cherokee County / AL
End Lat/Lon:            34.2719 / -85.6701

Survey Summary:
A brief EF1 tornado formed along the leading edge of a QLCS in
northern Cherokee County. Minor timber damage began along County
Road 768 near County Road 47. The tornado continued to down trees
as it crossed County Road 43. The tornado intensified as it
paralleled County Road 275, snapping numerous trees along the
southwestern slope of the canyon containing Johnnies Creek. The
tornado weakened as it moved near the mouth of Little River
Canyon, but continued to down trees as it crossed Highway 273.
The tornado dissipated as it crossed the Little River near where
it flows into Weiss Lake. A separate, non-contiguous area of tree
damage occurred near County Road 104 along Weiss Lake, where some
trees fell on homes. However, the sporadic and divergent nature
of the damage and wider path were more consistent with straight
line winds.

.Tornado #2 County Road 427 Tornado (Randolph County)...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    110 mph
Path Length /statute/:  3.17 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   350 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             05/27/2024
Start Time:             06:52 AM CDT
Start Location:         4 NW Newell / Randolph County / AL
Start Lat/Lon:          33.485 / -85.4444

End Date:               05/27/2024
End Time:               06:56 AM CDT
End Location:           3 N Newell / Randolph County / AL
End Lat/Lon:            33.4756 / -85.3915

Survey Summary:
A brief EF1 tornado formed within a QLCS in northern Randolph
County. The tornado began in a wooded area west of County Road
425 and began to snap tree branches and uproot trees. The tornado
intensified after crossing County Road 427, snapping numerous
trees between there and County Road 51. On County Road
51 multiple windows were blown out of a home with some minor roof
damage also occurring. The roof was blown off an outbuilding
causing its walls to collapse. Additional timber and outbuilding
damage occurred as it crossed County Road 429 before the tornado
dissipated in an inaccessible wooded area prior to reaching
County Road 37. A tornado debris signature was observed on the
KFFC radar.

&&

EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:

EF0.....65 to 85 mph
EF1.....86 to 110 mph
EF2.....111 to 135 mph
EF3.....136 to 165 mph
EF4.....166 to 200 mph
EF5.....>200 mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the events and publication in
NWS Storm Data.


$$