USA.com / Alabama / Tuscaloosa County / Tuscaloosa, AL / 35487 / Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
35487 Zip Code Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in 35487 Zip Code is about the same as Alabama average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in 35487 Zip Code is higher than Alabama average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #341
| 35487 Zip Code | 0.06 |
| Alabama | 0.08 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| 35487 Zip Code | 0.0000 |
| Alabama | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #270
| 35487 Zip Code | 300.42 |
| Alabama | 255.80 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 3,033 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of 35487 Zip Code were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 0 | Cold: | 14 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 29 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 214 | Hail: | 1,041 | Heat: | 15 | Heavy Snow: | 9 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 1 | Ice Storm: | 5 | Landslide: | 1 | Strong Wind: | 30 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,495 | Tropical Storm: | 5 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 9 | Winter Weather: | 8 |
| Other: | 157 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near 35487 Zip Code.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 1 historical earthquake event that had a recorded magnitude of 3.5 or above found in or near 35487 Zip Code.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 22.1 | 1971-03-14 | 3.9 | 1 | 33.1 | -87.9 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 102 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near 35487 Zip Code.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.8 | 1988-11-20 | 3 | 33°12'N / 87°34'W | 0.50 Mile | 400 Yards | 0 | 8 | 2.5M | 0 | Tuscaloosa | |
| 2.9 | 1961-02-22 | 2 | 33°12'N / 87°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Tuscaloosa | |
| 3.2 | 1997-01-24 | 2 | 33°08'N / 87°34'W | 33°15'N / 87°26'W | 10.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 10 | 5.0M | 5K | Tuscaloosa |
| Brief Description: At approximately 5:00 pm CST, a tornado began on the east side of the Warrior River, south of Interstate 59 and west of County Road 95. Besides trees, the initial damage was to shingles of an apartment complex in the Crabtree area. The tornado moved on a northeasterly track crossing U.S. 82 and Interstate 59. Two large businesses in a shopping center on the south side of I-59 sustained roof damage. The tornado became stronger after crossing I-59 with significantly greater damage from this point to the end of the path. Numerous trees were downed, some house roofs were damage, and several outbuildings were destroyed in the Woodland Hills residential area. Several buildings were damaged at Five Points East, the intersection of State Roads 215 and 216, including a Food World and a Big-B Drug Store, among others. Cars were tossed about like toys. One was tossed from the parking lot through the roof of the Food World. Another car was carried from the Food World parking lot into the backyard of a house immediately northeast of the Food World, a distance of between 300 and 400 feet. The tornado continued northeast through the Lynn Haven residential area causing significant damage to numerous homes, much of it strong F2 damage. Many houses in this section sustained damage that ranged from minor roof damage to total roof loss. The tornado continued across Tuscaloosa Memorial Gardens Cemetary, paralleling and crossing State Road 216. Six to eight homes in the Summerfield sub-division sustained light to moderate damage. A couple of mobile homes and several other buildings including a small corner grocery business were destroyed. The tornado dissipated in a wooded area just north of State Road 216 shortly after that around 5:15 pm CST. Tuscaloosa EMA estimated that there were 150 structures with some damage. Total tornado path length was 10 miles with a path width of 200 yards. There was one fatality, an elderly man in a vehicle in the Woodland Hills area, and ten injuries. Eight of the injuries were treated and released while 2 others were hospitalized. M71VE | |||||||||||
| 3.7 | 1975-02-23 | 4 | 33°05'N / 87°36'W | 33°15'N / 87°27'W | 14.40 Miles | 500 Yards | 1 | 49 | 25.0M | 0 | Tuscaloosa |
| 5.3 | 1977-09-06 | 2 | 33°20'N / 87°34'W | 33°15'N / 87°28'W | 8.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Tuscaloosa |
| 6.1 | 1966-03-03 | 5 | 33°12'N / 87°49'W | 33°22'N / 87°25'W | 25.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Tuscaloosa |
| 6.4 | 2000-12-16 | 4 | 33°03'N / 87°42'W | 33°12'N / 87°24'W | 18.00 Miles | 750 Yards | 11 | 144 | 12.5M | 0K | Tuscaloosa |
