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April 12, 2020 · Perry County · 2020
EF1

April 12, 2020

9:14 PM
Perry County, Alabama · Near Marion (ZIP 36744)
Fatalities
0
Injuries
0
Path Length
2.4 mi
Max Width
350 yd
DateApril 12, 2020
Time9:14 PM
CountyPerry
CityMarion
Property Loss$0
Crop Loss$0
SourceNCEI 887617
NWS Birmingham

5 ESE - 6 E Heiberger A tornado formed along County Road 9 about four miles north of the Sprott community in northern Perry County. The tornado moved northeast and caused extensive tree damage along County Road 2, where the tornado strengthened to a maximum intensity of 100 mph. The Mount Pleasant Freewill Baptist Church had a portion of its roof removed, and the adjacent fellowship hall was destroyed. A short distance to the northeast, the tornado dissipated near Hodgens Road. The tornado damage path was 2.42 miles long and was 350 yards wide at its widest point. The maximum winds were estimated around 100 mph. Start: 32.7317/-87.2012 End: 32.7622/-87.1826

NWS EF Scale: F1

Event Narrative

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in northern Perry County and determined that it was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum winds near 100 mph.||A tornado formed along County Road 9 about four miles north of the Sprott community in northern Perry County. The tornado tracked northeast and caused extensive tree damage along County Road 2, where the tornado strengthened to a maximum intensity of 100 mph. The Mount Pleasant Freewill Baptist Church had a portion of its roof removed, and the adjacent fellowship hall was destroyed. A short distance to the northeast, the tornado dissipated near Hodgens Road.

Episode Narrative

An upper-level low over the southwest United States evolved into a negatively-tilted shortwave trough as it moved over the southeastern United States. A warm front steadily moved northward during the morning and afternoon hours on Sunday, April 12. This allowed an unstable air mass to move northward and overspread much of the region. At the same time, very strong wind shear developed over Alabama as the upper trough neared the state.||An initial wave of severe storms affected areas near and north of Interstate 20, involving tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds, and some hail. Through the evening, a second wave of thunderstorms affected the remaining areas of Central Alabama with tornadoes and damaging straight-line winds. Flooding also resulted from training rainfall near and north of Interstate 20. Some roads became impassible or were washed out. This weather event was large in scope and produced severe weather from Oklahoma and Texas, through the southeastern United States, then up the east coast to New York.

Outbreak Context

Part of 27-tornado outbreak on April 12, 2020

Shared Episode Narrative

An upper-level low over the southwest United States evolved into a negatively-tilted shortwave trough as it moved over the southeastern United States. A warm front steadily moved northward during the morning and afternoon hours on Sunday, April 12. This allowed an unstable air mass to move northward and overspread much of the region. At the same time, very strong wind shear developed over Alabama as the upper trough neared the state.||An initial wave of severe storms affected areas near and north of Interstate 20, involving tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds, and some hail. Through the evening, a second wave of thunderstorms affected the remaining areas of Central Alabama with tornadoes and damaging straight-line winds. Flooding also resulted from training rainfall near and north of Interstate 20. Some roads became impassible or were washed out. This weather event was large in scope and produced severe weather from Oklahoma and Texas, through the southeastern United States, then up the east coast to New York.

Source Data
NCEI Event ID: 887617

See Also

2.4 mi350 yd wide