March 27, 2023

1 NW Tysonville - 3 ENE Franklin National Weather Service meteorologists performed a storm survey for the area near Milstead in Macon County, confirming an EF2 tornado with maximum winds of 125 mph. The tornado began in the area of Tysonville Road, with only sporadic tree limbs and small trees blown down. Damage became more concentrated along County Road 138, where the attached carport of a house was ripped away and destroyed. Numerous trees, mostly pine trees, were damaged along a path of several hundred yards. On County Road 40, the damage became more intense, with dozens of trees down, some falling on power lines. The top of a silo was blown off, with roofing material scattered southward, before the tornado reached the cotton gin in Milstead. Here, the main structure sustained significant damage, with failure of the roofing system and outer walls of the structure, earning the EF2 rating. Most of the inner walls remained standing, and two large buildings adjacent to the main structure only sustained comparatively minor roof and siding damage. Just east of the structures, significant tree damage was observed around a small lake, consistent with an EF2 rating. Along the road and railroad immediately south of the cotton gin, numerous concrete power poles were pulled down in an northward direction across the railroad tracks, and a pivot irrigation system was flipped in a large field.Continuing eastward, widespread tree damage continued along County Road 9 for around three miles, although most of the trees that were downed were pine trees. There was also occasional minor damage to roofing on homes, mostly caused by trees. The damage through here was consistent with upper-end EF0 or low-end EF1. Damage became much more sporadic as the tornado passed through the Franklin community, with only a few trees uprooted or trees knocked down. There was a slight uptick of more concentrated tree damage on the east side of County Road 27 before the tornado dissipated. Start: 32.4103/-86.0079 End: 32.4744/-85.7564

NWS EF Scale: F2