The tornado caused its initial damage in a neighborhood south of the downtown area, moving in a general North East direction it demolished a section of the downtown area before hitting the schools. The tornado then continued northeast crossing the Holly Hill and Dixie Drive areas. A 300 yards (270 m)  wide swath was devastated, with enormous damage to many houses and businesses. Several other schools and the local YMCA were among the damaged buildings. At least 370 houses were damaged or destroyed, according to Mayor Kenneth Boswell.

The tornado was 300 yards (270 m) wide and had a path length of 7 miles (11 km). It dissipated shortly after leaving Enterprise. It was given a initial rating of EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with maximum winds estimated between 155-160 miles per hour (250-260 kilometers per hour). However, after a detailed survey, the tornado was upgraded to a low-end EF4 with winds around 170 mph (275 km/h) due to flattened houses near the school. (Wikipedia follow link for more info)

This is not the first time a school has been hit by a tornado with resulting casualties. See "Tornado Project" for more info.