Storm called ‘historic’
Anyone looking at the path of destruction in Phil Campbell, Easy Franklin, Hackleburg, and Mt. Hope can tell that the tornado that roared across the area wasn’t very small.
However, officials with the National Weather Service in Huntsville confirmed that fact in a preliminary report stating the tornado was most likely and EF4.
According to NWS meteorologist Jennifer Lee, storm survey crews were in the area on Friday finishing their reports and would have a definite determination on Saturday concerning several aspects of the tornado.
“Survey crews are trying to determine the exact classification of the tornado and how far it actually stretched,” Lee said. “They’re trying to determine if it was one tornado that caused damage from Franklin County up through Morgan, Limestone and Madison counties or a separate tornado. If it was one, the rating will be determined by the damage on the entire path it took.”
Lee said based on the damage indicators in the area, the NWS is estimating the tornado in Phil Campbell and East Franklin reached winds of 175 mph, which is typical of an EF4 tornado.
The National Weather Service first started using the Enhanced Fujita scale system to rate tornadoes in February of 2007, and the scale was an upgrade to the previous Fujita (F) scale system used since 1971.
According to this scale, an EF4 tornado can have winds from 166 mph to 200 mph and typically causes extreme damage by leveling well-constructed and whole frame houses completely, throwing cars and other large objects, and generating small missiles.
To look at the affected areas in Franklin County and the surrounding communities, anyone could tell this is all true, which is hard for many to believe since this area rarely sees tornadoes, let alone ones of this magnitude.
“We do not get many reports of tornadoes in Franklin County and an EF4 tornado is extremely violent and rare, especially for the Tennessee Valley,” Lee said.
Due to Internet and other weather-related technical complications at the Huntsville NWS office, Lee could not provide a specific date for when a tornado even close to this magnitude was reported in the Franklin County area, but she said it wasn’t any time recently.
“This is a very rare and devastating situation,” she said.
