Storm Survey Information: July 2nd, 2012 Microburst

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
421 PM CDT MON JUL 2 2012

...PRELIMINARY STORM SURVEY INFORMATION FROM MARSHALL COUNTY...

...DAMAGE TO CLAYSVILLE SNACK BAR DETERMINED TO BE FROM MICROBURST
WINDS...

A PRELIMINARY STORM SURVEY OF THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED ACROSS
PORTIONS OF MARSHALL COUNTY HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE AND MARSHALL COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL. INITIAL
FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

* EVENT TYPE: MICROBURST
* EVENT DATE: 07/01/12
* EVENT TIME: 7:35 TO 7:45 PM CDT

* ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 80 TO 100 MPH

* SUMMARY: SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MERGED AND INTENSIFIED AROUND
  THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF GUNTERSVILLE LAKE SUNDAY EVENING...JULY 1.
  THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AND RAPIDLY BEGAN PRODUCING
  DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL UP TO THE SIZE
  OF QUARTERS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE CLAYSVILLE
  SNACK BAR LOCATED ALONG HIGHWAY 431...JUST SOUTH OF THE 431/HWY 79
  INTERCHANGE. THE SMALL CINDER BLOCK BUILDING WITH A RELATIVELY FLAT
  WOOD ROOF /COVERED BY SHEET METAL/ WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED. THE WIND
  RIPPED THE ENTIRE ROOF STRUCTURE OFF AND COLLAPSED 3 OF THE 4
  EXTERIOR WALLS. THE DEBRIS WAS THROWN DOWNWIND APPROXIMATELY 100
  YARDS.

  THE STRONGEST WIND...ESTIMATED BETWEEN 80 AND 100 MPH...APPEARED TO
  INITIALLY BE CONCENTRATED RIGHT OVER THE SNACK BAR -- THEN FANNED
  OUT AWAY FROM THIS POINT -- EVIDENCE OF A 50-YARD SECTION OF A
  CHAIN LINK FENCE BENT FORWARD/NEARLY UPROOTED BY THE DAMAGING WIND.
  THE ESTIMATED LENGTH OF THIS PARTICULAR MICROBURST WAS 0.6 MILES.

  A COUPLE OF BLOCKS DOWNSTREAM /NORTH/...BETWEEN BRASWELL ROAD AND
  THE MARINA...SEVERAL MEDIUM SIZE TREES WERE SNAPPED /MIDWAY DOWN/
  WITH SMALLER BRANCHES THROWN AROUND. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
  CONTINUED NORTHEAST ALONG HIGHWAY 79 INTO SOUTHERN JACKSON COUNTY
  BUT LITTLE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE HAS BEEN NOTED AT THIS TIME...ASIDE
  FROM SPORADIC SMALL TREES DOWN.

  ADDITIONAL WIND DAMAGE WAS SEEN ON THE SOUTH END BUCK ISLAND AND
  ALSO ALONG HIGHWAY 227 NEAR LAKE GUNTERSVILLE PARK. THE WIND
  RESULTED IN MAINLY TREES/LARGE BRANCHES BEING SNAPPED.

THESE FINDINGS ARE PRELIMINARY AND ARE SUBJECT TO ADJUSTMENT.
PICTURES AND SUMMARY MATERIALS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB
PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE /ALL LOWER CASE/.

SURVEYED BY: NADLER