EF-0 tornado downs trees, power lines near Montevallo

Published 11:25 am Tuesday, December 17, 2019

By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – A line of tornadic storms pushed across the state on Dec. 16, causing damage in parts of southern Shelby County in the late evening hours.

In its preliminary storm survey released on Dec. 17, the National Weather Service in Birmingham reported an EF-0 tornado touched down along Alabama 25 just east of Montevallo, with 75-80 mile-per-hour winds on a 2.29-mile path.

Ashley Medders said her family’s property located on Alabama 25 near Montevallo sustained significant tree and fence damage, along with downed power lines.

The family’s home and barn were largely spared, except for some broken windows and detached shingles and fireplace bricks on the house.

The storm also took down trees on Reynolds Cemetery Road, just outside of the city limits near Alabama 25.

Tree damage and downed power lines were also reported from the area of Mahan Creek Dental, located on Alabama 139 in Brierfield.

“Unbelievably, there is not damage to the office itself,” read a post on Mahan Creek Dental’s Facebook page on the morning of Dec. 17. “The grounds got the brunt of it, but it appears God and Dr. Mahan laid the trees perfectly around the office so that it wasn’t damaged.”

The storms wiped out the small playground on the property, damaged the wrought wire railing leading to the front door and forced one of the office’s doors to open, allowing debris and water into one of the operatories, the post read.

Bill Reid, retired Montevallo fire chief, said the fire department has not received word of any storm damage in the Montevallo city limits.

Downed power lines were reported on Alabama 25 between Montevallo and Calera, he said.