January 1997 Tuscaloosa tornado outbreak
| F2 tornado | |
|---|---|
 Homes in Tuscaloosa showing varying degrees of damage | |
| Type | Tornado event |
| Duration | January 24, 1997 |
| Max. rating1 | F2 tornado |
| Fatalities | 1 fatality, 10 injuries |
| Damage | unknown |
| Areas affected | Tuscaloosa County, Alabama |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
The January 1997 Tuscaloosa tornado was a strong tornado that hit portions of Tuscaloosa, Alabama as well as some of its surrounding communities on January 24, 1997.[1] The tornado, rated F2 on the Fujita scale, damaged or destroyed up to 100 structures as well as several vehicles, some of which were tossed distances of up to 400 feet. One person was killed and ten were injured, two of which were hospitalized.[2]
Event description
On January 24, 1997, a warm and moist airmass covered much of central Alabama. Morning temperatures across most of the state were in the lower 60's with a dewpoint of approximately 60°F (15-16°C).[3] Meanwhile, a warm front was moving from Louisiana and into central and southwest Alabama. By noon, the skies had begun to darken as a cold front trailed over areas of northeast Texas.
Just before 5:00 PM on January 24, a tornado touched down on the east side of the Warrior River south of Interstate 59 and west of County Road 95. Initial damage included snapped tree branches and shingles torn off of the roof of an apartment complex. As it crossed U.S. Route 82 and Interstate 59, the tornado quickly became stronger, with two businesses, Books-a-Million and Gayfers suffering roof damage. Moving in a northeast direction, the tornado then entered the Woodland Hills area, destroying outbuildings and damaging several homes. A 71-year old retired physician was killed when a tree fell onto the windshield of his pickup truck. In 1997, it was the first tornado-related fatality of the year.[3]
The tornado ultimately reached F2 intensity as it entered Five Points East. The manager of the Food World grocery store at that location saw the approaching tornado and ushered customers into the store. Many cars in the Food World parking lot were destroyed, including one that was tossed into the backyard of a neighboring house while another was tossed through the roof of the store. At least one other business, a Big-B location, also suffered damage.[2]
After impacting the Food World and Big B stores, the tornado continued into the Lynn Haven residential area damaging ten to twelve homes. Damage to these homes ranged from partial to complete roof loss. The tornado then crossed the Tuscaloosa Memorial Gardens Cemetery and State Road 216, entering the Summerfield subdivision. Six to eight houses in the subdivision received minor damage while other structures including a few mobile homes and a small grocery store were destroyed. The tornado dissipated shortly afterwards in a wooded area just north of State Road 216.
Aftermath
A tornado warning was issued for Tuscaloosa County at 5:11 PM, shortly before the tornado dissipated. The warning would remain in effect for another 45 minutes.[3]
The tornado was on the ground for approximately 15 minutes, with a path length of 10 miles long by 200 yards wide. The EMA of Tuscaloosa County concluded that up to 100 structures sustained some degree of damage, ranging from roof damage to complete destruction. The sole fatality that occurred during the tornado was the first tornado-related fatality to occur in 1997, and the first in Tuscaloosa since the 1932 Deep South tornado outbreak killed 37 people in the area.
The December 2000 Tuscaloosa tornado, which occurred almost three years later, would follow a similar path to the 1997 twister.[4] The 2000 tornado was rated at F4 intensity and killed 11 people.
See also
- December 2000 Tuscaloosa tornado
- 2011 Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado
- January 1997 tornado outbreak - a tornado outbreak that occurred in Tennessee on the same day but spawned from a different storm system
- Tornadoes of 1997
- Tornado intensity and damage
References
- ^ "Storm Prediction Center Storm Reports". www.spc.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
- ^ a b "Tuscaloosa Tornado 1/24/1997". National Weather Service. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
- ^ a b c "The January 24, 1997 Tuscaloosa Tornado". The Alabama Weather Blog. The Weather Factory. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ^ "Extreme Weather History". Tuscaloosa County EMA. Tuscaloosa County. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
External links
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