power and communications lines were damaged over a large area; and hundreds of huge shade trees were uprooted. Two people were killed, 150 others were injured, and losses totaled $2.5 million, although the NWS Huntsville and Climatological Data National Summary (CDNS) gives a value of over $3 million. As of 2022, this is one of only two violent tornadoes to strike on a Leap Day (February 29) with other being another EF4 tornado that struck Harrisburg, Illinois, in 2012. Despite the extreme damage, Grazulis assessed the tornado as having caused F3-level damage. Fort Payne, Alabama This large, intense F3 tornado first touched down between 15th and 16th Streets in Minvale on the north side of Fort Payne. It blew down three large trees upon touching down, including one that missed a house by only . It then leveled a house, "leaving only enough...for a good sized bonfire." All but one of the five occupants escaped without injury. As the tornado moved in the direction of Gault Avenue (US 11), a large storage house was leveled "as flat as a pool table." An electric refrigerator, a bicycle, other toys and large pieces of furniture were all crushed inside the structure. The tornado then lifted for about before touching down again and unroofing a house, which was twisted about off of its foundation. The tornado then tore down large trees, tore off roofs, smashed out windows, and then tore into the telephone and power lines along Gault Avenue at the Black Motel, where considerable damage was done to the owner's home. As the tornado tore through Wills Valley, large sheets of tin were hurled into power and telephone lines, severing dozens of the wires. A huge neon sign at the Lefty Cooper café, which was on the southern fringe of the tornado, was turned 90° from north–south to east–west, and a large cattle truck at the Fort Payne Sales Barn was completely flipped over. Additionally, two nearby cars were tossed before being rolled up into a ball of scrap. Behind the Sales Barn, sheets of galvanized roofing metal were strewn through a field up to a mile away, and many sheets lodged themselves in trees all over Lookout Mountain. The tornado also heavily damaged another house on the mountain that overlooked Beason Gap before weakening and dissipating in Lakewood shortly after that. The tornado traveled , was wide , destroyed 12 homes,