I20 to FR500RR, Shoal Creek Ranger Station, Mothers Day Tornado

This page discusses the Pinhoti Section between Interstate 20 and the FR500 Railroad Trailhead. The Mother's Day Tornado struck in the south end of this section, and the Shoal Creek Ranger Station is just south of the north end of this Pinhoti Section. It is the north part of Pinhoti Section 8.

Heflin Tornado - 11 May 2008
A National Weather Service Damage Assessment Team has surveyed the storm damage in Cleburne County. It has been determined the damage was the result of a tornado. The tornado has been rated an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Damage estimates were consistent with winds around 100 mph. The tornado damage path was approximately 4.2 miles long and was around 1000 yards wide at its widest point.

The tornado touched down along the Talladega Scenic Drive just south of US Highway 78. The tornado moved along a slightly left curved path until it crossed County Road 79. The tornado then tracked almost due east and produced its most concentrated damage near State Highway 9. The tornado lifted near the end of Brockford Road in the vicinity of Shadow Lane. Hundreds of trees were either snapped off or uprooted along the path. Several structures sustained damage and at least 6 of the structures were destroyed. At least 35 homes suffered varying degrees of damage. No injuries were reported.

Information Above Quoted from: National Weather Service Birmingham

The Enhanced Fujita Scale runs from EF0-EF5, with EF0 being the least damaging. This was a fairly moderate tornado where it hit the Pinhoti. It was part of a severe weather system that started in Oklahoma and proceded east. There was a great deal of damage in a swath across Georgia.

Maps and text from:
DECISION MEMO
Mothers Day Tornado Salvage Project
FY 2008
USDA, Forest Service
Shoal Creek Ranger District

165 acres (will be salvage logged) located in Township 16 South, Range 9 East Section 13 and Township 16 South, Range 10 East Section 18. This project will improve visual quality, reduce heavy fuel build up, and facilitate restoration to the desired future conditions as determined by the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan (RLMP).

On May 11, 2008, an EF1 tornado blew down, snapped off and damaged trees within the forest. An estimated 450 acres have areas of concentrated damage. This situation in these areas has created the following concerns:
• Reduced visual quality along the Talladega Scenic Drive.
• Increased the risk of insects and diseases to the forest.
• Increased forest fuel loads that escalate the risk of resource damaging wildfires.

These areas will be treated by removing the damaged trees by commercial timber sale. This action will take place during the months of July and August 2008

14 May 2008 Mother's Day Tornado: Trail Closure
The email below is from the FS in reference to northbound trail mile 103.3, AL 281 Crossing. This area is about 3 miles south of US 78 - Heflin, Section 8.
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Hello everyone!

Some of you know that this weekends storm did some damage in Heflin. Yesterday we discovered expansive blow downs along Highway 281. The Pinhoti along highway 281 is NOT accessible. The portion of the Pinhoti that we know has the most damage is where the Pinhoti crosses the scenic drive (AL 281), between the two gas pipelines. We are posting this section of trail closed until further notice. Hikers can use highway 281 as an alternate route for this portion of trail.

I would like to ask those of you who have web sites or access to web sites to please post this information on your site. We do not know the total extent of the damage to the Forest in that area yet. I will keep you informed on this situation.

Thank you all!

Lesley

Lesley M. Hodge
Natural Resource Specialist
USDA- Talladega National Forest- Shoal Creek RD
45 Highway 281
Heflin, AL 36264
256/463-2273
256/463-5385 fax
Email: lhodge@fs.fed.us
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Depending on the size of the blowdown area, a possible alternative route would be to hike north on the Pinhoti until you reach the 102.5 ~ Plantation Pipeline, which is less than a mile before the AL 281 Crossing mentioned above. Leave the Pinhoti here by turning left and following the pipeline right of way a short distance up to AL 281. Turn right and follow AL 281 for 2 or 3 miles to where the Pinhoti comes onto AL 281 to cross the US 78 bridge. Follow the blue blazes across the bridge and turn right on the first dirt road, FS 500. Continue appx. 100 yards to the South FS 500 Trailhead parking area, on the right.
Solo

12 May 2009 Mothers Day Tornado (08)
Section 8 ~ Trail mile 103.3 ~ AL 281 Crossing
Courtesy of Lesley Hodge ~ USFS
The Pinhoti has been re-constructed (by the Forest Service) along Hwy 281 where last years Mothers Day tornado hit (this is the central portion of the Alabama side of the Pinhoti that was closed last May for a good long while).

The mother's day tornado of 2008 ripped down a wide swath of trees over the Pinhoti. It took John many work trips to cut the Pinhoti's path through the tangled trees. Today, it is recovering well, with many blackberries and longleaf pines.

Sun 06/23/13
I moved again to the trail crossing where the Mother's Day Tornado had also crossed the Scenic drive. I started north using my loppers to clear the spring growth but soon realized I needed my Echo Brush cutter. So, I returned to my car and decided to drive north and clear as much as possible on the trail north of the RR/FS500 trailhead north of US78.

After a company is paid to thin a forest, they are supposed to clear the resulting slash near the trail (~50'), and either cut it so it lays flat and rots away or pile and burn it. Above and below are pictures of cuts trailworkers made through slash left over the Pinhoti Trail.

"Where visible, slash will be removed 50 feet from trail’s edge, and slash will be lopped and scattered to lie within 12 inches of the ground in the remainder of the 100 foot zone. Larger slash will be moved downhill from the trail where possible."

Dear Lesley,
Here are the pictures I took today. They were taken about 1/2 a mile south of Highway 78 and the Scenic Drive 281 where the trail leads off to the west. The thinning looked like it was done about a year and a half ago and is in the area between the 2nd power line and the gas pipeline.
Hope this helps.
Thanks, John C