Surprise squall line tears through Baldwin County Thursday morning
Early Thursday morning, an unexpected and violent squall line ripped through Fairhope and Daphne, leaving a path of destruction across Baldwin County. Wind gusts reached an alarming 80 mph (129 km/h), snapping trees, damaging homes, and startling residents with a force that many compared to a freight train barreling through their neighborhoods.
Fairhope’s Rock Creek neighborhood bore the brunt of the storm, where residents like Macy Powell were caught off guard. “I got the weather alert, and I looked outside and it started getting really dark,” she recalled. As skies turned ominous, she sought shelter in her bathroom, her dog in tow. Moments later, the storm unleashed its fury. “Honestly, it sounded like a million trees were falling down,” Powell said, describing the chaos as the wind tore through the area in a matter of minutes.
Homes damaged, trees uprooted, and panic in the streets
Tree limbs crashed onto rooftops and debris was strewn across yards. Dee Niette Thompson, whose home was struck by a falling tree, recounted the terrifying sounds. “It sounded like a locomotive going through the neighborhood,” she said. “The doors were actually banging. It was bad, it was really bad.” Just blocks away, Darlene Prudhomme lost a massive Magnolia tree. “I heard it, that’s what scared me,” she said, relieved to discover her roof remained intact.
Old Towne Daphne hit hard, cleanup underway
In Old Towne Daphne, the high winds proved too much for many of the area’s older trees, which were swiftly cleared by city crews. The destruction came suddenly, and for many, without adequate warning. “It’s going to take us a while to get this place cleaned up again,” said Thompson, surveying the mess left behind.
Widespread damage, no reported injuries
Despite numerous reports of property damage scattered across Baldwin County, no injuries have been reported as of now. Emergency services and cleanup crews are continuing their efforts to restore order and clear debris from affected streets and homes.
The storm served as a jarring reminder of how fast-changing severe weather systems can be in coastal Alabama, even during the late spring.
