Event narrative (NOAA)
National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in northern Shelby County and determined that it was consistent with an EF3 tornado, with maximum winds near 140 mph.||This tornado originated in Bibb County and crossed into Shelby County along Shades Creek west of River Road. The tornado traveled northeast in a wooded area along the Cahaba River, paralleling County Highway 13. As the tornado moved into Helena, it caused shingle damage to several homes in the neighborhoods near Old Cahaba Parkway and Hillsboro Parkway. A house that was under construction also collapsed. The tornado intensified again as it crossed Buck Creek near Old Town Helena, snapping numerous trees and causing roof damage. A few homes near Cunningham Drive suffered partial roof loss. The tornado weakened as it c
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.