NWS Confirms Low-End EF1 Tornado Hit Pickens County Sunday Night

A small-scale tornado touched down in Pickens County Sunday night and traveled several miles before it ended, damaging some homes, trees and power lines in the area.

The National Weather Service confirmed the phenomenon Monday morning and said an EF1 tornado touched down shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday, beginning in an inaccessible area of Pickens County not far from Zach Simon Road.

Meteorologists say it traveled east-northeast for about seven miles before breaking up. The NWS says the tornado peaked at 300 yards wide and produced wind speeds of 90 miles per hour, barely clearing the threshold between EF0 and EF1 tornadoes.

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No one was injured or killed in the severe storm, but some property was damaged - the NWS said a home along County Road 7 had parts of their metal roofing removed and multiple trees were downed or stripped of limbs.

Their report said the tornado was widest and strongest near Pine Groad Road, "where numerous trees were downed, including a stand of pine trees along the road of which approximately 15-20 trunks were snapped. Power lines were downed by falling trees. A couple uprooted pine trees fell onto a garage and the adjacent house sustained partial roof loss."

The funnel moved across a farm along McDaniel Road and became more narrow along
McShane Road and Phoenix Avenue, although it continued downing trees there in a wide swath before moving along County Road 12 and Highway 17 and eventually ending.

The tornado began outside Carrollton and ended near the Owens region.

For more coverage of weather and news from the NWS, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.