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April 5, 2022 · Macon County · 2022
EF1

April 5, 2022

10:19 AM
Macon County, Alabama · Near Auburn (ZIP 36088)
Fatalities
0
Injuries
0
Path Length
4.3 mi
Max Width
250 yd
DateApril 5, 2022
Time10:19 AM
CountyMacon
CityAuburn
Property Loss$0
Crop Loss$0
SourceNCEI 1021387
NWS Birmingham

1 NNW Franklin - 4 WNW Uphapee Creek A small but clearly discernible tornado touched down just 4.9 miles south of the KMXX radar along Alabama Highway 49 in the Franklin community. A few small limbs were broken in trees just east of Hwy49 just east of the road. The tornado moved somewhat erratically northeastward, crossed largely harvested forest fields as it approached Macon County Road 36, breaking a few large tree limbs or causing a few trees to be left leaning into others. The narrow tornado continued across open fields before breaking large limbs on trees along Chewacla Creek. After crossing the creek, the tornado crossed the site of the historic Tuskegee Army Airfield, intermittently snapping or uprooting numerous young softwood trees, and continued across Macon County Road 56. The tornado then seemed to intensify somewhat as it approached Alabama Highway 199, where 10 to 20 mature pine trees were snapped. The tornado quickly weakened and dissipated just east of Hwy 199 in the vicinity of Bulger Creek. Start: 32.4656/-85.8051 End: 32.5099/-85.7551

NWS EF Scale: F1

Event Narrative

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in northern Macon County and determined that it was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum winds near 90 mph. The tornado touched down along Highway 49 in the Franklin community. |The tornado moved somewhat erratically northeastward, crossed largely harvested forested fields as it approached Macon County Road 36, breaking a few large tree limbs or causing a few trees to lean into others. The tornado continued across open fields before breaking large limbs along Chewacla Creek. After crossing the creek, the tornado crossed the site of the historic Tuskegee Army Airfield, intermittently snapping or uprooting numerous young softwood trees, and continued across Macon County Road 56. The tornado then seemed to intensify somewhat as it approached Alabama Highway 199, where 10 to 20 mature pine trees were snapped. The tornado quickly weakened and dissipated just east of Highway 199 in the vicinity of Bulger Creek.

Episode Narrative

An upper-level disturbance moved across the Deep South in the early morning hours of April 5, 2022. This fostered the development of a surface low which moved across Central Mississippi and into North Alabama. Thunderstorms in the morning initially posed a threat of large hail and damaging winds. Later in the morning and into the afternoon, storms became more surface-based and a tornado threat resulted, mainly impacting the southern and southeastern portions of Central Alabama. On April 6th, a strong cold front moved through Alabama, producing another round of severe thunderstorms, but no tornadoes.

Outbreak Context

Part of 18-tornado outbreak on April 5, 2022

Shared Episode Narrative

An upper-level disturbance moved across the Deep South in the early morning hours of April 5, 2022. This fostered the development of a surface low which moved across Central Mississippi and into North Alabama. Thunderstorms in the morning initially posed a threat of large hail and damaging winds. Later in the morning and into the afternoon, storms became more surface-based and a tornado threat resulted, mainly impacting the southern and southeastern portions of Central Alabama. On April 6th, a strong cold front moved through Alabama, producing another round of severe thunderstorms, but no tornadoes.

Source Data
NCEI Event ID: 1021387

See Also

4.3 mi250 yd wide