CULLMAN COUNTY – The Cullman County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and a team from the National Weather Service in Huntsville will be in the Holly Pond and Joppa areas this morning to survey last night's storm damage.
Said EMA Director Phyllis Little, "There is a lot of damage out here. What they (NWS) will do is try to track the path from beginning to end." Little said the purpose of the survey is to determine whether the damage was caused by a tornado or straight line winds.
NWS Huntsville released the following statement this morning:
"The National Weather Service in Huntsville will be dispatching a team to survey damage that occurred with the storms that moved through northern Alabama yesterday. The team will survey the damage in Cullman and Marshall Counties. They will assess damage in and near the Holly Pond and Baileyton communities. A major contribution to the success of our severe weather warning program is the receipt of storm reports from all our customers and partners across northern Alabama and southern middle Tennessee. If you witnessed or are aware of any storm damage, please contact the National Weather Service in Huntsville or your local emergency management agency. Additional public information statements will be released later as details are received from the field. These will also be made available on our home page at weather.gov/huntsville."
WHNT News 19 reported early this morning that there was major damage at Chambers Farms in Holly Pond, where an estimated 30,000 chickens were displaced. WHNT Chief Meteorologist Jason Simpson told The Tribune last night, "I'm almost sure it was a tornado."
As The Tribune reported last night, between 9:30-10 p.m., the volunteer fire departments from Holly Pond, Walter, Joppa and Baileyton were dispatched.
Holly Pond and Walter VFDs responded to County Roads 1728 and 1732 (structure damage; reported chicken houses hit, with chickens inside) and U.S. Highway 278 (trees down in the roadway). They were also called to 4958 County Road 1719, with a reported barn down and metal wrapped around power lines. The Cullman County Electric Cooperative was also dispatched to that scene. A woman reported being blocked in by trees in her vehicle on County Road 1754. She was not injured.
Cullman EMS was also on scene.
Joppa and Baileyton responded to Alabama Highway 67 south of Alabama Highway 69, along with County Roads 1814 and 1763 for downed trees and power lines. The Co-op was also dispatched to those areas. A traffic incident was reported by Parkside School. No injuries were reported.
Damage was also reported in the 300 block of County Road 6901.
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Image courtesy of WHNT News 19's Jeff Gray and shows damage at Chambers Farm in Holly Pond.
