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ALZ011>015-017>050-231030-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
522 PM CDT FRI MAY 22 2026
..NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 05/22/26 TORNADO EVENT
OVERVIEW
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA
DURING THE LATE MORNING TO EARLY AFTERNOON OF MAY 22. ENOUGH SHEAR
AND INSTABILITY WERE PRESENT TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL,
LOW-TOPPED SUPERCELLS WITHIN A TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT. A FEW OF
THESE CELLS PRODUCED BRIEF ROTATION, AND ONE EF-1 TORNADO WAS
CONFIRMED IN EASTERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY.
BAMA ROCK ROAD TORNADO (TUSCALOOSA COUNTY)
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 95 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 2.65 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 150 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 05/22/2026
START TIME: 12:13 PM CDT
START LOCATION: 3 N VANCE / TUSCALOOSA COUNTY / AL
START LAT/LON: 33.2105 / -87.2211
END DATE: 05/22/2026
END TIME: 12:21 PM CDT
END LOCATION: 3 S ABERNANT / TUSCALOOSA COUNTY / AL
END LAT/LON: 33.2462 / -87.2083
SURVEY SUMMARY:
THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20/59 NEARLY
2 MILES EAST OF EXIT 89 IN A LARGELY OPEN FIELD WITH A FEW TREES
HERE AND THERE, ONE OF WHICH WAS UPROOTED. NUMEROUS VIDEO
RECORDINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWED A LOWERING CLOUDBASE AND
NEBULOUS FUNNEL CLOUD CROSSING THE INTERSTATE, WITH WHAT LOOKED
LIKE A VERY NARROW DRILL BIT TORNADO FINALLY TOUCHING DOWN. FROM
THERE, THE TORNADO MOVED NORTH, CROSSING UNION ROAD, WHERE MINOR
DAMAGE OCCURRED TO A DOUBLE WIDE MANUFACTURED HOME AND THE FIRST
HINT OF A DEBRIS SIGNATURE APPEARED. THE TORNADO THEN TRAVERSED
INACCESSIBLE FORESTS AND FIELDS AND INTENSIFIED BEFORE REACHING K
AND R ROAD, WHERE SEVERAL HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES WERE
SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY MINOR DAMAGE OCCURRED TO ANY HOMES ON
THE STREET. THE TORNADO THEN TURNED MORE NORTHEASTERLY, CROSSED
BAMA ROCK GARDEN ROAD WHERE A CARPORT WAS TOSSED AND A HOME
SUSTAINED OTHER MINOR DAMAGE AND CROSSED CHARLES BROOK RD,
SNAPPING AND UPROOTING SEVERAL TREES. THE TORNADO DISSIPATED OVER
INACCESSIBLE FOREST SOMEWHERE BEYOND CHARLES BROOK RD. THE
CURRENTLY ESTIMATED DISSIPATION POINT WILL LIKELY BE ADJUSTED
AFTER ALL REMOTE SENSING DATA IS REVIEWED.
ADDITIONAL SURVEYS
ADDITIONAL STORM SURVEYS ARE PLANNED ON SATURDAY, MAY 23, IN
MARENGO COUNTY FOR AREAS EAST OF DEMOPOLIS AND SOUTH OF SWEET
WATER.
EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:
EF0.....65 TO 85 MPH
EF1.....86 TO 110 MPH
EF2.....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3.....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4.....166 TO 200 MPH
EF5.....>200 MPH
NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.
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