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National Weather Service meteorologists have completed all surveys in Jefferson County and have made the determination that the widespread storm damage found in southern Jefferson County was the result of both straight line winds as well as a brief EF-1 tornado.
National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed locations of reported damage from Bessemer, to Shannon, Bluff Park and Vestavia Hills. The damage began around Clarendon Road in Bessemer, where winds of up to 85 mph caused a few large trees to be uprooted. Minor tree limb damage continued across 14th Street south of Carolina Avenue. Sporadic minor damage was found along the line, especially along Shades Crest Road, where terrain enhancements typically produce stronger winds. As the storms approached Vestavia Hills, significant damage was noted, with a concentrated area of damage associated with the tornado roughly from behind the Vestavia Hills Police Department, across Bird Park, to just north of the Vestavia Hills Country Club. This is where numerous large hardwood trees were uprooted and thirty pine trees were snapped in Bird Park. One home adjacent to the country club sustained potentially significant structural damage, with drywall fasteners on the ceiling loosened by the force of the winds on the roof. Other homes in the area received significant damage due to impact from fallen trees. Just to the south of this tornado path, strong rear inflow notch winds up to 90 mph snapped or uprooted dozens of hardwood and softwood trees, with some homes impacted. Rear inflow wind damage extended from about a mile west of Highway 31 near Old Creek Trail, crossed just south of Canyon Road, and extended about a mile east of Highway 31 across the southern portion of the country club.
This storm survey was very complicated and detailed and could not have been accomplished without the assistance from the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency, Vestavia Hills PD, as well as the numerous detailed public reports submitted to the National Weather Service.
A Tornado Warning was in effect from 719 pm until 8 pm.
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