So yes, that PDS Severe Thunderstorm Warning yesterday morning verified. Great job by NWS Birmingham, many thanks and kudos to all those folks.
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NOUS44 KBMX 200044
PNSBMX
ALZ011>015-017>050-201244-
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
744 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025
...NWS Damage Survey for 05/18/2025 Tuscaloosa County Straight-Line
Wind Event...
.Overview...Severe thunderstorms that contained a wide swath of damaging
winds moved from west to east across Central Alabama during the early
morning hours of May 18th. Widespread wind damage occurred from Tuscaloosa
County eastward to Randolph County. The most widespread and significant
damage occurred across Tuscaloosa County.
.Tuscaloosa County Straight-Line Winds...
Estimated Peak Wind: 90 to 100 mph
Start Date: 05/18/2025
Start Time: 5:50 AM CDT
End Date: 05/18/2025
End Time: 6:12 AM CDT
Survey Summary:
NWS Meteorologists surveyed extensive damage in Tuscaloosa County north of the city of Northport
and found damage consistent with high-end straight line winds. The communities of Clearwater
Estates, Four Winds, Vista Granda, east to Searles and Bull City were particularly hard hit.
The bulk of the damage likely occurred roughly between 550 AM CDT and 612 AM CDT.
The damage was very widespread from north to south starting west of U.S. Highway 43 extending
over to near Alabama Highway 59 in Bull City. The survey crew estimated a nearly solid 4 mile
swath north to south of extensive high end tree damage with embedded minor to moderate structural
damage. Extensive power line and infrastructure impacts were also observed. More sporadic damage
was observed up to 2 miles on either side of the primary swath of damage. The survey crew noted
a slightly more concentrated area of damage in the Tierce Patton Road area just south of where
a tornado tracked on 3/15 of this year. A large swath of trees was mowed down in this area and
some more notable structural damage was observed. The survey crew noted that all of the damage
was pointing generally in an east to east-northeast direction with limited debris lofting
or westward (upstream) facing debris. The extensive tree blowdown appeared to have been aided
by rain soaked and saturated soils, as a majority of the trees were uprooted.
Based on the widespread nature of the damage and the overall characteristics of the debris
observed, survey crews made the determination that straight-line winds likely caused the damage.
Maximum wind speeds based on the damage observed were estimated between 90 and 100 mph which matches
radar velocity estimates from KBMX radar.
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