Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones tells “Good Morning America” about the search and rescue operation underway after a series of tornadoes ripped through the region.
Tornadoes passed through Lee County and Washington County in Alabama on Sunday March 3, 2019, killing at least 23 people, and causing catastrophic damage. Initially three of the deaths are believed to be children. Several people are missing, and hazardous conditions are obstructing search, rescue, inspection, and damage survey operations.
Scott Peake’s capture of the March 3, 2019 deadly Beauregard/Smiths Station, Alabama wedge tornado from off of HWY 51.
CBS17 Tornado damage in Beauregard, Alabama [CBS 17, is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Goldsboro, North Carolina, United States and serving the Triangle region (Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill–Fayetteville)].
Early reports estimate that people only had a five-minute warning from the time sirens went off to the time tornadoes struck. A Tornado Watch was issued about noon Sunday.
A tornado watch was issued for the area around noon. The first Tornado Warning for Lee County was issued at 2:58 p.m. ET, and the first reports of damage came about 3:03 p.m.
A warning for a second tornado was issued at 3:38 p.m. ET, with the first reports of damage about 3:51 p.m.
Two tornadoes hit Lee County back-to-back within the span of an hour. The first tornado was about one mile wide. Most of the deaths occurred near Beauregard where many structures were completely leveled.
At least a dozen tornadoes touched down in Alabama and Georgia on Sunday afternoon March 3, 2019, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The NWS recorded EF-3 damage in southern Lee County, and there was the possibility that EF-4 damage would be reported. EF-3 classification is connected to damage from winds of 136 to 165 miles per hour. EF-4 classification is connected to damage of winds of 166 to 200 miles per hour.
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Storm Prediction Center Storm Reports for March 3, 2019 (7am-7pm)
43 Tornado Reports
| Tornado Reports (CSV) (Raw Tornado CSV)(?) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Location | County | State | Lat | Lon | Comments | |
| 1855 | 3 S CHATOM | WASHINGTON | AL | 3142 | 8826 | THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST WEST OF HIGHWAY 17 … 3 MILES SOUTH OF CHATOM. THE TORNADO CROSSED HIGHWAY 17 AND CONTINUED EAST INTO A MORE FORESTED AREA. THE PATH LENGT (MOB) | |
| 1937 | 8 SW MCINTOSH | WASHINGTON | AL | 3121 | 8816 | THE TORNADO BEGAN NEAR JOHN JOHNSTON ROAD AND CONTINUED EAST … ADJACENT TO FAIRFORD ROAD. THE TORNADO LIFTED ROUGHLY JUST SOUTH OF PRICE RIVERS ROAD AND JUST EAST OF F (MOB) | |
| 1939 | 5 SSE TOPTON | WASHINGTON | AL | 3122 | 8813 | SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A CHURCH AND ONE MOBILE HOME REPORTED AS WELL AS SEVERAL TREES DOWN ALONG FAIRFORD RD IN SIMS CHAPEL … AL. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (MOB) | |
| 2003 | 2 N MARVYN | LEE | AL | 3247 | 8537 | CONFIRMED DAMAGE NEAR DUPREE … AL. MULTIPLE HOMES DAMAGED. TORNADO CONFIRMED BY RADAR.(BMX) | |
| 2009 | 2 SSE GRIFFEN MILL | LEE | AL | 3250 | 8525 | TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION 401 AND 175 NEAR CRAWFORD … AL. (BMX) | |
