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Monthly Archives: April 2018

8:41PM April 23, 2018

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TORNADO DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS… The National Weather Service office in Mobile (responsible for our local area) has completed their damage assessments of the tornado/storm paths from Sunday, April 22. Here’s what we know this evening…
YET TO BE RANKED… The storm that likely produced a tornado in Sellersville, AL has not been ranked yet. Damage occurred to trees and at least one mobile home. This was caused by a likely tornado that will be ranked EF0 or EF1.
FORT WALTON BEACH, FL TORNADO… Ranked EF1 with max winds of 105mph. 1.24 miles long with a max width of 50 yards. No fatalities, 2 injuries. The tornado moved ashore on Okaloosa Island and produced significant damage to a home on Sailfish Drive. The tornado then moved across Santa Rosa Sound and into Fort Walton Beach, producing tree damage and broken windows at St Mary Catholic Church and School. The tornado continued northeast across Robinwood Drive and damaged the roofs of several units in an apartment complex, before finally weakening and lifting just north of Jet Drive.
 
MOLINO, FL TORNADO… Ranked EF0 with max winds of 85mph. 0.13 miles long with a max width of 25 yards. No fatalities, no injuries. There was a brief EF-0 track on Crabtree Church Road. One home suffered shingle damage and a broken window and a mobile home was shifted on its foundation. There were also several uprooted small trees and numerous large branches broken.
 
FOLEY, AL TORNADO… Ranked EF0 with max winds of 80mph. 1.6 miles long with a max width of 100 yards. No fatalities, 3 injuries. The tornado first touched down at the Anchors Aweigh RV Resort where it overturned 5 RVs. 3 people who were in the RVs were injured. The tornado continued northeast to just east of the intersection of Highway 59 and County Road 20. Minor damage to a convenience store canopy and to the Lowe’s were observed. The tornado lifted near the intersection of Pride Drive and Juniper Street. Spotty minor tree damage was noted along the path.
 
ELBERTA, AL TORNADO… Ranked EF0 with max winds of 80mph. 1.04 miles long with a max width of 100 yards. No fatalities, no injuries. The tornado first touched down near the intersection of County Road 87 and Chatelaine Drive. A few homes experienced shingle damage. Some trees were also uprooted. The tornado continued moving almost due north, paralleling just east of County Road 87, lifting south of the Dixie Road intersection. Minor tree damage was noted along the path along with isolated instances of very minor structural damage to a few residences.
 
SUCCESSFUL WARNINGS & ACTION… It truly makes me want to jump for joy knowing that no one died in these storms. Yes, there were minor injuries in Foley and Fort Walton Beach, but no lives were lost! Property can be replaced. People cannot. My thoughts go out to the injured folks and the folks who lost property. THANK YOU again to everyone who HEEDED the warnings! I think we all have lessons we can learn from yesterday (and that absolutely includes me, by the way)… The first of which is ALWAYS take any severe weather risk (even Level 1, marginal risks) seriously.
 
Thank you so much to everyone who watched our 3 hour live streaming coverage hits here on Facebook or in the RZWeather app. Let me stress again, if you haven’t set up the customized alerts in our app (redzoneweather.com/app is the link for the free download), check out the Alerts tab (lower right corner of app) and tap that big yellow Alerts button to set the alerts you want to receive from us.
 
Have a great evening!
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11:20AM April 23, 2018

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TORNADO DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS… NWS Mobile has deployed two separate damage assessment teams across our region. Team #1 is currently in northern Crenshaw County near Highland Home assessing damage there. Team #1 will then travel to Escambia County, AL next to places like Sellersville to assess the damage. Team #2 will start the day assessing the damage in Molino, FL. Team #2 then travels to southern Okaloosa County to assess the tornado track near Fort Walton Beach.

We should have definite tornado ratings later today. I’ll keep you posted once we know more.

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7:13AM April 23, 2018

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NICE MONDAY AHEAD; TORNADO DAMAGE UPDATES… The severe weather issues are over as we will have clearing skies on this Monday. High temperatures will peak in the mid-70s across south Alabama and northwest Florida.

FEW SHOWERS ON TUESDAY & THURSDAY… Our next chances of rain happen on Tuesday afternoon and Thursday morning as isolated showers develop across our region. The jet stream in place above our region will keep Gulf moisture mainly to our south, but a few showers are not out of the question on Tuesaday afternoon and evening. Most of the area will be dry despite these isolated showers around.

TORNADO DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS… If you would have told me Saturday that on Sunday (yesterday) we would have numerous tornado touchdowns with too many tornado warnings to remember the count, I would’ve probably been a bit skeptical. SPC had our entire area outlined in a Level 1 (out of 5) marginal risk zone. The atmosphere clearly “overperformed” on this event. There is confirmed storm damage near Foley, Elberta, Molino, Bethel/Roberts, Fort Walton Beach, Wright, Highland Home, and in other spots across our area.

EF0 DAMAGE NEAR FOLEY… I spoke with an NWS employee/friend last evening who indicated that storm surveys will continue across our area today. What we know, as of this morning, is that two EF0-rated tornadoes happened near Foley/Elberta in south Baldwin County. I have a suspicion this will be the first of many EF0/EF1 tornado tracks found across our region today.

NO INJURIES… Property can be replaced. People cannot. I have heard of NO injuries or casualties associated with the tornadoes/storms yesterday. While my heart aches for those who had property damage, I am so grateful we didn’t lose someone yesterday due to a tornado! A *HUGE* THANK YOU to everyone who heeded the warnings and got in your tornado safe place when a warning was in effect for your specific area. Thank you also to everyone who watched our continuous severe weather coverage, both on Facebook and here in the RedZone Weather app.

SET UP YOUR ALERTS… I’m aware of at least two cases of our RedZone Weather app helping alert people yesterday that had confirmed tornado damage – one near Sellersville, AL and one in Fort Walton Beach, FL. This makes what I do all worth it! If you haven’t already, please visit the Alerts tab (bottom right) here in the RZWeather app and tap that large, yellow “Alert Settings” button to configure the alerts you want to receive from us.

I’ll bring you results of the tornado ratings later today as we get them. That info will be available in the RZWeather app. Have a great Monday!

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