Confirmed Tornado Pigash Henagar Ider Area

 

Sorry about catching this one late, like I said, tech is not smooth at the moment. Grabbed this image off Twitter, and if the folks at Radar Omega want to fuss at me I'll take it down later. Just any readers that stumble on this need good high quality up to date information. 

12:54 - Rotation kind of looking broad, but stay sheltered and play it safe please, because law enforcement confirmed a tornado with this, think it was at first near Section. Small central room on lowest floor of a sturdy house and protect your body, especially your head and neck.

12:57 - We are not quite done with this line of storms yet, but it is quickly moving into Georgia. And people across the Georgia line, please respect the history of these storms. They are dangerous even if they are "only" severe thunderstorm warnings. Soon as you get the warning, I would go to a safe place, and do not wait for it to get to you. Even if no tornado occurs, these thunderstorm winds mean business today and have been causing damage and at least a couple of injuries, I remember for sure back in Mississippi. We are getting into the afternoon, and the storms may intensify as they move into Georgia since the atmosphere has had more time to destabilize. 

1:01 PM - Okay, this tornado warning has been cancelled as the rotation weakened. The areas still under the severe thunderstorm warnings though, people need to stay in a safe place until the storms are gone. And if driving behind the storms, be careful. Trees may be down in the road, and you won't know until you come up on them, if you are going fast. 

1:05 - Brad Travis reporting that 19,000 customers in Cullman County alone are without power. He is also passing along a person in Muscle Shoals had roof damage to a home. And we saw that earlier in Mississippi before the storms even crossed the state line, makes sense. 

Today I bounced between him and the other guys at his station and James Spann/Taylor Sarallo, sort of randomly. If I knew Kate McKenna was on I'd have probably watched her stream. My favorites vary from one event to the next. The important thing is the message getting out and people being safe. 

The only counties in North AL still under the tornado watch are Jackson, Dekalb, Etowah, Cleburne, Blount. When the squall line passes you, the severe weather threat is over. 

1:09 - Ok and I just saw Blount was cleared from the watch. The line is past there.

1:10 - In these severe thunderstorm warning areas in orange, stay sheltered until this line of storms is completely past you. Nothing to fool around with today. 

1:14 - They are getting ready to extend the tornado watch further on into Georgia and Eastern Tennessee. Looks like they might not be so unstable after all. Everything has to come together just right for severe weather, and today once again we were helping a lot by a capping inversion in the upper atmosphere. Otherwise we would have had a tornado outbreak today. 

1:17 - Places like Fort Payne, Valley Head in Dekalb County, please stay sheltered as a severe thundestorm warning continues until 1:45 PM.

Soon as this storm gets out of Dekalb County, I am discontinuing coverage. But folks in Dekalb County, please stay in a safe place until this is definitely past your area. 

1:19 - The gradient winds behind this, I would estimate to be about 30-40 miles per hour at times. And I've heard of some places getting gusts to 50 or 60 mph behind the storms, just from high winds. That's why they put us under a Wind Warning - High Wind Warning - yesterday in advance. This is unusual around here. 

That warning BTW goes until 6 PM. The warning for strong winds not related to thunderstorms. It is just a really strong low pressure system that feels almost like a tropical storm or hurricane coming inland as far as the gusty winds. 

[125 PM] ALL counties in the Huntsville County Warning Area have been cleared from the Tornado Watch. However, a High Wind Warning is still in effect as wind gusts to 50+ mph will be possible through the afternoon.

— NWS Huntsville (@NWSHuntsville) March 3, 2023

All right, so I am about out of steam and am going to shut it down. Glad to have only heard of a few injuries, hope they were not serious ones. Power can be restored after the gusty winds die down, probably too dangerous to have workers out there with these gradient wind gusts still going on. This was a rough event but could have been a lot worse, definitely an unusual one. Wishing everyone safety and recovery from any damage you may have had. 

Looks like a nice weekend, and rain chances really do not come back until Tuesday. Looks like no severe weather next week even when we do have rain chances Tuesday and Wednesday. Temperatures look generally mild. Like I said though, I am out of steam . . . only one person and one with tech limitations at the moment. This got busy. Over and out. 

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Huntsville AL

1248 PM CST Fri Mar 3 2023

ALC049-071-031915-

/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0019.000000T0000Z-230303T1915Z/

Jackson AL-DeKalb AL-

1248 PM CST Fri Mar 3 2023

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 PM CST FOR EAST

CENTRAL JACKSON AND NORTHEASTERN DEKALB COUNTIES...

At 1248 PM CST, a confirmed tornado was located over Pisgah, or 13

miles east of Scottsboro, moving northeast at 50 mph.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado.

SOURCE...Law enforcement confirmed tornado.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without

         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage

         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is

         likely.

This tornado will be near...

  Ider around 1255 PM CST.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Fabius

and Rosalie.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a

basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy

building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in

a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect

yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3464 8587 3471 8590 3491 8570 3468 8561

TIME...MOT...LOC 1848Z 239DEG 42KT 3472 8583

TORNADO...OBSERVED

MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

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