SARAGOSSA TORNADO (FAYETTE, WALKER, CULLMAN)
Rating F3
Begin/End Time 8:15 PM/9:34 PM
Length/Width 59.8/1100
Deaths/Injuries 9/45
SARAGOSSA/CURRY TORNADO (FAYETTE, WALKER, WINSTON, CULLMAN)
THE TORNADO CROSSED INTO WALKER COUNTY AT 8:34 PM AND TRAVELED THROUGH SPARSELY POPULATED AREAS OF WESTERN WALKER COUNTY. IT CROSSED THE INTERCHANGE OF US 78 ABOUT 5.5 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CARBON HILL AND BECAME VERY STRONG AS IT TRAVEL THROUGH THE SARAGOSSA AREA. IT CROSSED CR 5, CR 195, AND CURRY CR 257 BEFORE ENTERING WINSTON COUNTY.
THE TORNADO APPEARED TO BE AT ITS MOST INTENSE DURING THE TRAVEL FROM US 78/SR 188 INTERCHANGE ACROSS SARAGOSSA AND THE AREAS NEAR SR 5 AND SR 195. EIGHT DEATHS OCCURRED IN THIS 10 MILES STRETCH OF THE TORNADO TRACK ALONG WITH AN ESTIMATED 40 INJURIES.
AT 9:03 PM THE TORNADO CROSSED THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN TIP OF WINSTON COUNTY CROSSING PART OF SMITH LAKE.
THE TORNADO ENTERED CULLMAN COUNTY AT 9:08 PM MOVING ACROSS PORTIONS OF SMITH LAKE AND CROSS CR 222. CONTINUING NORTHEAST IT CROSSED INTERSTATE 65 BEFORE ENDING AT 9:34 PM JUST SOUTH OF CULLMAN NEAR THE CULLMAN GOLF COURSE. ONE DEATH WAS REPORTED IN CULLMAN COUNTY AS THE PERSON WAS SEEKING SHELTER.
THIS WAS THE LONGEST TORNADO OF THE DAY WITH A PATH LENGTH OF 59.8 MILES AND A WIDTH OF 1100 YARDS. IT WAS THE SECOND F3 TORNADO OF THE DAY. NINE DEATHS WERE REPORTED WITH THE STORM ALONG WITH AN ESTIMATED 45 INJURIES.
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 748 WAS ISSUED AT 4:35 PM. A TORNADO WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR FAYETTE COUNTY AT 7:54 PM, FOR WALKER COUNTY AT 8:24 PM, FOR WINSTON COUNTY AT 8:49 PM, AND FOR CULLMAN COUNTY AT 9:08 PM.