| Brief Description: The tornado began in southwestern Tuscaloosa County on the west side of the Black Warrior River. Traveling in a northeasterly direction the tornado moved from a rural, unpopulated area of the Black Warrior River into an area of homes south of Shelton State Community College. The tornado crossed SR 69 destroying a nearly complete shopping center which included a Winn Dixie store. East of SR 69 the tornado destroyed a number of houses and residential structures. As the tornado reached US 82 it destroyed a number of mobile homes where several deaths were reported. From US 82 the tornado continued northeasterly downing numerous trees and power lines and damaging residential structures. The tornado crossed I-20/59 just west of exit 77 where many trees were uprooted or snapped off. Minor damage occurred to the JVC manufacturing facility. At exit 77 a number of commercial structures including hotels, fast food restaurants, and truck stops sustained damage including a number of vehicles that were overturned. The tornado continued northeasterly for a couple of miles before dissipating rapidly. Ironically, the tornado dissipated as it moved into an open, unpopulated area. The tornado was spawned by a supercell thunderstorm that originated in Mississippi. This thunderstorm was responsible for additional tornado damage in St. Clair and Etowah counties. Tuscaloosa EMA reported 11 fatalities with this tornado along with 144 injuries. Nine of the fatalities occurred in mobile homes, one in a vehicle, and one in a commercial building converted to residential use. Six of those killed were females and five were males. Ages ranged from 16 months to 83 years old. There were 251 single family dwellings affected (43 destroyed, 76 with major damage, 138 with minor damage), 179 mobile homes affected (79 destroyed, 23 with major damage, 77 with minor damage), and 13 businesses affected (1 destroyed, 7 with major damage, 5 with minor damage). The tornado was on the ground for a total of 18 miles, all within Tuscaloosa County. The tornado path was estimated to be 750 yards wide at it's maximum intensity. This tornado was rated an F4 on the Fujita Scale for tornado intensity. Tornado intensity varied along the path with considerable F2 and F3 damage in the area from just west of SR 69 to US 82 in the Hinton Place and Hillcrest Meadows areas as well as the Bear Creek area. It was also in these areas where pockets of F4 destruction occurred. The tornado first touched down at 12:54 PM and dissipated at 1:12 PM with a forward speed of approximately 60 MPH. Beginning: 33 03.225/87 39.239 Ending: 33 12.065/87 24.292 M40VE, M20MH, F39MH, F53MH, F83MH, M26MH, M1MH, M9MH, F39MH, F56MH, F64PH | |||||||||||
| 9.5 | 1984-11-10 | 2 | 33°14'N / 87°49'W | 33°14'N / 87°36'W | 13.80 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Tuscaloosa |
| 9.8 | 1997-01-28 | 2 | 33°18'N / 87°42'W | 33°18'N / 87°40'W | 2.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 1 | 85K | 2K | Tuscaloosa |
| Brief Description: A small tornado that apparently formed on the north side of a bow echo touched down in a lightly populated area just north of Lake Lurleen State Park and just west of State Road 171 in west central Tuscaloosa County. Damage was primarily to downed trees, however, several structures sustained minor damage with the exception of one house that was completely deroofed. The family in the house was asleep when the tornado struck and one young girl sustained a minor injury in the storm. EMA officials reported that three mobile homes were damaged along with the one house that was deroofed and at least two barns and several storage buildings were damaged. | |||||||||||
| 12.0 | 1998-04-08 | 3 | 33°18'N / 87°51'W | 33°20'N / 87°35'W | 15.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 1 | 800K | 0K | Tuscaloosa |
| Brief Description: This was the first of three tornadoes produced by one supercell thunderstorm moving across central Alabama. The tornado began at 7:01 pm CDT just south of Gordo in extreme eastern Pickens County and traveled east-northeast moving into Tuscaloosa County around 7:05 pm CDT. The tornado stayed mostly in rural areas crossing the swampy area of the Sipsey River and a number of small roads before crossing SR 21. It remained in rural areas crossing SR 171 and US 43. The tornado dissipated at Lake Tuscaloosa just south of where SR 69 crosses the lake. Emergency management reported that five single-family dwellings were destroyed along with major damage reported to one house and minor damage to 23 others. Eleven mobile homes were destroyed and three mobile homes were damaged. A couple from North Carolina camping at Lake Lurleen lost everything. | |||||||||||
