1956 Jefferson County Tornado

ON THIS DATE IN 1956:

Around 3 p.m., an F4 tornado touched down just west of Wylam in western Jefferson County. The murderous tornado tore to the northeast, passing along the western and northern fringes of the City of Birmingham. The tornado plowed through McDonald’s Chapel and the Stacey Hollow area. One hundred homes were destroyed in these two communities.

The twister continued through West Ensley and Sandusky, destroying another fifty homes.

Homes were destroyed in the New Georgia community near Lewisburg. The tornado passed just north of Tarrant City and near Ketona, finally lifting near Chalkville.

The twister killed twenty five along its twenty mile path. Most of the deaths occurred in the Stacey Hollow and McDonalds Chapel communities.

A total of four hundred homes and buildings were destroyed.