Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
During the early pre-dawn hours of Monday, Nov. 30, a line of severe thunderstorms made their way across Madison County. While these storms dumped heavy rain over much of the county, they also spawned a twister that left a path of destruction in its wake along Boggy Bay Road, between County Road 150 and County Road 253, in the Cherry Lake area of northern Madison County. According to Madison County Emergency Management Coordinator Leigh Basford, the National Weather Service issued their tornado warning at 3:13 a.m. The first calls to emergency dispatch reporting downed trees and power lines came in at approximately 3:30 a.m. The county's "CodeRed" emergency alert system sent a message out at 2:58 a.m. warning area residents of a severe thunderstorm warning that had been issued for Madison County by the National Weather Service (NWS).
Basford stated that the tornado caused numerous downed trees and damage to several out-buildings and sheds. There were no injuries reported and no homes reported structural damage. There was also a quail farm that sustained considerable damage. According to the official report from the NWS, "The tornado was rated an EF-1 with winds of 105 mph and was on the ground for 5.5974 miles. The tornado initially touched down near NW Little Cat Road in Madison County. Significant tree damage and minor structural damage was noted at a home along County Road 150. Tree damage intensified as the tornado moved northeast across a quail farm along Boggy Bay Road. Significant tree damage and damage to farm outbuildings suggests EF-1 intensity. This was the tornado's widest point. The path narrowed as it crossed County Road 253 where a significant number of snapped pine trees was noted. The tornado then weakened, with no other known structural damage, before lifting just southwest of State Road 53 near the Florida-Georgia Line."
According to Kaitlynn Culpepper, with Tri-County Electric Cooperative, a total of approximately 900 Madison County residents were without power due to the storm. As of 8 a.m. that number had dropped to approximately 100. By lunchtime, all residential power had been restored.
"I thought it was just a thunderstorm," said Arthur Burkett, an area resident. "Then it got 'boom, boom,' real loud. I still didn't know what it was, so I went back to sleep. My son was banging on the door and said, 'Man, your pole barn is down.' I got up with the light and all you could see was a mess, everywhere. I am definitely real lucky."
"It sounded like a bad thunderstorm and it was rolling fast," said another area resident, Mark Hanson. "It blew insulation out of the roof from the vent from the stove. It rumbled the house, it definitely moved the house. [I feel] pretty lucky."
Some of the worst damage occurred at the farm belonging to Edward and Cindy Brown. Although their home was spared any major damage, their quail farming operation sustained significant damage, scattering young birds to fend for themselves. The Browns, along with helpful neighbors, worked to gather as many of the thousands of birds as possible. The loss put the Browns' operation, valued at several thousand dollars at jeopardy.
According to Basford, by the early afternoon of Monday, Nov. 30, power had been restored to the area and all roads had been cleared of debris. Basford also took the opportunity to remind Madison County residents of the importance of signing up for the free "CodeRed" alert system. "Severe weather can threaten at anytime and I encourage all Madison County residents to sign up for Tornado Warning alerts through our CodeRed weather notification system so they are not caught unprepared when an overnight event occurs," said Basford. To sign up for the CodeRed alert system, simply go to Madison County's web page and click on the CodeRed logo in the upper left hand corner of the web page. The service is free and could provide enough of an early warning to save you and your family in an emergency.