Latest storm reports from Eagle and Ledger reporters

As storms continue to move through the Wiregrass, Dothan Eagle and Enterprise Ledger reporters are out in the field reporting back what they find.

Below are up to the minute reports from the field:

3:37 p.m.:
- According to a press release from the Fort Rucker Public Affairs office, Fort Rucker officials report no significant damage, injuries or loss of power due to tornado activity experienced on the installation today. Fort Rucker Directorate of Public Safety confirmed earlier this afternoon a tornado touched down in the vicinity of Airport Road and Andrews Avenue damaging one vehicle and numerous trees.

- The tornado-spawning storms caught the National Weather Service off guard today.
“Usually, this sort of event occurs in the cool season, November through March, and usually, we do a pretty good job of anticipating the bigger events,” said Jeff Fournier, a forecaster for the NWS in Tallahassee, Fla. “This one was different, a bit of a surprise. We thought there was a very slight chance of tornadoes, not enough to put out a tornado watch. In that sense, this was a bit unexpected.”
“Everything happened to go right for tornado development today,” Fournier said. “We’re not sure how many tornadoes occurred. It’s possible there were only a couple, but basically, what happened this time, we had an unstable air mass, and we had the right amount of winds both at the surface and above the ground to cause a pretty good rotation of the storms. The winds at the surface were differing in direction and speed from the winds about 1 kilometer above the ground, which helped impart some rotation to the storms.”

2:15 p.m.:
- Storm damage in and around Wicksburg, including damage at the auto auction business on U.S. 84.

- There was an auto accident on U.S. 84 as a result of the storm. The driver said the wind blew his vehicle off the highway and into a ditch. He did not receive any injuries.

- A barn on Bay Springs Road in Houston County collapsed as a result of the storm.

- At least five tornado sightings reported to the Dale County EMA, but only one has been confirmed and that was on Logan Road in Ozark.

- Ozark and Dale County schools will be released at normal times.

1:20 p.m.:
- Fort Rucker is clear of any damage.

- There are downed power lines and trees on Logan Road in Ozark.

- Schools in Enterprise are being let out at 2 p.m. Power is out at four of the schools.

- Officials are reporting a confirmed touchdown of a tornado near Wicksburg near Bay Springs road. Emergency personnel are responding.