0.5 SSE McAdory High School - 1.5 ENE Bessemer Airport National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in Western Jefferson County just east of McCalla and south of Bessemer and have determined that the damage was consistent with an EF-2 tornado. Maximum winds were estimated to be around 120-125 mph.The tornado touched down just east of McAdory High School on the west side of Overlook Circle with some damage to a roof. There were 12 homes and 1 church that suffered minor damage up to this point as the tornado proceeded east crossing Harper's Dairy Loop. From here it strengthened to an EF-2 as it crossed the Bent Brook neighborhood where it destroyed 6 homes and caused significant damage to 6 other homes. The pro shop at Bent Brook Golf Course also sustained minor damage along with a vehicle overturned. The tornado weakened back to an EF-1 as it moved east of the golf course and caused minor damage to 2 more homes and destroyed a free standing garage. The tornado finally lifted just east of Morgan Road on Rice Circle. In total, 14 homes sustained minor damage, 6 sustained substantial damage, and 6 homes were destroyed. An additional 3 buildings sustained damage, along with several hundred trees snapped or uprooted along the path. Damage before the start point was caused by straight-line winds from the rear flank downdraft that was associated with the storm. Start: 33.3260/-86.9965 End: 33.3182/-86.9015

NWS EF Scale: F2 Polygon

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in Western Jefferson County just east of McCalla and south of Bessemer and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF-2 tornado. Maximum winds were estimated to be around 120-125 mph. The tornado touched down just east of McAdory High School on the west side of Overlook Circle with some damage to a roof. There were 12 homes and 1 church that suffered minor damage up to this point as the tornado proceeded east crossing Harper's Dairy Loop. From here it strengthened to an EF-2 as it crossed the Bent Brook neighborhood where it destroyed 6 homes and caused significant damage to 6 other homes. The pro shop at Bent Brook Golf Course also sustained minor damage along with a vehicle overturned. The tornado weakened to an EF-1 as it moved east of the golf course and caused minor damage to 2 more homes and destroyed a free standing garage. The tornado finally lifted just east of Morgan Road on Rice Circle. In total, 14 homes sustained minor damage, 6 sustained substantial damage, and 6 homes were destroyed. An additional 3 buildings sustained damage, along with several hundred trees snapped or uprooted along the path.

A highly amplified upper-level trough approached the central Gulf Coast Region during the afternoon hours. A deepening surface low over the Ohio Valley Region pushed a strong cold southeast towards Alabama. By the middle of the afternoon, deep layer shear had increased to 60 knots with 0-3 km storm-relative helicity values between 200 and 300 m2/s2. Destabilization and shear profiles favored severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes and large hail.

Part of 3-tornado outbreak on March 1, 2016