Sat. March 15--2 Confirmed Tornadoes

...STORM SURVEY TEAMS FIND TORNADO DAMAGE IN TWO COUNTIES ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED THE DAMAGE IN BLOUNT COUNTY JUST SOUTHEAST OF ONEONTA. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS THE RESULT OF A TORNADO.

THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST EAST OF COUNTY ROAD 27, APPROXIMATELY5 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF ONEONTA. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTH OF RIVERROAD AND ENTERED THE HIGHLAND LAKE COMMUNITY. THE TORNADO CROSSEDCOUNTY ROAD 29 NEAR THE APPALACHIAN COMMUNITY. THE APPALACHIAN SCHOOLPROPERTY SUSTAINED DAMAGE, BUT THE SCHOOL WAS SPARED ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD AND STRENGTHENED AS IT NEARLY PARALLELED COUNTY ROAD 12. THE TORNADO LIFTED JUST NORTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD 12 AND US HIGHWAY 231. ALONG THE ENTIRE PATH, SEVERAL HUNDRED TREES WERE EITHER SNAPPED OFF OR WERE UPROOTED. A FEW DOZEN CHICKEN HOUSES WERE DAMAGED AND MANY WERE DESTROYED. MANY OUT BUILDINGS, GARAGES, AND SHEDS WERE DESTROYED. AT LEAST 25 HOMES SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE WITH ANOTHER FEW DOZEN THAT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. AT LEAST ONE MOBILE HOME WAS DESTROYED AND A FEW MORE WERE DAMAGED. AT LEAST 6 COWS AND HUNDREDS OF CHICKENS WERE KILLED BY FLYING DEBRIS. IN SOME INSTANCES, THE ROOF DEBRIS FROM DAMAGED STRUCTURES WAS BLOWN OVER ONE HALF MILE DOWNSTREAM. A FEW FEED SILOS WERE TIPPED OVER AND ONE ROLLED AT LEAST ONE HALF MILE.

THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES LONG AND WAS 675YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. THE TORNADO WAS RATED EF-2 ON THEENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. THE MOST EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH WINDS BETWEEN 125 AND 130 MPH.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED THE DAMAGE INSOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WASTHE RESULT OF A TORNADO.

THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST WEST OF HIGHWAY 9, NEAR THEINTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD 6 AND 31. THE TORNADO MOVED EASTNORTHEAST AND CROSSED COUNTY ROADS 33 AND 10 BEFORE LIFTING JUST EASTOF COUNTY ROAD 10. 1 BARN DAMAGED AND 1 BARN DESTROYED. 3 HOMESDAMAGED. HUNDREDS OF TREES SNAPPED OFF OR BLOWN DOWN. THE TORNADO WAS RATED EF-2 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES AND WAS 50 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. THE DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH WINDS NEAR 115 MPH.