An uncommon winter tornado struck a small Alabama town near the state capital of Birmingham, killing a teenager and critically injuring several members of his family after a large tree collapsed onto their home, authorities said Tuesday.
The tornado, which struck the town of Fultondale in Jefferson County, caused at least 30 injuries and stretched for 10 miles to Center Point, Alabama, leaving a wake of broken furniture and appliances, mangled tree limbs and piles of debris.
Seventeen people have been hospitalized while 11 others were treated at the scene, Fultondale Fire Chief Justice McKenzie said Tuesday, according to WVTM-TV.
Search and rescue efforts were still underway Tuesday, the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency tweeted. The agency urged people to stay out of the Fultondale area.
The strength of the tornado and the damage it caused was being surveyed Tuesday by the National Weather Service. Preliminary findings suggest at least “high-end” EF-2 tornado damage from 135 mph winds in Fultondale.
The assessment could take several days due to the extensive damage, said Gary Goggins, an NWS meteorologist in Birmingham.
The storm damaged homes and buildings, including ripping off a portion of a church’s roof and tearing apart a Hampton Inn hotel, according to media reports. Several schools were closed.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the communities impacted by these storms last night, especially in and around Jefferson County where there is a significant amount of storm damage and debris,” Brian Hastings, Alabama EMA director, tweeted Tuesday. “We will continue to be responsive to the needs of our counties, communities and citizens.”
Mr. Goggins said central Alabama has experienced winter tornadoes before, referring to a tornado that occurred on Jan. 23, 2012, that resulted in a fatality.
Central Alabama is part of Dixie Alley, a nickname for the stretch of Southern areas that are vulnerable to strong tornadoes, Mr. Goggins said, adding that peak tornado time is March through May.
He added that the Southeast in general is more prone anytime for severe weather due to the Gulf of Mexico, which enables moisture to move north and cause atmospheric instability.
While winter tornadoes in the area aren’t unprecedented, the tornado that struck Fultondale on Monday night was an unusual event, said Dave Bowers, a senior meteorologist for AccuWeather.
He said the Birmingham area experienced a springtime air mass more typically seen in early June rather than January, with a temperature of 71 degrees coupled with humidity. He said a cold front collided with the springtime air mass, creating instability for a rotating thunderstorm to bring down a tornado.
Around 10:45 p.m. Central on Monday, a thunderstorm produced a tornado in Fultondale and a debris signature was detected on radar, AccuWeather reported. The debris signature appears when items such as trees, building parts and other objects are thrown high into the atmosphere by a tornado.
The cold front that caused the tornado extended to the Gulf Coast and triggered a line of thunderstorms — the same weather system that brought rain and snow to the Northeast. Birmingham experienced very heavy thunderstorms early Tuesday, but things quieted down by 3 a.m., Mr. Bowers said.
According to Mr. Bowers, there is a chance for thunderstorms for most of Georgia, southern Alabama and North and Central Florida on Wednesday.
• Shen Wu Tan can be reached at stan@washingtontimes.com.
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