Deadly twister upgraded to highest ranking – EF5

Preliminary reports from the National Weather Service stated storm surveyors had initially estimated the tornado that ripped through Franklin County to be an EF4, but the official report released on Sunday showed the tornado was an EF5, which is the worst tornado possible.

According to the report, the survey team traveled through Phil Campbell and witnessed “continuous significant devastation throughout the city. Prolific damage was noted from the intersection of County Road 51 and Alabama Highway 327 to the intersection of County Road 81 and County Road 75.”

The report noted that many well-constructed homes in this area were destroyed and a 25-foot section of pavement was sucked up and scattered up to a third of a mile down the road. Cars were tossed and one car was found wrapped around a debarked tree.

In the Oak Grove community in East Franklin, the report stated, “The tornado may have reached a relative maximum in intensity well into the EF5 category as the damage was slightly more intense and the path width was at a maximum of greater than one mile.”

In this area, surveyors said cars were thrown several hundred feet, a large vehicle was still missing and homes were “destroyed” and “disintegrated.”

According to the report, the tornado remained at EF5 level as it tore across Lawrence County and the Mt. Hope community, destroying local favorite restaurant Oh! Bryan’s and several houses.

Peak winds with this tornado were estimated at 210 mph and the path length was approximated at 106.9 miles with surveyors finding one complete tornado track spanning from southern Franklin County, Ala., to near Huntland in Franklin County, Tenn. The maximum path width reached 1.25 miles.

The report was the combined effort of the National Weather Service, local emergency management, a storm survey expert from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, a structural engineer and a survey expert.