Preliminary investigation determines EF1 tornado near Bear Creek Reservoir

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Wednesday evening, the Weather Authority tracked a line of severe storms that moved east through the Tennessee Valley.

The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Huntsville is surveying a large area of ​​storm damage in Franklin County. The NWS is working to determine the rank and path of last night's tornado.

Preliminary investigation determined an EF1 tornado near Bear Creek Reservoir in Franklin County, Alabama. It's important to note that this is only preliminary information we have received from the NWS, and the final update will be posted later today with the exact rank and path.

The confirmed tornado above was what Chief Meteorologist Danielle Dozier and Meteorologist Jessica Camuto were closely analyzing in the studio.

A “confirmed tornado warning” was quickly issued for Franklin County. The rotation zone had tightened and the debris signature became more apparent north of Rock Bridge Canyon along Highway 16.

The rain line with embedded strong to severe storms was associated with a passing cold front.

The storms began moving toward northwest Alabama around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, producing strong winds in excess of 60 mph, frequent lightning and heavy rain.

Above is a look at local storm reports in northern Alabama and southern Middle Tennessee.

Strong winds in excess of 60 mph caused trees and power lines to fall in the viewing area. The concentration of damage was in Colbert and Franklin County, where the tornado warning was issued last night.

Stay with the Weather Authority for the latest news!