2021 Fultondale tornado
 The tornado in Fultondale, seen amidst a power flash | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | January 25, 2021, 11:40 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | January 25, 2021, 11:55 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 15 minutes |
| EF3 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Path width | 900 yards (820 m) |
| Path length | 10.41 miles (16.75 km) |
| Highest winds | 150 mph (240 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | 30 |
| Areas affected | Fultondale, Alabama and Center Point, Alabama |
Part of the Tornadoes of 2021 | |
In the late evening hours of January 25, 2021, a large and intense tornado hit the cities of Fultondale and Center Point, both located north of Birmingham, Alabama. The tornado, which was on the ground for 10 miles (16 km), inflicted extensive damage to homes and businesses, reaching a maximum intensity of EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The tornado damaged 265 homes and killed one person who was sheltering in a basement.
The tornado touched down at 11:40 pm CDT, producing EF0-rated damage to homes and trees while slowly picking up in intensity. The tornado damaged a Hampton Inn & Suites on Fulton Road as it rapidly intensified, inflicting EF2 damage to power poles and homes. Another motel was hit by the tornado as it reached EF3 intensity for the first time over Lykes Boulevard. The tornado, at this point maintaining wind speeds estimated to have been as high as 150 miles per hour (240 km/h), began to shatter storefront windows and deroof homes. The tornado reached its peak intensity on Oak Street and New Castle Road, impacting a row of homes at EF3 intensity and shifting at least one home off its foundation. One person, a 14-year-old, was killed while sheltering inside of a basement. The tornado continued to inflict heavy damage to structures before lifting near Country View Court at 11:55 pm, shortly before midnight.
Fultondale was previously hit by an EF4 tornado on April 27, 2011;[1] the 2021 tornado tracked just north of the 2011 tornado.[2]
Advanced forecasting
[edit]No risk area was outlined in the Storm Prediction Center's (SPC) Day 3 convective outlook on January 23, which only featured a large area of "TSTM" risk. The outlook noted that "Severe storms are not expected on Monday across the CONUS".[3] The Day 2 outlook on January 24 saw a 2% chance of tornadoes being outlined in Eastern Texas and Western Louisiana. In addition, a large 5% chance of hail was outlined across Eastern Texas, Western Louisiana, far-northwestern Mississippi, Southeastern Oklahoma, a large portion of Arkansas, and the Missouri-Indiana-Kentucky Tri-state area.[4] As a result of the threats, the SPC upgraded the original outlook of "no severe thunderstorms" to a "marginal", level 1-out-of-5 risk for portions of Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois. Alabama was not included in the risk area.[5] A later update of the outlook on the same day saw the marginal risk area shift eastward, now covering Southern Indiana and much of Tennessee. The risk area also covered part of Lauderdale County, Alabama, although Fultondale and the Birmingham metropolitan area were not in the risk area.[6]
The Day 1 convective outlook, released by the SPC on January 25, saw a "slight", level 2-out-of-5 risk area outlined for Southern Oklahoma and North ern Texas. Although the 2% tornado risk remained, the SPC upgraded the 5% wind and hail risks to 15%, covering the slight risk area. Alabama was no longer in a marginal risk area, with the risk being retracted.[7] Shortly after, the slight risk area was retracted and the marginal risk area was re-introduced to northwestern Alabama.[8] A 2% tornado risk was also included in the marginal risk area.[8] The marginal risk area was expanded southward later in the day, covering much of Alabama and putting the Birmingham metropolitan area in a 2% tornado risk.[9] The final Day 1 risk issued on January 25 saw a slight risk area introduced to Northwestern Alabama, Middle Tennessee and portions of Mississippi. A 5% tornado risk was included in the slight risk area; Fultondale and Birmingham were not included in the risk.[10][11][12]
Shortly after, Tornado Watch #3 was issued for 27 counties in Alabama, including Jefferson, where Fultondale is located.[13] The watch outlined a 50% chance of two or more tornadoes within the watched area, but only a 20% chance of one or more strong (EF2+) tornadoes. The watch also outlined a 70% chance of "6 or more combined severe hail/wind events" occurring within the watched area.[13]
Tornado summary
[edit]