| 15.5 | 1993-05-03 | 2 | 33°17'N / 87°17'W | 33°20'N / 87°19'W | 6.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Tuscaloosa |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down in the Brookwood community and moved north to the town of Kellerman. In Brookwood, twenty-five houses, and ten to twelve mobile homes were damaged. Several homes were destroyed. The most serious injury was to a woman who tried to run from her airborne mobile home. Two other people received minor injuries. | |||||||||||
| 15.6 | 1966-11-10 | 2 | 33°00'N / 87°37'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Hale | |
| 16.7 | 1984-11-10 | 2 | 33°14'N / 87°51'W | 33°14'N / 87°49'W | 0.20 Mile | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pickens |
| 16.7 | 1983-11-15 | 2 | 33°22'N / 87°19'W | 0.20 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Tuscaloosa | |
| 17.1 | 1974-04-01 | 2 | 33°26'N / 87°50'W | 33°26'N / 87°33'W | 16.30 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Tuscaloosa |
| 17.2 | 2000-04-03 | 2 | 33°19'N / 87°20'W | 33°23'N / 87°15'W | 6.40 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 15K | 0K | Tuscaloosa |
| Brief Description: The tornado began at the intersection of CR 59 and CR 54 near the town of Kellerman. The tornado traveled in a northeast direction for approximately 11.1 miles. The tornado crossed the Tuscaloosa and Jefferson county line about 2 miles southeast of County Road 59, near Bull City, and dissipated about 2 miles southwest of Oak Grove. The damage path was about 300 yards wide at its widest point. One frame house and a church received mainly roof damage in the town of Kellerman. The path was very rural, and most of the damage was from downed and snapped trees. The terrain was hilly, with most of the downed trees located in the valleys. About one mile inside the Jefferson County line, a brick house sustained major damage, and two mobile homes were overturned. Segment 1: Beginning: 33 19.860/87 19.276 Ending: 33 23.086/87 13.918 Segment 2: Beginning: 33 23.086/87 13.918 Ending: 33 25.513/87 09.892 | |||||||||||
| 19.4 | 1998-04-08 | 3 | 33°17'N / 87°54'W | 33°16'N / 87°51'W | 3.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 15K | 0K | Pickens |
| Brief Description: This was the first of three tornadoes produced by one supercell thunderstorm moving across central Alabama. The tornado began at 7:01 pm CDT just south of Gordo in extreme eastern Pickens County and traveled east-northeast moving into Tuscaloosa County around 7:05 pm CDT. The tornado stayed mostly in rural areas crossing the swampy area of the Sipsey River and a number of small roads before crossing SR 21. It remained in rural areas crossing SR 171 and US 43. The tornado dissipated at Lake Tuscaloosa just south of where SR 69 crosses the lake. Emergency management reported that five single-family dwellings were destroyed along with major damage reported to one house and minor damage to 23 others. Eleven mobile homes were destroyed and three mobile homes were damaged. A couple from North Carolina camping at Lake Lurleen lost everything. | |||||||||||
| 20.0 | 2008-01-10 | 3 | 33°28'N / 87°30'W | 33°32'N / 87°26'W | 6.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 435K | 0K | Tuscaloosa |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down around just southwest of the intersection of AL-69 and CR-38, near Windham Springs. From there, it traveled northeast across the intersection, and then roughly parallel to CR-38 for about 5 miles, before lifting northeast of the Wiley Community. At least 5 structures were heavily damaged, including a church in Windham Springs and a general store in Wiley. At least 300 trees were either snapped or uprooted along the damage path. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong low pressure system and associated cold front caused numerous severe thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes across central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 20.8 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | 33°19'N / 87°14'W | 33°20'N / 87°11'W | 2.90 Miles | 450 Yards | 0 | 3 | 300K | 0K | Tuscaloosa |
| Brief Description: The Abernant Tornado first touched down in Tuscaloosa County in a wooded area west of County Road 99 around 10:22 pm. The tornado traveled east-northeast, damaging structures on Ridge Road before crossing into Jefferson County. The tornado entered Jefferson County at 10:29 pm, and damaged structures in the North Johns and Sumter areas before damaging a manufacturing facility just southwest of VisionLand Theme Park. The tornado crossed Interstate 59 and US Highway 11 where additional houses and businesses sustained minor damage. The tornado ended at this point at 10:43 pm. This F2 tornado had a path length of 15.2 miles, 2.9 miles in Tuscaloosa County and 12.3 miles in Jefferson County. The path width was about 450 yards. Three injuries were reported in Tuscaloosa County. Beg: 33 19.740/87 13.724 End: 33 22.873/86 58.362 | |||||||||||
