County hit by 6 tornadoes

Published 3:23 pm Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Pictured above is a mesocyclone from the bridge on Highway 80 West over the Tombigbee River. - Jeff Russell - KDR Media Group

The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed six tornadoes touched down durning a severe weather outbreak last Friday.

The strongest of the storms struck Myrtlewood. According to the NWS, an F-3 tornado struck the community at 4:58 p.m., killing one person and injuring four others with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour.

“Two injuries occurred in Hilltop as a two story home had the entire roof and several walls destroyed. Additional injuries occurred in mobile homes as they rolled and were tossed along the path,” a field surveyor with the NWS wrote in their report.

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The storm dissipated at approximately 5:22 p.m. after leaving a damage path 11.8 miles long and 800 yards wide.

Nanafalia was struck with two tornadoes more than six hours apart. The first was an F-1 with sustained winds of 100 miles per hour, leaving a damage path a half a mile long and 60 yards wide. The twister was on the ground from five minutes, beginning at 12:15 p.m.

“This small damage path consisted of mainly tree damage, however, the damage path was completely obscured by the (second tornado) that occurred around 6:39 p.m.,” the field surveyor said. “There were several eyewitness accounts of the tree and minor roof damage, where several hardwood trees were uprooted.”

The second was rated an F-2, with sustained winds of 135 miles per hour. The storm touched down at 6:39 p.m. and covered 20.9 miles before dissipating at 7:08 p.m. It left a damage path 800 yards wide.

Pinhook was also struck by two tornadoes. The first, an F-2, touched down with winds of 130 miles per hour at 5:22 p.m. and traveled 5.4 miles for eight minutes, leaving a path of destruction 575 yards wide. The second, an F-1, touched down at 5:40, traveling 1.5 miles in five minutes and leaving a debris trail 150 yards wide with winds of 105 miles per hour.

Between the two Pinhook tornadoes, an F-1 touched down in Dayton at 5:36 p.m. With winds of 125 miles per hour, the funnel traveled 10.9 miles in 18 minutes, leaving a damage path 600 yards wide.

“The majority of damage sustained was hard and softwood trees being snapped and uprooted,” the report said. “One brick home had the entire roof and several exterior walls destroyed. Several other homes sustained significant roof damage, as well.”