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March 1, 2007 · Coffee County · 2007
EF4

March 1, 2007

1:08 PM
Coffee County, Alabama · Near Enterprise (ZIP 36330)
Fatalities
9
Injuries
50
Path Length
10.3 mi
Max Width
500 yd
DateMarch 1, 2007
Time1:08 PM
CountyCoffee
CityEnterprise
Property Loss$250000000.00M
Crop Loss$0
SourceNCEI 22399
NWS Birmingham

1.6 SW Enterprise-5.6 NE Enterprise A tornado touched down just southwest of the Enterprise Municipal Airport. It caused minor damage to some houses. Four chicken houses were destroyed. The tornado then traveled northeast and quickly intensified as it moved into the Enterprise city limits. It severely damaged the high school just north of the downtown. Eight students were killed as walls collapsed on them while they took shelter in the interior hallways. Fifty more were injured. The football stadium was destroyed. Many vehicles surrounding the schools were overturned or tossed about. Several state roads were impassible due to debris and fallen utility poles and lines. The ninth fatality occurred where a woman was standing behind a living room window of her home as the glass shattered. A nearby elementary school was heavily damaged with no deaths or injuries reported there. Damage near the high school and in northeast Enterprise reached low end EF-4. Damage assessments indicated 239 homes destroyed, 374 homes with major damage, 529 homes with minor damage, and 251 homes affected. Coffee County was declared a federal disaster area, with preliminary FEMA individual assistance figures totalling over $1 million. Start: 31.2800/-85.9200 End: 31.3800/-85.7800

NWS EF Scale: F4

Event Narrative

A tornado touched down just southwest of the Enterprise Municipal Airport. It caused minor damage to some houses. Four chicken houses were destroyed. The tornado then traveled northeast and quickly intensified as it moved into the Enterprise city limits. It severely damaged the high school just north of the downtown. Eight students were killed as walls collapsed on them while they took shelter in the interior hallways. Fifty more were injured. The football stadium was destroyed. Many vehicles surrounding the schools were overturned or tossed about. Several state roads were impassible due to debris and fallen utility poles and lines. The ninth fatality occurred where an elderly woman was standing behind a living room window of her home as the glass shattered. A nearby elementary school was heavily damaged with no deaths or injuries reported there. Damage near the high school and in northeast Enterprise reached low end EF-4. Damage assessments indicated 239 homes destroyed, 374 homes with major damage, 529 homes with minor damage, and 251 homes affected. Coffee County was declared a federal disaster area, with preliminary FEMA individual assistance figures totalling over $1 million.

Episode Narrative

Severe thunderstorms developed ahead of a warm front over the Florida Panhandle and moved northeast across southeast Alabama and into extreme southwest Georgia during the afternoon hours of March 1. The strongest tornado, classified an EF-4, killed nine and injured 50 in Enterprise, Alabama.

Outbreak Context

Part of 14-tornado outbreak on March 1, 2007

Shared Episode Narrative

Severe thunderstorms developed ahead of a warm front over the Florida Panhandle and moved northeast across southeast Alabama and into extreme southwest Georgia during the afternoon hours of March 1. The strongest tornado, classified an EF-4, killed nine and injured 50 in Enterprise, Alabama.

Source Data
NCEI Event ID: 22399
SWDI Tornado ID: 2007-03-01T19:05:30Z_KEOX_S5
SWDI Radar Site: KEOX
SWDI Signature: TVS

See Also

10.3 mi500 yd wide