1.6 ESE Orrville - 0.8 NNE Belle Mina A tornado tracked through the northern portions of the community of Belle Mina on Christmas Eve. The tornado developed in a forested area just east of I nterstate 65 north of Garrett Road. It toppled trees onto a vehicle being used by hunters. The tornado tracked through a cotton field for about 1/2 of a mile before intensifying to EF-1 strength and destroying two single wide trailer homes. One was lifted off its foundation entirely with debris found several hundred yards downwind. Fortunately, no occupants were in either location. The tornado then tracked into a farmstead along Mooresville Road, completely destroying two large tractor sheds. Two of the adjacent homes sustained minor damage to the roof. Several cedar and cypress trees were either snapped or uprooted. One tree landed atop a vehicle. No injuries occurred. The tornado then crossed Mooresville Road, uprooting and snapping additional trees, and collapsing a small shed onto vehicles. One wall of an old small farmhouse also collapsed. No occupants were in the home at the time. Start: 34.6600/-86.9000 End: 34.6600/-86.8800

NWS EF Scale: F1

A tornado tracked through the northern portions of the community of Belle Mina on Christmas Eve. The tornado developed in a forested area just east of interstate 65 north of Garrett Road. It toppled trees onto a vehicle being used by hunters. The tornado tracked through a cotton field for about 1/2 of a mile before intensifying to EF-1 strength and destroying two single wide trailer homes. One was lifted off its foundation entirely with debris found several hundred yards downwind. Fortunately, no occupants were in either location. The tornado then tracked into a farmstead along Mooresville Road, completely destroying two large tractor sheds. Two of the adjacent homes sustained minor damage to the roof. Several cedar and cypress trees were either snapped or uprooted. One tree landed atop a vehicle. No injuries occurred. The tornado then crossed Mooresville Road, uprooting and snapping additional trees, and collapsing a small shed onto vehicles. One wall of an old small farmhouse also collapsed. No occupants were in the home at the time.

A potent cold front pushed across northern Alabama during the afternoon and evening hours. Intense low level shear and weak instability was present along and ahead of this front. A few severe thunderstorms developed along the front. One of the storms produced a bow echo just north of Decatur which resulted in a brief EF-1 tornado within the comma head of the storm in Belle Mina in Limestone county.

Part of 2-tornado outbreak on December 24, 2008