Damage survey shows straightline winds

BALDWIN CO., Ala. - A damage survey team from the National Weather Service in Mobile has completed an initial damage assessment of the storms that oved through the Robertsdale and Elsanor communities of central Baldwin County Friday morning.

The team found evidence of damaging winds that occurred along the leading edge of a severe bow echo that moved through the Robertsdale and Elsanor areas between 4:00 a.m. and 4:15 a.m. Friday morning.

The team found a path of straight line wind damage from 200 to 400 yards wide and was near two miles long. the worst damage along the path occurred near the County Road 85 area just north of US Highway 90 where six single family homes of varying construction techniques experienced significant structural damage to roofs, and walls.

Several out-buildings and smaller structures were also destroyed near several residences along the path of damaging winds. All of the evidence was consistent with a 120 mph straight line wind event where all of the debris was blown in a single direction from west-southwest to east-northeast.