Tornado hits Lacey’s Spring, destroys homes
By By Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
A tornado with wind gusts exceeding 100 mph ripped through a mobile home park in Lacey’s Spring early Thursday evening uprooting large trees, knocking out electric power and causing heavy damage to several mobile homes in its path. Fortunately, no one was killed and only one person was reported as having received minor injuries.
After evaluating the damage on Friday, the National Weather Service identified the storm as an EF1 enhanced tornado with the capability of producing 109 mph wind gusts. It touched down at approximately 6:30 p.m. and caused damage in a path one and one-half miles long and 200 yards wide. The most significant damage occurred in Sherbrook Mobile Home Park where five homes were either heavily damaged or destroyed. This residential area is about three miles south of the Tennessee River and three miles west of Highway 431.
A second line of thunderstorms swept through North Alabama about two hours later causing isolated wind damage in the Hartselle area. A frame house on Bethel Road sustained roof and structural damage when it was struck by the trunk of a large uprooted oak tree and a propane gas tank was ruptured at a home in the Cedar Cove community when it was hit by a falling tree.
Some of the residents of the mobile home park were inside their homes and caught off guard as the tornado approached.
Neal Norbeck and son Shane, 11, rode out the storm under the cover of pillows in the bathroom of their 196Glen Garry Drive home.
While they escaped unharmed, their mobile home wasn’t as lucky. It was split in half when a large tree fell on its roof.
The storm triggered immediate response from Morgan County District 4 road crews, volunteer fire fighters, Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and Rescue Squad and the Morgan County Emergency Management Agency.
District 4 Commissioner Greg Abercrombie said his road crews were on the scene for several hours. They used chain saws and heavy equipment to remove fallen trees from roadways to give emergency responders access to the storm-damaged area. Firefighters and rescue squad members searched homes for possible victims; sheriff’s deputies cordoned off the area and directed traffic; and the Morgan County EMA set up a base of operations. Later, the Morgan County Volunteer Center set up a station to coordinate the assistance of public volunteers and Bethlehem Baptist Church opened an emergency shelter for storm victims.
Eddie Hicks, director the Morgan County EMA, said an assessment of damage showed that five homes were either heavily damaged and 15 other homes were affected. One person suffered minor injuries and those residents left homeless were able to find temporary shelter with relatives and friends.
A large oak tree fell on the roof of a Bethel Road house owned Samie and Bill Wiley at about 8 p.m. Thursday during a thunderstorm accompanied by strong wind gusts and heavy rain. The roof didn’t cave in under the weight of the tree but structural damage was reported.
Bobby Phillips lives in the house and was at home when the tree fell.
A commercial tree service removed the uprooted tree on Monday.
At about the same time, Sherman and Ann Kirby were forced to evacuate their home on Cedar Cove Road after a large tree fell and ruptured a propane gas tank o their property. When they heard a hissing noise caused by the escaping gas they called 911 and were advised to leave their home immediately. They observed from a safe distance while volunteer firefighters secured the area and allowed the tank to empty.
