McIntosh Tornado Rated EF-1

On Sunday morning, a storm damage assessment team from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Mobile completed a ground survey of the tornado damage that occurred late Saturday afternoon in McIntosh, Alabama (Southeastern Washington County).

Summary

Rating: EF-1 Tornado (estimated at 97 mph)

Path Length: 1.6 statute miles

Path Width: 150-200 yards wide

Location: From Boykin Boulevard to vicinity of the Ciba plant entrance immediatly east of the Topton Road and U.S. Highway 43 interstection.

Time of Event: 505 PM CST

Injuries: None

Fatalities: None

On Saturday afternoon at approximately 505 PM CST, an EF-1 tornado developed very near the intersection of Topton Road and U.S. Highway 43. The exact beginning of the damage path was just yards away from where Boykin Boulevard and Geigy road intersect. The damage path ended near the Ciba plant. The National Weather Service had posted a tornado warning for the McIntosh Area at 445 PM CST, 20 minutes prior to the event.

Two eyewitnesses at the Ciba plant heard the tornado in advance and then witnessed the tornado as it moved through their location. From the damage indicators observed during the survey, the highest wind speed rating of 104 mph was assigned due to the observation of numerous pine trees whose trunks were snapped. EF-1 tornado wind speeds range from 86 to 110 mph, so this is closer to the upper end of the EF-1 category.

Damage Information