| 2020 | 1 SW TUSKEGEE | MACON | AL | 3241 | 8571 | TREES DOWN NEAR US 80 SOUTH OF TUSKEGEE. (BMX) | |
| 2020 | 2 E LEE POPE | CRAWFORD | GA | 3261 | 8391 | *** 1 INJ *** MOBILE HOME ON GREER RD DESTOYED IN CRAWFORD COUNTY. ANOTHER HOME DAMAGED ON WESLEY CHAPEL RD. !FOLLOWUP: REPORTS OF AT LEAST TO HOMES DESTROYED AND MULTI (FFC) | |
| 2020 | 3 NNW POWERVILLE | PEACH | GA | 3264 | 8381 | A TORNADO WAS SPOTTED WEST OF BYRON NEAR HWY 49 (MM 8). OBSERVER REPORTED IT WAS A SMALL TORNADO AND LIFTED AROUND 3:25PM (FFC) | |
| 2022 | SALEM | LEE | AL | 3260 | 8524 | US HWY 280 BLOCKED BY DOWNED CELL TOWER ACROSS HWY. (BMX) | |
| 2025 | SMITHS STATION | LEE | AL | 3254 | 8510 | DAMAGE ALONG HWY 280 NEAR SMITH STATION. (BMX) | |
| 2030 | 3 E GRIFFEN MILL | LEE | AL | 3252 | 8521 | MULTIPLE TREES DOWN ACROSS LEE COUNTY RD 240 WEST OF SMITHS STATION. (BMX) | |
| 2030 | 4 NNW GREEN ISLAND HILL | MUSCOGEE | GA | 3259 | 8502 | TREES ACROSS THE ROAD AT HIGHWAY 219 AND BIGGERS ROAD.(FFC) | |
| 2033 | 2 W FORTSON | HARRIS | GA | 3261 | 8498 | HAM RADIO RELAYED REPORT OF TREES DOWN IN NORTHERN MUSCOGEE COUNTY IN PATH OF TDS (FFC) | |
| 2036 | 1 WSW FORTSON | MUSCOGEE | GA | 3260 | 8495 | MANY TREES ACROSS I-185 AND EXIT 14 (FFC) | |
| 2042 | 2 NW HUBER | TWIGGS | GA | 3273 | 8356 | TREES DOWN ON US 23. (FFC) | |
| 2047 | 1 ESE ELLERSLIE | HARRIS | GA | 3263 | 8479 | REPORTS OF TREES DOWN ON MARGLO RD IN ELLERSLIE (FFC) | |
| 2051 | 3 NNE MARVYN | LEE | AL | 3248 | 8535 | MULTIPLE TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ALONG CR100. (BMX) | |
| 2052 | 2 WNW SOCIETY HILL | MACON | AL | 3243 | 8547 | DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOMES WITH TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.(BMX) | |
| 2056 | BAUGHVILLE | TALBOT | GA | 3266 | 8467 | REPORTS FROM EM OF STRUCTRUAL DAMAGE ALONG HWY 315 IN THE BAUGHVILLE AREA OF TALBOT COUNTY (FFC) | |
| 2100 | 1 NNW SMITHS STATION | LEE | AL | 3255 | 8510 | STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ALONG 280 BETWEEN OPELIKA AND PHENIX CITY. (BMX) | |
| 2100 | 1 N TALBOTTON | TALBOT | GA | 3269 | 8454 | *** 1 INJ *** SEVERAL HOMES DESTROYED. DETAILS FORTHCOMING.(FFC) | |
| 2128 | 3 WNW F.D. ROOSEVELT ST | HARRIS | GA | 3286 | 8485 | REPORT OF EXCESSIVE DAMAGE TO THE BREEZY PINES APARTMENT COMPLEX IN PINE MOUNTAIN … GA. (FFC) | |
| 2130 | HAZLEHURST | JEFF DAVIS | GA | 3187 | 8260 | PUBLIC RELAYED A PHOTO OF A TORNADO WITH A PRELIMINARY LOCATION NEAR HAZLEHURST AT 430PM ON SOCIAL MEDIA. (JAX) | |
| 2202 | 4 WNW DOUGLAS | Coffee | GA | 3154 | 8291 | EMERGENCY MANAGER RELAYED A REPORT OF A TORNADO OBSERVED NORTH OF STATE HIGHWAY 32 ON THE GROUND AT 502PM. (JAX) | |
| 2202 | 2 N OLD CREEK TOWN REC | BARBOUR | AL | 3195 | 8512 | CONFIRMED TORNADO AT WEEDON FIELD IN EUFAULA. DAMAGE TO FIRE DEPARTMENT. (BMX) | |
| 2206 | 7 NE GEORGETOWN | QUITMAN | GA | 3196 | 8503 | NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF QUITMAN COUNTY. DUAL-POL TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE ON RADAR.(TAE) | |
| 2218 | 5 SE SANFORD | STEWART | GA | 3194 | 8488 | REPORT OF 3-4 HOMES DESTROYED ON COUNTY LINE RD IN STEWART COUNTY. (FFC) | |
| 2230 | 5 NW NEW HOME | WALTON | FL | 3066 | 8627 | SCATTERED TREES REPORTED DOWN IN THE COUNTY WITH A DUAL-POL TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE AT THIS LOCATION. (TAE) | |
