← Back to Dashboard
March 31, 2016 · Morgan, Limestone County · 2016
EF2

March 31, 2016

8:54 PM
Morgan, Limestone County, Alabama · Near Hartselle (ZIP 35640)
Fatalities
0
Injuries
0
Path Length
9.6 mi
Max Width
200 yd
DateMarch 31, 2016
Time8:54 PM
CountyMorganLimestone
CityHartselle
Property Loss$0
Crop Loss$0
SourceNCEI 623795
NWS Birmingham

2 NE Hartselle - 7 SE Mooresville The most significant structural damage occurred near the intersection of Thompson Lane and Peach Orchard Road. In this area, multiple sheds were completely destroyed and most of the shingles on the roof of a single family home were torn off. Once again, numerous pine trees were snapped. The tornado appeared to weaken slightly as it moved towards Upper River Road. There was some modest tree damage in a field east of Thomson Lane and many of the shingles on the roof of a single family home were damaged or removed. Start: 34.4679/-86.9299 End: 34.5557/-86.8018

NWS EF Scale: F2 Polygon

Event Narrative

NWS ground surveys supplemented by the use a NOAA ARL UAS, a private UAS provided through a NOAA contractor, and NASA SPoRT high-resolution satellite imagery determined the tornado touched down approximately .67 miles southwest of the intersection of Indian Hill Road Northeast and Roberts Catfish Lane in Hartselle. Multiple hardwood trees were snapped at the beginning of the tornado track. From there, the tornado damaged several mobile homes on Roberts Catfish Lane. One of the mobile homes rolled 45-50 yards to the northeast after snapping all 6 of the tie-downs that anchored the home. The unit was mostly destroyed with the frame of the structure still largely intact. The second mobile home at this location separated from its porch and was shifted off its foundation about 10 feet. A wooden tin carport structure housing lawn and farm equipment was partially destroyed, with pieces of the wood embedded in the ground around the mobile homes. A small sedan parked at the second mobile home was lifted and had the front end embedded briefly in the ground, tearing off the front bumper, which was found 10 feet away. debris from these buildings was found half a mile to the northeast from this location at the next area of damage surveyed. Path width at this location was about 50 yards.||About half a mile northeast, just west of interstate 65 on Bethel Circle Northeast, widespread tree damage was surveyed. Large hardwood trees about 2 feet in diameter were found snapped, sheared and twisted off about 10-15 feet from their bases. Multiple trees had the bark twisted off and strewn about the forest. Of the few homes that were within the tree damage area, only minor damage was noted to a couple of the houses. Most of this damage was from siding being blown off or from trees directly clipping the edge of a roof as they fell. The vast majority of the tree damage at this location was on property along Village Branch Cree behind the homes. Path width at this location was about 200 yards.||The tornado appeared to lift briefly before setting down again along Bethel Road near the intersection with Spring Valley Road, just east of Interstate 65. Several trees were uprooted at the Walnut Grove Baptist Church, and several gravestones were pushed over or broken. Numerous pine trees were snapped in a clear, coherent path as the tornado continued to the northeast.||Tree damage became more consistent and widespread along Shoal Creek Road and White Oak Drive. Hundreds of softwood and hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted in this general area, and there was some minor structural damage to a few single family homes. The tree damage was more widespread as the tornado moved into the Autumn Wood Trail area. Trees fell onto a single family home and damaged it.||The most significant structural damage occurred near the intersection of Thompson Lane and Peach Orchard Road. IN this area, multiple sheds were completely destroyed and most of the shingles on the roof of a single family home were torna off. Once again, numerous pine trees were snapped. The tornado appeared to weaken slightly as it moved towards Uper River Road. There was some modest tree damage in a field east of Thomson Lane, and many of the shingles on the roof of a single family home were damaged or removed.||The tornado continued northeast to Turkey Mountain, Road, where it snapped several more trees and pushed a double-wide mobile home off its piers and damage the roof. Based on damage viewed from Turkey Mountain Road, it is believed that the tornado continued to near the Tennessee River.

Episode Narrative

Supercell and multi-cell cluster thunderstorms affected much of the Tennessee Valley in advance of a strong cold front during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 31st. One of the cells produced an EF-2 tornado in Morgan County and extreme southeastern Limestone County.

Outbreak Context

Part of 7-tornado outbreak on March 31, 2016

Shared Episode Narrative

Supercell and multi-cell cluster thunderstorms affected much of the Tennessee Valley in advance of a strong cold front during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 31st. One of the cells produced an EF-2 tornado in Morgan County and extreme southeastern Limestone County.

Source Data
NCEI Event ID: 623795

See Also

9.6 mi200 yd wide