January 22–23, 2012 tornado outbreak

The January 2012 tornado outbreak was a tornado outbreak that caused significant damage in several regions of the Southern United States.

Across Alabama, insurers estimated damage from the tornadoes to have been at least $30 million.

Meteorological synopsis

During the late afternoon of January 22, a Particularly dangerous situation tornado watch was issued for much of Arkansas and parts of Tennessee and Mississippi. At roughly sunset, severe storms developed along a pronounced line in central Arkansas with the southern cells prompting tornado warnings. An intense cell developed near Fordyce, Arkansas early that evening with severe damage reported according to KATV coverage. A tornado emergency was issued downstream for Rison. An inspection conducted by the National Weather Service in Little Rock, Arkansas reveals that the tornado was rated an EF2. Several more tornadoes touched down before the storms reformed into a squall line near midnight.

Overnight, another round of tornadoes developed in Alabama ahead of the squall line. Early that morning, more very severe tornadoes hit the western and northeast parts of Birmingham. Severe damage was reported in those areas, as well as in Chilton County, some of the same places hit extremely hard by the catastrophic April 27, 2011 outbreak. At least two people were killed in Jefferson County. After an inspection conducted by the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, the strongest tornado of the event was rated an EF3. One of the fatalities occurred in the Oak Grove area which was hit by an F5 tornado on April 8, 1998.

Tornadoes

January 22 event

January 23 event

Non-tornadic events

Along the backside of the storm, strong winds up to triggered dust storms across parts of northwestern Texas, eastern New Mexico and western Oklahoma. Numerous flights were cancelled across the region due to the high winds and dust.

In addition to spawning several destructive tornadoes, the severe storms also produced intense straight-line winds across parts of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Winds up to caused widespread damage to buildings and trees. Near West Helena, Arkansas, several mobile homes were destroyed. Significant damage took place elsewhere in the city as multiple trees were snapped or uprooted and power lines were downed. Near Memphis, Tennessee, winds estimated at lifted the roof off a large building and tossed it roughly .

See also

• Tornadoes of 2012

External links

• NWS Birmingham, Alabama Outbreak Summary
• NWS Little Rock, Arkansas Outbreak Summary