The tornado first touched down at 11:40 pm on Summit Circle and Chapel Hills Parkway,[14] immediately producing EF0-rated damage to homes. The tornado partially deroofed a home and stripped its gutter off on the Parkway. The tornado then moved over West Park Drive and Chapel Hill Trail, maintaining EF0 intensity while slowly becoming wider. The tornado snapped branches off trees as it again moved over the Chapel Hill parkway; wind speeds as the tornado moved over the parkway were estimated to have been 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).[15] It continued to inflict EF0 damage to homes on Ellard Road before moving over Virginia Avenue. An apartment complex suffered visible damage on Walker Chapel Circle, being clipped by the tornado's northern edge.[16] After crossing Interstate 65 and bending a flag pole on Howell Street,[16] the tornado rapidly intensified, reaching EF2 strength over Fulton Road. A flagpole was destroyed outside of the Hampton Inn & Suites Fultondale,[17][18] and an Outback Steakhouse across the street suffered EF0-rated roof damage.[16][19]
The tornado maintained EF2 intensity as it crossed Head Road and Norris Circle, impacting a Fairfield by Marriott motel. EF2 damage was inflicted to homes on Bell Drive before the tornado crossed King Court, tracking north of the Fulton Police Department.[20] The tornado continued inflicting EF2 damage to trees and homes as it passed over U.S. Route 31, before producing EF1 damage to homes and trees on Republic Avenue. The tornado again intensified over Lykes Boulevard, destroying several houses at EF3 intensity.[21] The tornado cut a small swath of EF3 damage stretching from Lykes Boulevard, where a large tree fell on a resident's leg,[22] to Fulton Drive before weakening to EF2 intensity over the Black Creek. The garage of a home on Georgetown Lane suffered a collapse as the tornado moved over the area. In addition to roof and garage damage, the tornado shattered storefront windows while maintaining 96-mile-per-hour (154 km/h) winds.[21][23]
EF1 86–110 mph
EF2 111–135 mph
EF3 136–165 mph
⎯ Center of the tornado
EF3 intensity was reached for a second time as the tornado impacted a residential area on Nelda Circle, where homes were deroofed and one home was shifted entirely off its foundation.[21] Trees were debarked on Melba Lane, and a home was destroyed.[21] Rows of homes were destroyed at EF3 intensity on Oak Street and New Castle Road,[24] with wind speeds reaching as high as 150 miles per hour (240 km/h) in the area. Tree trunks were snapped at EF2 intensity by tornadic winds as the tornado tracked over Cedar Street;[25] at this point the tornado was beginning to turn eastward. One person was killed on Oak Street while sheltering in a basement.[26][27]
It weakened as it moved over Carson Road North,[28] inflicting sporadic EF2 damage to steel buildings.[29] After crossing North Pine Hill Road, the tornado impacted Fultondale High School at EF1 intensity, significantly damaging the school's structure.[30][31][32] Wooden poles on school grounds were snapped and a brick dugout collapsed.[29] Trees continued to be uprooted as the tornado began to move over a forested area north of Chenoor Road; the road was clipped by the southern edge of the tornado.[33] After tracking through the forest, it crossed over Shepherd Lane, where it struck homes at EF0 and EF1 intensity.[34] It weakened to EF0 intensity after crossing over Hewitt Road, where it moved north of businesses. The tornado briefly strengthened to EF1 intensity over Hildegards Street, where a mobile home park was struck.[34][35]
The tornado knocked down trees on the campus of Jefferson State Community College, which had been struck by the tornado's northern edge.[36] It again briefly reached EF1 intensity on Sunhill Road Northwest, located north of the Center Point Community College, where it damaged porches and collapsed garage doors inward. From 4th Street Northwest to 25th Court Northwest the tornado continued to uproot trees at EF0 intensity, before its northern edge moved over the Center Point Presbyterianism Church. The tornado damaged power lines on Alabama State Route 75.[37][38]
Homes were damaged on 1st Street Northeast, where the tornado maintained wind speeds from 65 to 75 miles per hour (105 to 121 km/h). To the east, it crossed Center Point Lake and continued to damage trees and homes on 4th Place Northeast through 7th Place Northeast. On County View Drive the tornado turned north, impacting Micmac Drive and Country View Court before lifting at 11:55 pm CDT.[39]
The tornado was on the ground for 15 minutes along a 10.41-mile (16.75 km) path, reaching a maximum width of 900 yards (820 m). The tornado was the first to hit Alabama in 2021.[40][41]
Aftermath
[edit]Damage and casualties
[edit]
One person, a 14-year-old,[42] was killed by the tornado when a tree fell on the home they were sheltering in;[43] at least 30 others sustained varying injuries. 17 of the injured were transported to hospitals, and 11 were treated before being released.[44] 265 homes were destroyed by the tornado,[45] which received a rating of EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale by the National Weather Service.[46]