| 2245 | 2 S FORT GAINES | CLAY | GA | 3159 | 8505 | SCATTERED TREES DOWN IN CLAY COUNTY WITH DUAL-POL TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE CROSSING INTO THE COUNTY NEAR THIS LOCATION.(TAE) | |
| 2253 | 3 WNW FADETTE | GENEVA | AL | 3106 | 8558 | NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN BETWEEN SLOCOMB AND FADETTE. DUAL-POL TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE IN THE SAME AREA. (TAE) | |
| 2334 | ALFORD | JACKSON | FL | 3069 | 8539 | NWS SURVEY TEAM NEAR THE ALFORD COMMUNITY IN JACKSON COUNTY HAS CONFIRMED THAT DAMAGE FROM YESTERDAYS STORMS WAS CAUSED BY A TORNADO. PRELIMINARY TORNADO RATING IS EF-1 (TAE) | |
| 2341 | 1 SW STEELE CITY | JACKSON | FL | 3072 | 8539 | UNCONFIRMED TORNADO TOUCHDOWN ALONG SYFRETT ROAD. SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE REPORTED. (TAE) | |
| 0003 | 2 SSW LEXINGTON | LEXINGTON | SC | 3396 | 8125 | ROOF BLOWN OFF A HOUSE ON ZENKER RD. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. POSSIBLE TORNADO. (CAE) | |
| 0004 | 1 N RED BANK | LEXINGTON | SC | 3394 | 8123 | MULTIPLE TREES DOWN ON HOMES ON LANN CIRCLE AND COMMUNITY DRIVE. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. POSSIBLE TORNADO. (CAE) | |
| 0004 | 1 NNW RED BANK | LEXINGTON | SC | 3394 | 8124 | SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT WITH PHOTO SHOWING DAMAGE TO COLUMNS AT RED BANK BAPTIST CHURCH. ONE COLUMN AND ANOTHER LEANING. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (CAE) | |
| 0004 | 2 S LEXINGTON | LEXINGTON | SC | 3396 | 8123 | RVS BLOWN OVER ON GLASSMASTER RD. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. POSSIBLE TORNADO. (CAE) | |
| 0045 | 1 SE GREENSBORO | GADSDEN | FL | 3056 | 8456 | 3 TO 4 HOUSES WITH DAMAGE AND DUAL-POL TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE. (TAE) | |
| 0057 | CAIRO | GRADY | GA | 3088 | 8421 | NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM HAS CONFIRMED DAMAGE NEAR CAIRO … GA WAS CAUSED BY A TORNADO. ADDITIONAL DETAILS INCLUDING PICTURES AND A DAMAGE RATING WILL BE AVAILABLE LATER T (TAE) | |
| 0106 | 6 ENE SMITH CREEK | WAKULLA | FL | 3023 | 8458 | SCATTERED TREES DOWN IN THE COUNTY. DUAL-POL TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE AT THIS LOCATION. (TAE) | |
| 0116 | 1 ENE BAUM | LEON | FL | 3050 | 8408 | NWS SURVEY TEAM HAS CONFIRMED DAMAGE IN EASTERN LEON COUNTY WAS CAUSED BY A TORNADO. INITIAL ESTIMATES ARE THAT THE DAMAGE IS CONSISTENT WITH AT LEAST AN EF2 TORNADO. T (TAE) | |
| 0122 | 1 W BAUM | LEON | FL | 3049 | 8411 | *** 1 INJ *** NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN WITH DAMAGE TO AT LEAST ONE HOME. ONE MINOR INJURY REPORTED.(TAE) | |
| 0125 | 3 NNE CRAWFORDVILLE | WAKULLA | FL | 3022 | 8436 | SPOTTER REPORTED A TORNADO IN THE AREA OF MIKE STEWART DRIVE AND CRAWFORDVILLE HIGHWAY WITH DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER LINES. (TAE) | |
| 0142 | 2 NNE NEWPORT | WAKULLA | FL | 3023 | 8417 | SCATTERED TREES DOWN IN THE COUNTY WITH A DUAL-POL TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE AT THIS LOCATION. (TAE) | |
Rescuers are searching for victims after a tornado ripped through the rural Alabama community of Beauregard and killed at least 23 people. (Mar. 4)