Funnel clouds sighted, no damage reported locally

By: Ed Enoch | Opelika Auburn News
Published: April 05, 2008

Staff report

Funnel clouds were sighted and a tornado warnings were issued, but no structural damage was reported after storms rolled through Lee County Friday evening.

“Somebody reported hail damage to one of their vehicles, but we didn’t hear of any other damage,” said Lee County Emergency Management Agency Director Deedie Matthews.

Although severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado warnings were issued, there were no reports of tornadoes touching down, she said.

“We did have some reports of a funnel cloud, and the National Weather Service did report some radar upper-level activity, but we have had no reports of anything on the ground,” Matthews said.

Radar showed upper-level disturbances indicating rotation in the northeast section of the City of Opelika at approximately 7 p.m. Friday, she said.

Soon after, in Auburn, an eyewitness report of rotation was called in to the EMA office, Matthews said.

“(Someone reported) a funnel cloud in the Auburn area near Wrights Mill Road and Ogletree (Road),” she said. “But there’s a big difference between a funnel cloud and a tornado.”

A tornado was also reported at Exit 70 on Interstate 85, near Cusseta, moving northeast at 7:31 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service’s Web site, www.nws.noaa.gov.

Though the National Weather Service does not predict severe weather for today for the region, scattered showers and thunderstorms before noon were not ruled out. Highs should reach near 68 degrees with a 70 percent chance of rain.

Temperatures tonight are forecasted to dip below 50 degrees, with partly cloudy skies. A slight chance of thunderstorms returns to the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.