Recovery efforts
[edit]The COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama, which was affecting Alabama at the time of the tornado,[47] made the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency change how their emergency activation centers are usually operated following the disaster.[48]
The Hampton Inn & Suites on Fulton Road was rebuilt six months after the tornado,[49]
Two years following the tornado, several destroyed homes remained on New Castle Road,[50] and homes were still being rebuilt across the city.[51]
Other tornadoes
[edit]One EF0 tornado related with the storm system was confirmed on January 25.[52]
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | NNE of Piperton | Fayette | TN | 35°07′03″N 89°36′17″W / 35.1176°N 89.6047°W | 22:29–22:31 | 1.26 mi (2.03 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | A brief tornado touched down and moved across a few roads, before lifting a short time later. Numerous trees were downed, but no structural damage was reported.[52] |
See also
[edit]- List of Alabama tornadoes
- 2012 Center Point–Clay tornado, an EF3 tornado that tracked through similar areas a year later
References
[edit]- ^ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.
- ^ "Governor offers help to Alabama towns hit by killer tornado". AP News. January 27, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". Damage Assessment Toolkit by NOAA. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "Storm Prediction Center Jan 23, 2021 0830 UTC Day 3 Severe Thunderstorm Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. January 23, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "Storm Prediction Center Jan 24, 2021 0700 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. January 24, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "Storm Prediction Center Jan 24, 2021 0700 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "Storm Prediction Center Jan 24, 2021 1730 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. January 24, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "Storm Prediction Center Jan 25, 2021 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. January 25, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ a b "Storm Prediction Center Jan 25, 2021 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. January 25, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "Storm Prediction Center Jan 25, 2021 1300 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "Storm Prediction Center Jan 25, 2021 2000 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. January 25, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "How a Deadly Alabama Tornado Was Spawned in an Otherwise Unspectacular Severe Weather Setup". The Weather Channel. January 27, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ Cappucci, Matthew (January 26, 2021). "How a deadly late-night tornado struck near Birmingham, Ala., on Monday". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ a b "Storm Prediction Center Tornado Watch 3". Storm Prediction Center. January 25, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ Morgan, Leigh (January 28, 2021). "National Weather Service releases interactive map that tracks the Fultondale EF-3 tornado". AL. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ Information on damage point sourced from "Damage Assessment Toolkit". NOAA. 2025.
(To access the DAT report, set both dates to March 28, 2020, reload, and zoom in to the affected region around 33.60 N -86.82 W. Information is then available by clicking on the highlighted marker(s).) - ^ a b c Information on damage point sourced from "Damage Assessment Toolkit". NOAA. 2025.
(To access the DAT report, set both dates to March 28, 2020, reload, and zoom in to the affected region around 33.60 N -86.81 W. Information is then available by clicking on the highlighted marker(s).) - ^ "Fultondale hotel severely damaged in EF-2 tornado". WBRC. January 26, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ "'Thankful to be alive:' Guest describes moments before tornado destroys Fultondale hotel". WVTM. January 26, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". Damage Assessment Toolkit by NOAA. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ Information on damage point sourced from "Damage Assessment Toolkit". NOAA. 2025.
(To access the DAT report, set both dates to March 28, 2020, reload, and zoom in to the affected region around 33.60 N -86.80 W. Information is then available by clicking on the highlighted marker(s).) - ^ a b c d Information on damage point sourced from "Damage Assessment Toolkit". NOAA. 2025.
