Severe thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon of March 28th, 2009 as a cold front moved into the Tennessee Valley. Discrete thunderstorm cells developed intitially then eventually merged into a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) as the line pushed into northeastern Alabama and southern middle Tennessee during the early evening hours. One of these severe thunderstorms within the line produced an EF-1 tornado in DeKalb County. The tornado touched down around 8:16 pm CDT approximately 5 miles north-northwest of Fort Payne, AL. Numerous large pines and other trees were snapped and uprooted along County Road 610 and Route 885, about 4 miles west of Valley Head, AL. A large tree fell on a house along Route 885 causing significant roof damage. Trees were also uprooted along County Road 608 and additional damage was found near Highway 11 and Bethel Road, just south of Hammondville.

Another thunderstorm within the line produced an EF-1 tornado in Franklin County, Tennessee. The tornado touched down around 7:00 pm CDT approximately 2 miles north-northwest of Huntland, TN. Numerous trees were snapped with several cedar trunks uprooted along a path north of Highway 64 between Huntland and Maxwell. Shingles and roof panels were peeled back on a home and barn along Stratton Road and Pleasant Ridge Road near Branchville.

Just prior to the tornado touch down in DeKalb County, a thunderstorm produced a brief tornado in central Jackson County. This tornado touched down at about 8:11 pm approximately 1.5 miles northeast of Pisgah. A roof was completely ripped off a barn along County Road 60 and two houses sustained significant roof damage along County Road 58, just northeast of Pisgah. Debris from the barn roof was thrown nearly 200 yards.