One Year Later: Macon County tornado remembered
People in Macon County are remembering the one-year anniversary of the day an EF-2 tornado with winds of 125MPH hit their community.
The tornado that hit in the overnight hours of March 27, 2023, was on the ground for 15 miles. Other tornadoes had hit Central Alabama the night before.
The worst damage was in the western part of the county, in the Milstead area. Macon County EMA Director Frank Lee said a commercial building and the Milstead Farm Group cotton gin had major damage along County Road 40.
While the damage has been repaired, Lee and others can’t help but remember that day.
“We didn’t lose any lives, we didn’t have any major injuries,” Lee told Action 8 News. We consider ourselves very fortunate but we don’t want to take it lightly. Mitigation is always important. We always need to prepare for the worst.”
For people at the Milstead Farm Group, the cleanup didn’t happen overnight.
“It took from the time the storm hit, it took two months to get it cleaned up and four to build. On October 16, the first bale came through,” Shep Morris, one of the owners said of when the cotton gin finally reopened.
“It was destroyed, so we had to go out and source new stuff. The gin was built originally in 1998. A lot of equipment that was in here doesn’t exist anymore, so a manufacturer stepped up and we were able to find replacements for it,” manager Joey Scarborough said.
Damage was also seen in the Franklin community and near County Road 27 before the tornado dissipated.
