The National Weather Service (NWS) Office in Huntsville surveyed damage Saturday morning that was associated with Friday night’s storms. The NWS, Madison County EMA, and Lincoln County EMA found evidence that the damage was associated with a high-end EF3 tornado, with maximum winds of 160 mph.

One woman dead, three transported to hospital after overnight storms in Madison County

The tornado touched down near the Hazel Green community and traveled northeast crossing the state line into southern Lincoln County. The tornado was on the ground for 16 minutes and produced just over a 12-mile-long damage path. There were five reported injuries and one fatality.

The tornado was noted to be the strongest near the intersection of Meyers Road and Borderline Road, where winds had estimated peak winds of 160 mph. It was in this area that a newly constructed home, while not fully completed, was destroyed. The images above represent the approximate time when the tornado was at its strongest, impacting this area.

Reports of damage after severe storms moved through the Tennessee Valley

Along the 12-mile-long path, numerous trees were uprooted or snapped and caused significant damage to structures. The tornado continued to intensify along Borderline Road, which is along the Alabama and Tennessee state line. It is in this area where houses were heavily damaged and two homes had a complete collapse of walls, destroying the structures. The one fatality related to this tornado occurred along Borderline Road when a single-family home was destroyed. This fatality occurred in Alabama, just south of the state line.

For the full survey summary from the NWS click here.