What an onslaught of severe weather late Tuesday and early yesterday. Based on the latest information from our news department; one person died and about a dozen were injured from at least four tornadoes across the state. F2 tornadoes touched down in Chilton and Autauga counties, an F1 moved through Sylacauga, and F0 tornado damage was reported in Talladega county not too far from the community of Alpine. Significant wind damage was also reported in Calhoun, St. Clair, Randolph, Coosa, Dallas, Lamar, Cherokee, Etowah, and Chambers counties. It is likely that tornadoes were responsible for some of this damage; National Weather Service survey teams are working hard to complete the report on the damage statewide.

On this Thanksgiving Day, let me thank a few folks for their help during our many hours of coverage: J.B. Elliott for his excellent work on Cox Radio stations in Birmingham, and his frequent reports from various EMA offices around the state. Bill Murray for his tireless work on keeping the ABC 33/40 web site fresh with the latest severe weather information. J.P. Spann for doing a great job on running the radar system for me while I was on the air (Brian Peters was out of town for Thanksgiving and we were short staffed; J.P.’s work was invaluable). John Oldshue for coming in early yesterday (3:00 a.m.) to help me with on-air work on ABC 33/40. John took over and handled the severe weather coverage from 5:45 until 7:45 while I ran the radar. The entire ABC 33/40 news staff for their hard work and great reports during very difficult conditions.

It was the most significant tornado outbreak in Alabama since November 10, 2002. Yet another reminder our “secondary tornado season” can produce plenty of fireworks.

A dam on Shoal Creek between Ashville and Odenville has failed... we hope to have some very dramatic footage on our 6:00 news. Here is the text of the warning from the NWS (note the dam failed after the warning was issued):

WGUS54 KBMX 242239 CCA
FFWBMX
ALC115-250215-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED...CORRECTION FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
417 PM CST WED NOV 24 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
NORTHEASTERN ST. CLAIR COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA

* UNTIL 815 PM CST

* AT 410 PM CST...ST CLAIR COUNTY EMA REPORTED A DAM FAILURE
IMMINENT ON A POND ALONG SHOAL CREEK...IN THE VICINITY OF PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD...ABOUT 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF ODENVILLE...OR 4 MILES SOUTH OF ASHVILLE.

IF THE DAM FAILS...FLOOD WATERS ARE MOVING DOWN SHOAL CREEK DOWN THE SHOAL CREEK VALLEY.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY AUTOMOBILE.

Here is the text of the mid-afternoon damage report from the Birmingham NWS office:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
145 PM CST WED NOV 24 2004

...PRELIMINARY EVENT SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 23RD AND 24TH...

THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 26 TORNADO WARNINGS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM FORECAST OFFICE. THE FIRST TORNADO WARNING WAS ISSUED AT 240 PM ON THE 23RD. THIS WARNING WAS FOR CHAMBERS COUNTY. THE LAST WAS FOR LEE COUNTY AT 809 AM. THE FOLLOWING IS A CHRONOLOGICAL BREAK DOWN OF ALL THE TORNADO WARNINGS ISSUED:

NOVEMBER 23RD

CHAMBERS 240 TO 315 PM
TUSCALOOSA 310 TO 345 PM
BIBB 310 TO 344 PM
BIBB 339 TO 415 PM
LAMAR 948 TO 1030 PM
MARION 948 TO 1030 PM

NOVEMBER 24TH

SUMTER 315 TO 400 AM
PICKENS 319 TO 415 AM
GREENE 340 TO 415 AM
MARENGO 346 TO 445 AM
DALLAS 430 TO 515 AM
DALLAS 512 TO 545 AM
MARENGO 522 TO 545 AM
AUTAUGA 536 TO 615 AM
CHILTON 536 TO 615 AM
LOWNDES 606 TO 630 AM
AUTAUGA 611 TO 700 AM
CHILTON 617 TO 645 AM
COOSA 619 TO 645 AM
ELMORE 641 TO 730 AM
COOSA 644 TO 715 AM
CALHOUN 704 TO 745 AM
TALLADEGA 704 TO 745 AM
CLAY 705 TO 730 AM
CHAMBERS 809 TO 845 AM
LEE 809 TO 845 AM

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY CREWS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE FIELD ASSESSING THE STORM DAMAGE. AT THIS POINT THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR CONFIRMED TORNADOES ACROSS THE BIRMINGHAM WEATHER SERVICE WARNING AREA. THE PRELIMINARY RATINGS FOLLOW:

NOVEMBER 24TH

CHILTON 555 AM F2 2 MILES SOUTH OF CLANTON
AUTAUGA 639 AM F2 AUTAUGAVILLE
TALLADEGA 645 AM F0 AT HIGHWAY 21 AND 76
TALLADEGA 630 AM F1 SYLACAUGA

IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES...SIGNIFICANT FLASH FLOODING OCCURED IN MANY LOCATIONS...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR...FROM BIRMINGHAM TO THE EAST.

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE AS STORM SURVEYS ARE COMPLETED.

NWS Birmingham has now confirmed F2 tornado damage in Chilton and Autauga counties (two different tornadoes).

F1 damage has been confirmed in the Sylacauga area.

Lots of other damage in many other counties. We endured a very significant severe weather event this morning. At this point I do not know of any fatalities, which is a sign of the way the warning process worked.

Will post more here as time allows...

Many reports of damage are rolling in. Counties with damage include St. Clair, Chilton, Dallas, Clay, Autauga, and Tallapoosa.

Reports indicate that Autaugaville looks like a "bomb exploded" in the middle of the town due to major tornado damage.

A significant tornado moved through Chilton county, with major damage near Verbena.

More details as they become available...

The best velocity signature of the day is now just south of Thomaston in Marengo county. Extremely dangerous storm moving toward Consul and Safford. I have great concern this is causing damage to homes. I sure hope they get the warning.

These supercell storms about to move into west Alabama are showing very strong evidence of rotation with confirmed damage in Mississippi. One is headed toward Pickens County, the other towards Sumter County.

I only hope folks over there are awake, or have a NOAA Weather Radio alarm or E-Warn to wake them up. About to go into wall to wall coverage...