January 23, 2012

0.6 ENE Ketona - 2.1 N Argo The tornado touched down in central Jefferson C ounty and tracked northeastward for 15.69 miles, before lifting in western St. Clair C ounty. It touched down along Pawnee Village Road, about 3.25 miles northeast of Tarrant where several businesses sustained roof and wall damage. The tornado then tracked to the northeast, across Pinson Valley Parkway where several additional businesses were heavily damaged or destroyed. In the city of Center Point, the path width increased to 880 yds as the tornado strengthened to 120 mph. Center Point Elementary School sustained extreme damage, with one building destroyed and extensive damage to several other buildings. The destroyed building was valued at $13 million and the loss of contents inside at $5 million. The tornado continued northeast, crossing Center Point Parkway, causing damage to numerous businesses near 24th Street. Minor roof damage, consistent with winds of 100 MPH, occurred to multiple businesses, gas stations, and a strip mall. The tornado crossed Sweeney Hollow Road and Tyler Loop Road and moved through Paradise Valley subdivision, damaging or destroying approximately 200 homes. As the tornado crossed Old Springville Road, it intensified to 150 MPH, causing extensive damage or destroying to two dozen homes in the George Brook subdivision. Of the homes destroyed, most, if not all, exterior and interior walls were collapsed. The tornado crossed the southern extent of Steeplechase subdivision, destroying two homes, where one fatality occurred, and causing minor to moderate roof damage to numerous other homes. Path width was approximately 600 yds wide at this point. The tornado continued northeast, causing minor to moderate damage to numerous homes in the Pilgrim’s Rest subdivision. The heaviest damage was along Plymouth Rock Dr., where approximately a dozen homes were destroyed. As the tornado approached the St. Clair C ounty L ine, it weakened to an EF1 with winds of 100 MPH, and knocked down numerous trees along Will Keith Road and Skyline Way. The tornado crossed into St. Clair County south of Will Keith Road, one mile north of Interstate 59, Exit 148. The tornado initially touched down in central Jefferson C ounty and tracked northeastward for 15.69 miles, before lifting in western St. Clair C ounty. The tornado crossed into St. Clair C ounty south of Will Keith Road, near Mary Ann Lane, moving northeast with winds of 105 MPH. The tornado continued to damage homes and down trees, before crossing Interstate 59, 1.37 miles northeast of Exit 148, with a path width of 300 yds. To the east of Interstate 59, the tornado tracked through Argo, crossing U.S. Highway 11 north of Angus Street, downing numerous trees and causing minor to moderate damage to several homes. One home was destroyed when a large tree fell. As the tornado continued northeast, several manufactured homes sustained minor damage along Hidden Valley Drive. The tornado lifted just northeast of Country Living Circle, where several more trees were uprooted. Start: 33.6228/-86.7411 End: 33.7197/-86.4963

NWS EF Scale: F3 Polygon

Part of 11-tornado outbreak on January 23, 2012