PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
542 PM CST WED DEC 26 2012

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 25 DECEMBER 2012 TORNADO ACROSS THE
MOBILE METROPOLITAN AREA...

...CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON EF-2 CONFIRMED BY THE NWS...

.OVERVIEW...A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM MOVED OUT OF THE PLAINS ON
CHRISTMAS...PRODUCING NUMEROUS STRONG STORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI, SOUTHWEST ALABAMA, AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE
OUT AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT AND ACCOMPANYING SQUALL LINE. ONE
OF THE STORMS THAT MOVED ACROSS MOBILE COUNTY PRODUCED A TORNADO
THAT IMPACTED THE MOBILE METROPOLITAN AREA.

.MIDTOWN MOBILE TORNADO...

RATING:                 EF-2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    111-135 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  5.7 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   200 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               SEVERAL MINOR

START DATE:             DEC 25 2012
START TIME:             454 PM CST
START LOCATION:         NEAR HALLS MILL RD AND DAUPHIN ISLAND PKWY
START LAT/LON:          30.67, -88.09

END DATE:               DEC 25 2012
END TIME:               505 PM CST
END LOCATION:           PRICHARD
END_LAT/LON:            30.74, -88.06

SURVEY_SUMMARY:

THE INITIAL TORNADO TOUCHDOWN WAS LOCATED NEAR DAUPHIN ISLAND
PARKWAY...DUVAL STREET AND HALLS MILL ROAD...WHERE IT INITIALLY
MOVED NORTHWESTWARD. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHWARD TO NEAR THE
INTERSECTIONS OF HOLCOMB AVENUE...GOVERNMENT STREET AND DAUPHIN
ISLAND PARKWAY WHERE IT PRODUCED DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH AN EF-1
TORNADO...DAMAGING SEVERAL COMMERCIAL RETAILERS. THE TORNADO
CONTINUED NORTHWARD...DAMAGING HOMES AND PRODUCING ROOF DAMAGE
TO NUMEROUS HOMES. IT THEN REACHED MURPHY HIGH SCHOOL...WHERE
IT DESTROYED SEVERAL OUT-BUILDINGS...BLEW OUT WINDOWS AND PRODUCED
SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL. FROM HERE...THE
TORNADO TRACKED NORTHWARD TO DAUPHIN STREET WHERE IT STRENGTHENED
AND WIDENED TO 200 YARDS PRODUCING DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH AN EF-2
TORNADO TO SEVERAL HOMES. ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED WAS THE
TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH ON DAUPHIN STREET. THE TORNADO THEN
MOVED INTO THE SILVERWOOD STREET AREA WHERE IT PRODUCED EF-1
DAMAGE AND SPORADIC EF-2 DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES. THE TORNADO
NEXT TRACKED NORTH NORTHEAST ACROSS THE MOBILE INFIRMARY HOSPITAL
...WHERE IT BLEW OUT SEVERAL WINDOWS AND DAMAGED SEVERAL
AUTOMOBILES...AS WELL AS FLIPPING ONE AUTOMOBILE. THE TORNADO
CONTINUED TRACKING NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS INTERSTATE 165 MOVING
INTO THE PRICHARD AREA WHERE IT PRODUCED DAMAGE TO THE ROOFS OF
SEVERAL HOMES...AS WELL AS SNAPPING SEVERAL TREES. THE TORNADO
CONTINUED ACROSS TELEGRAPH ROAD WHERE IT TOSSED SEVERAL LARGE
SHIPPING CONTAINERS AND DAMAGED A WAREHOUSE FACILITY BEFORE
DISSIPATING ON JAKES LANE IN PRICHARD.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WANTS TO THANK THE MOBILE COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE WITH OUR STORM
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT EFFORTS TODAY.

EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.

EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH
EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH
EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200 MPH
EF5...VIOLENT...>200 MPH*

NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.

$$

BARRY/GARMON

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