(To access the DAT report, set both dates to March 28, 2020, reload, and zoom in to the affected region around 33.62 N -86.79 W. Information is then available by clicking on the highlighted marker(s).) - ^ Robinson, Carol (February 4, 2021). "Rescuers recount in-the-field amputation that saved life of trapped Alabama tornado victim". al. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". Damage Assessment Toolkit by NOAA. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ Booker, Brakkton (January 26, 2021). "Tornado Rips Through Birmingham, Ala., Area Leaving At Least 1 Dead, Dozens Injured". NPR. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ Information on damage point sourced from "Damage Assessment Toolkit". NOAA. 2025.
(To access the DAT report, set both dates to March 28, 2020, reload, and zoom in to the affected region around 33.63 N -86.79 W. Information is then available by clicking on the highlighted marker(s).) - ^ Pinarski, Phil (January 27, 2021). "14-year-old identified as victim killed in Fultondale tornado". WHNT. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". Damage Assessment Toolkit by NOAA. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ NWS Birmingham damage survey for Fultondale tornado. January 28, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2025 – via WVTM.
- ^ a b Information on damage point sourced from "Damage Assessment Toolkit". NOAA. 2025.
(To access the DAT report, set both dates to March 28, 2020, reload, and zoom in to the affected region around 33.63 N -86.78 W. Information is then available by clicking on the highlighted marker(s).) - ^ "Fultondale High School Too Badly Damaged By Tornado To Use Again". WBHM 90.3. January 29, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ "Superintendent: Students will not return to damaged Fultondale HS; new school to open in 2023". WBRC. February 12, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ Lewallen, Ayron (August 25, 2023). "Fultondale Wildcats defend the den in new stadium in first home game after tornado". WVTM. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ Information on damage point sourced from "Damage Assessment Toolkit". NOAA. 2025.
(To access the DAT report, set both dates to March 28, 2020, reload, and zoom in to the affected region around 33.63 N -86.77 W. Information is then available by clicking on the highlighted marker(s).) - ^ a b Information on damage point sourced from "Damage Assessment Toolkit". NOAA. 2025.
(To access the DAT report, set both dates to March 28, 2020, reload, and zoom in to the affected region around 33.64 N -86.75 W. Information is then available by clicking on the highlighted marker(s).) - ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". Damage Assessment Toolkit by NOAA. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ Information on damage point sourced from "Damage Assessment Toolkit". NOAA. 2025.
(To access the DAT report, set both dates to March 28, 2020, reload, and zoom in to the affected region around 33.65 N -86.71 W. Information is then available by clicking on the highlighted marker(s).) - ^ Information on damage point sourced from "Damage Assessment Toolkit". NOAA. 2025.
(To access the DAT report, set both dates to March 28, 2020, reload, and zoom in to the affected region around 33.65 N -86.68 W. Information is then available by clicking on the highlighted marker(s).) - ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". Damage Assessment Toolkit by NOAA. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". Damage Assessment Toolkit by NOAA. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "Alabama Tornado Database 2021". National Weather Service. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". Damage Assessment Toolkit by NOAA. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ "14-year-old boy killed in overnight tornado in Fultondale". WBRC. January 28, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ Vigdor, Neil; Hauser, Christine (January 26, 2021). "Tornado Strikes Alabama City, Killing at Least One". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ Robinson, Carol (January 26, 2021). "Fultondale tornado kills 14-year-old boy; 30 more people injured: 'Like a bomb went off'". AL. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ Chatman, Bria (February 2, 2021). "Damage assessment shows 265 homes damaged in Fultondale tornado". WBRC. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ Douglas, Patsy (August 15, 2023). Fultondale's first day of school. Retrieved May 14, 2025 – via WVTM.
- ^ "Last year for Fultondale High School seniors dampened by deadly tornado, pandemic". WIAT. February 4, 2021. Archived from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ Bell, Valerie (November 29, 2022). "'Time brings only change:' Nearly 2 years after tornado, Fultondale pushes forward". WBMA. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ Thornton, William (July 23, 2021). "Fultondale Hampton Inn, devastated by tornado, to be rebuilt". al. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ Jackson, Lauren (January 26, 2023). "City of Fultondale still working to rebuild two years after deadly tornado". WBRC. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ "Fultondale still recovering from tornado that hit city in 2021". CBS 42. January 25, 2023. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ a b "Storm Events Database January 25, 2021" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved May 5, 2021.