Overview... A strong storm system moved into Central Alabama on the afternoon of March 30, 2022. Thunderstorms moved west to east from late afternoon into the overnight hours. A few discrete supercell storms developed ahead of the main convective line, along with a few supercells embedded within the line. Some of these storms produced tornadoes. Additionally, the storm system produced damaging straight line wind gusts and gradient wind damage ahead of the convective line.
Our Team was very active during this time within our Slack Workspace especially for central Alabama – as there was not much activity across Coverage Zone 1. A summary of all of the tornado surveys by NWS Birmingham are below, paginated to 4 surveys on each page. Navigate using the page numbers/arrows at the bottom of each page to see more.
* indicates that this is outside of our Coverage Zone but is still included.
The featured image indicates where tornado damage was reported to NWS, but it is up to them to determine if this is one or separate tornadoes during their surveys.
Tornado #1 Greenwood Road-Livingston Tornado (Sumter County)
Rating: EF1 Estimated Peak Wind: 100 mph Path Length /statute/: 7.23 miles Path Width /maximum/: 600 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 03/30/2022 Start Time: 08:51 PM CDT Start Location: 3 NNW Old Mallard Airport / Sumter County / AL Start Lat/Lon: 32.5369 / -88.2934 End Date: 03/30/2022 End Time: 09:02 PM CDT End Location: Livingston / Sumter County / AL End Lat/Lon: 32.6004 / -88.1957 Survey Summary: NWS Birmingham storm survey team identified an EF-1 tornado damage path in southwest Sumter County. The tornado is believed to have touched down somewhere near Greenwood Rd and Interstate 20. This area was heavily wooded and inaccessible, leaving the exact touchdown point estimated by radar. However, timber damage was found along portions of Greenwood Rd and Interstate 20 where swaths of snapped and uprooted trees were observed from the highway. This associates with a tornado debris signature seen on KBMX and KGWX RADARs. The tornado continued northeast crossing County Rd 12 where additional trees were snapped and uprooted. The tornado then moved between Livingston Country Club and Livingston Park before dissipating near the UWA campus on Lake Dr.
Tornado #2: Kirk Tornado (Pickens and Tuscaloosa Counties)
Rating: EF1 Estimated Peak Wind: 105 mph Path Length /statute/: 16.61 miles Path Width /maximum/: 450 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 03/30/2022 Start Time: 09:02 PM CDT Start Location: 2 SSW Kirk / Pickens County / AL Start Lat/Lon: 33.2126 / -87.9089 End Date: 03/30/2022 End Time: 09:21 PM CDT End Location: 2 E Brownville / Tuscaloosa County / AL End Lat/Lon: 33.3938 / -87.7207 Survey Summary: The tornado began in a wooded area southwest of Benevola Road, south of Gordo in northeast Pickens County. It began to snap and uproot trees as it crossed Snider Road, also causing roof damage to a residence and shed. The tornado continued to snap and uproot trees as it began to parallel Benevola Road, blowing off the roof of a barn that was being constructed. It reached its first maximum in intensity as it approached the Kirk community, snapping and uprooting many trees, with at least one falling on a home. It continued to damage sheds and damaged the roof of a manufactured home. The tornado began to decrease in intensity as it moved northeast towards Highway 82, but continued to down trees and caused minor roof damage to some homes along Highway 82. It appeared to increase again in intensity again as it approached the intersection of Boyd Road and Upper Columbus Road in the Echola community, snapping and uprooting more trees and collapsing a couple chicken houses. The tornado continued to snap trees as it crossed the Sipsey River, dissipating just before reaching Highway 171.
* Tornado #3: County Road 72 Tornado (Greene County)
Rating: EF1 Estimated Peak Wind: 100 mph Path Length /statute/: 8.81 miles Path Width /maximum/: 275 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 03/30/2022 Start Time: 09:10 PM CDT Start Location: 2 WNW Tishabee / Greene County / AL Start Lat/Lon: 32.6462 / -88.0263 End Date: 03/30/2022 End Time: 09:21 PM CDT End Location: 3 SE Allison / Greene County / AL End Lat/Lon: 32.7465 / -87.9363 Survey Summary: NWS Birmingham storm survey team determined an EF-1 tornado touched down in rural Greene County west of Johnston Lake. Damage began with snapped and uprooted trees, though impacted some mobile homes on Knott Rd. One mobile home there was rolled and destroyed. The tornado continued northeast across a heavily wooded area but then impacted homes and farm buildings near Taylor Branch. One house sustained minor roof and siding damage, but a mobile home farther east was completely destroyed with debris blown north into a tree line along County Rd 50. Residents were not home at the time. The tornado continued northeast impacting a nearby church at County Rd 50 and 72. Several homes near there sustained minor to significant roof damage on Develle Rd. The tornado continued northeast crossing County Roads 49, 20 and 148 where additional timber damage was observed at these locations. The tornado lifted near Taylor Creek before it could cross US Hwy 43.
* Tornado #4: Fikes Ferry Road Tornado (Perry County)
Rating: EF2 Estimated Peak Wind: 115 mph Path Length /statute/: 6.00 miles Path Width /maximum/: 620 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 03/30/2022 Start Time: 09:33 PM CDT Start Location: 1 NNW Hamburg / Perry County / AL Start Lat/Lon: 32.5475 / -87.2944 End Date: 03/30/2022 End Time: 09:41 PM CDT End Location: 2 NW Radford / Perry County / AL End Lat/Lon: 32.6154 / -87.2309 Survey Summary: NWS meteorologists confirmed a tornado damage track that occurred just southeast of the town of Marion. The tornado began along Dr JJ Howard Road where a path of trees were snapped and uprooted either side of farmland. Additional trees were snapped and uprooted along Albert Turner Sr Memorial Highway where a residence escaped any significant damage despite significant surrounding timber damage. The most significant damage occurred along Fikes Ferry Road where a swath of pine trees were snapped, pushing the rating to EF-2. The tornado then continued northeastward, coming to an end before reaching Highway 14 just north of Radford.