Event narrative (NOAA)
A violent long track tornado began in the Lakeview community northeast of Geraldine before tracking northeastward, generally parallel to and just east of State Route 75. Along this line, the tornado passed through Fyffe, Rainsville, Sylvania, and eventually into northern DeKalb County south of the Cartersville community, killing 25 people. On the first day of surveys, the survey team noticed initial damage in the Lakeview community where the path width was generally around 50 yards. This initial damage included mostly felled and snapped trees and structural damage to small buildings. Extensive damage was noted especially in Rainsville and Sylvania where the path width was estimated to over 1/2 mile wide. Damage in Rainsville included houses that were completely removed from foundations
Other notable tornado events in Alabama
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.