839
NOUS44 KBMX 232137
PNSBMX
ALZ011>015-017>050-240945-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
437 PM CDT SAT MAY 23 2026
..NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 05/22/2026 TORNADO EVENT UPDATE # 2
UPDATE
NWS BIRMINGHAM METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED TORNADO DAMAGE
IN SOUTHERN MARENGO COUNTY ALONG WITH ACROSS NORTHEAST MARENGO
COUNTY INTO SOUTHWEST HALE COUNTY.
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.
EXMOOR TORNADO
RATING: EF0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 65 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 0.23 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 40 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 05/22/2026
START TIME: 10:47 AM CDT
START LOCATION: 3 S SWEET WATER / MARENGO COUNTY / AL
START LAT/LON: 32.0537 / -87.8623
END DATE: 05/22/2026
END TIME: 10:48 AM CDT
END LOCATION: 3 SSE SWEET WATER / MARENGO COUNTY / AL
END LAT/LON: 32.0566 / -87.8605
SURVEY SUMMARY:
A BRIEF TORNADO OCCURRED IN THE EXMOOR COMMUNITY ALONG COUNTY
ROAD 6, BETWEEN COUNTY ROAD 7 AND LEWIS ROAD. THE TORNADO BEGAN
ALONG THE BACK TREE LINE OF A PROPERTY THEN MOVED NORTHEAST WHERE
IT SHIFTED A CAMPER NORTHWARD A FEW FEET OFF OF ITS CINDER BLOCK
SUPPORTS. A MANUFACTURED HOME SUFFERED DAMAGE TO ITS PORCH AND
AWNING. SOME TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED AS THE TORNADO
CROSSED COUNTY ROAD 6 BEFORE DISSIPATING AS IT DOWNED TREES
ACROSS THE ROAD.
SPARKS ROAD TORNADO
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 95 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 2.27 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 150 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 05/22/2026
START TIME: 10:43 AM CDT
START LOCATION: 2 W GALLION / MARENGO COUNTY / AL
START LAT/LON: 32.5001 / -87.7464
END DATE: 05/22/2026
END TIME: 10:50 AM CDT
END LOCATION: 2 NNW GALLION / HALE COUNTY / AL
END LAT/LON: 32.526 / -87.7238
SURVEY SUMMARY:
A TORNADO DEVELOPED ALONG SPARKS ROAD, EAST OF DEMOPOLIS, NEAR
THE MARENGO COUNTY/HALE COUNTY LINE, WHERE SEVERAL HARDWOOD TREES
WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED, AND A RESIDENCE HAD SIDING DAMAGE
EITHER FROM WIND OR FALLEN TREES. THE TORNADO THEN MOVED
NORTHEAST AND IMPACTED HOMES JUST OFF HIGHWAY 80 NEAR YELLOW
CREEK ROAD. SHINGLES AND SIDING WERE REMOVED FROM A COUPLE OF
HOMES, A SHED WAS DESTROYED, AND GENERAL YARD ITEMS WERE STREWN.
PERHAPS THE MOST EYE-CATCHING ITEM WAS THE DISPLACEMENT AND
FLIPPING OF A BOX TRUCK AND A PONTOON BOAT. THE TORNADO THEN
CROSSED HIGHWAY 80 WITH MINIMAL SIGNS OF DAMAGE AND CAME TO AN
END JUST PAST THE HALE COUNTY LINE, ALONG MOUNT OLIVE ROAD, WHERE
TREE BRANCHES WERE BROKEN.
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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