Tornado Warnings Strike Jackson County, Franklin County Areas
Back-to-back tornado warnings put communities across northeastern Alabama and Middle Tennessee on alert June 22 as a fast-moving storm with a history of producing tornadoes swept through the region.
STEVENSON, ALABAMA — The National Weather Service in Huntsville issued two tornado warnings on June 22, 2026, for communities in northeastern Alabama and Middle Tennessee as a severe thunderstorm with a history of tornadoes moved through the region.
Two Warnings Issued Within Minutes
The first tornado warning was issued at 4:24 p.m. CDT, covering north central Jackson County in northeastern Alabama and southeastern Franklin County in Middle Tennessee, and remained in effect until 5:00 p.m. CDT. At 4:23 p.m. CDT, NWS Huntsville reported a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado located 8 miles southeast of Huntland, or 14 miles south of Winchester, moving northeast at 45 mph.
A second tornado warning followed at 4:37 p.m. CDT, also set to expire at 5:00 p.m. CDT. At that time, the storm was located 11 miles south of Cowan, or 14 miles west of Bridgeport, and continued moving east at 40 mph.
Radar Showed Multiple Areas of Rotation
NWS Huntsville reported multiple areas of rotation observed northeast of Hytop, Alabama, during the first warning, and additional rotation noted northwest of Hytop during the second. Both warnings cited radar-indicated rotation as the source and emphasized that the storm had a documented history of producing a tornado.
Forecasters warned that flying debris would be dangerous to anyone caught outside without shelter. Mobile homes faced the risk of damage or destruction, and damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles was also expected, according to NWS Huntsville. Tree damage was described as likely.
Communities in the Warning Path
The 4:24 p.m. warning identified the following locations as being in the storm’s path: Bass, Hytop, St. Andrews, Anderson, Sherwood, and Jericho. NWS Huntsville noted that the tornadic thunderstorm was expected to remain over mainly rural areas of north central Jackson and southeastern Franklin Counties.
The 4:37 p.m. warning expanded the list of impacted locations to include Stevenson, Cowan, Sewanee, Anderson, Bass, St. Andrews, and Sherwood.
No confirmed tornado touchdowns or damage reports were included in the NWS alert data. Residents in the affected areas were urged to seek sturdy shelter immediately upon receiving warnings, according to standard NWS guidance.
