Microburst causes damage in Marshall County

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — It was a stormy day for parts of North Alabama, ahead of a cold front passage.

The line of showers with embedded storms began forming around ten Friday morning and quickly intensified as they tracked southeast.

With a favorable environment across Northeast Alabama, the scattered storms quickly formed into a line of storms. Embedded within that line were some strong to severe storms. The most severe storms moved through Marshall County.

The line of strong to severe storms pushed through the area producing torrential rain, frequent lightning, and strong winds.

Marshall County sustained the worst damage due to a microburst. Numerous powerlines, poles, and trees were down in the Grant area. Along 431, powerlines fell into the lake making it difficult for utilities crews to restore power for residents.

Marshall County Emergency Management Agency Director Blake Farmer says the extent of the damage was concentrated on Snug Harbor Road, Honeycomb Campground, White Elephant Road, and ALONG 431 in Grant.

What is a microburst?

Strong thunderstorms require strong updraft winds to keep going. Updraft winds are the winds entering into a thunderstorm. During a downburst, the updraft winds weaken, causing wind and rain to surge toward the ground and spread out in all directions.

A downburst is classified by its size and is called either a microburst or a macroburst. A microburst is when the downburst is 2.5 miles wide or less. A macroburst is when the downburst is greater than 2.5 miles wide.

Whether the downbursts are micro or macro, they can cause a lot of damage from the high winds that come crashing to the ground. Sometimes, the damage can be comparable to a low-end tornado. The damage from a downburst can consist of major structural damage to leveled trees.

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