March 1, 2007 Millers Ferry EF4 Tornado

Millers Ferry EF-4 Tornado
March 1, 2007

An EF4 tornado touched down around 1227pm on March 1st, 2007 at State Highway 28 near Millers Ferry Lock & Dam in Wilcox County, AL. The tornado then tracked northeast across the Alabama River and William "Bill" Dannelly Reservoir moving ashore on Sand Island Drive. This was the initial area where the worst tornado damage occurred with numerous homes damaged or destroyed.

Most of the homes on Sand Island are vacation homes with part-time residents. If this tornado had struck on the weekend when more people were present, the loss of life would likely have been much greater. One resident arrived at his home on the lake to eat lunch when the tornado hit. He was killed when his newer model manufactured home was destroyed by the tornado. The straps holding the manufactured home down all snapped in the same place. He was thrown out of his home and later found in the debris. Next door, neighbors sought shelter in an underground storm shelter outside their house seconds before the tornado hit. When they safely emerged from the shelter, they found their home completely destroyed.

Approximately 40 homes (4 of these were slab homes) were damaged or destroyed along Sand Island Drive with some of the debris scattered up to 2 miles downstream. The tornado continued quickly to the northeast through sparsely populated areas. Damage to homes and hunting camps occurred along the entire path. The highest wind speed of the tornado was estimated at 185 mph. This tornado was on the ground for 6.1 miles with a path width of 500 yards.

1 person died and 2 people were injured by this EF4 tornado. The injuries occurred along Sand Island Drive when a single wide trailer was destroyed with the occupants being thrown from the trailer. They were protected from flying debris by part of the trailer that had fallen on top of them.

Base Reflectivity

Storm Relative Motion

Hand Drawn Analysis from March 1, 2007

Acknowledgements: Page created by Jeffrey Medlin (Meteorologist In Charge). Page updated by Morgan Barry (forecaster).

LAST UPDATED: May 2017