Large tornado touches down near Athens, Alabama, prompting Tornado Emergency
A Tornado Emergency was issued for Huntsville, Madison, and Athens in northern Alabama on May 20, 2025, after a large tornado was observed near Athens. The emergency affected nearly 500 000 people across the region.
Storms near Athens and Huntsville, Alabama moving in along with tornadoes on May 20, 2025. Credit: Pete Dobbs
Multiple tornadoes were reported across the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee valleys on May 20, with confirmed sightings from Alabama, Illinois, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
According to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), at least 13 tornadoes were reported across four states. The SPC received 3 tornado reports from Alabama, 2 from Arkansas, 3 from Tennessee, and 5 from Illinois. Additional tornadoes have occurred, but not yet confirmed by the SPC.
A Tornado Emergency was briefly issued at approximately 06:24 local time for Huntsville, Madison, and Athens as a large tornado moved east across Madison County.
The tornado was observed near Athens and reportedly touched down briefly west of Huntsville near Madison on the evening of May 20. The National Weather Service (NWS) urged residents to seek immediate shelter after confirming the tornado.
“A large, extremely dangerous, and potentially deadly tornado is on the ground. To protect your life, TAKE COVER NOW! Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If in a mobile home, a vehicle or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris,” NWS said.
Emergency alerts were sent to residents via mobile phones, warning: “Tornado spotted in your area. This is a life-threatening situation. Take shelter in a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.”
Some damage was reported in Athens, where strong winds caused multiple power lines to topple. Tornado damage was also seen along the I-65 near Athens.
Another tornado was confirmed near Waterloo in Lauderdale County, Alabama, where multiple trees and power lines were downed, causing the closure of County Road 14 for a few hours as crews cleared the debris.
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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