| 21.1 | 1998-04-08 | 5 | 33°25'N / 87°21'W | 33°26'N / 87°12'W | 6.30 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 1 | 30K | 600K | Tuscaloosa |
| Brief Description: A tornado, the second spawned from the same supercell, began in rural sections of eastern Tuscaloosa County 1.5 miles east of the Warrior River. The tornado moved through primarily rural and unpopulated areas of eastern Tuscaloosa County before crossing into extreme southwestern Jefferson County. The tornado remained in primarily unpopulated area until just before reaching Oak Grove community where three deaths occurred in a mobile home. The tornado destroyed the Oak Grove School and a number of other buildings including a fire department as it cross CR 23/54. The tornado moved into unpopulated area for a short while before crossing CR 54 (Lock 17 Road/Warrior River Road) where numerous houses and other structures were damaged and destroyed including another volunteer fire department building. Eleven deaths were reported in this area. The tornado crossed Rock Creek just west of Rock Creek Road, a steep, hilly unpopulated area. The tornado path then moved into a fairly densely populated area all the way until it dissipated in Pratt City. Areas affected included Pinedale Estates, McGregor Estates, Rockwood, Sylvan Springs, Wylam Heights, Edgewater, McDonald Chapel, Minor, West Ensley, and Pratt City. Pratt City is also within the city limits of Birmingham. Four deaths occurred in Sylvan Springs, two in Wylam Heights, nine in Edgewater, two in McDonald Chapel, and one in West Ensley. According to American Red Cross surveys, 608 homes were destroyed, 556 sustained major damage, and another 810 had minor damage. There were 1,164 families with homes that were unlivable. Forest service officials estimated 4,000 acres of timber was destoyed in Jefferson County and 1,000 acres in Tuscaloosa County. | |||||||||||
| 21.5 | 1952-03-03 | 3 | 33°20'N / 87°54'W | 33°22'N / 87°52'W | 3.30 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 6 | 25K | 0 | Pickens |
| 22.0 | 1973-03-16 | 2 | 32°54'N / 87°40'W | 32°55'N / 87°36'W | 4.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hale |
| 23.4 | 1976-03-20 | 2 | 33°23'N / 87°54'W | 0.50 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pickens | |
| 23.5 | 2000-04-03 | 2 | 33°23'N / 87°14'W | 33°25'N / 87°10'W | 4.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 75K | 0K | Jefferson |
| Brief Description: The tornado began at the intersection of CR 59 and CR 54 near the town of Kellerman. The tornado traveled in a northeast direction for approximately 11.1 miles. The tornado crossed the Tuscaloosa and Jefferson county line about 2 miles southeast of County Road 59, near Bull City, and dissipated about 2 miles southwest of Oak Grove. The damage path was about 300 yards wide at its widest point. One frame house and a church received mainly roof damage in the town of Kellerman. The path was very rural, and most of the damage was from downed and snapped trees. The terrain was hilly, with most of the downed trees located in the valleys. About one mile inside the Jefferson County line, a brick house sustained major damage, and two mobile homes were overturned. Segment 1: Beginning: 33 19.860/87 19.276 Ending: 33 23.086/87 13.918 Segment 2: Beginning: 33 23.086/87 13.918 Ending: 33 25.513/87 09.892 | |||||||||||
| 23.9 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 33°27'N / 87°50'W | 33°37'N / 87°36'W | 17.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 6 | 25.0M | 0 | Tuscaloosa |
| 23.9 | 2008-02-06 | 2 | 33°31'N / 87°46'W | 33°33'N / 87°40'W | 7.00 Miles | 1000 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0K | Fayette |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado that would eventually cross 3 county lines first touched down in southeastern Fayette County, about a mile southeast of the Newtonville Community. From there the tornado moved on a northeast path, for about 6.5 miles, before crossing briefly into Tuscaloosa County. In this segment of its path, damage was generally light until the tornado approached the Tuscaloosa County Line, when several mobile homes were hit and badly damaged. The tornado crossed into Tuscaloosa County just south of Fayette CR-68. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong cold front and very intense upper level storm system moving across the Gulf Coast States brought numerous severe thunderstorms and several tornadoes to Central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 25.9 | 1952-02-13 | 3 | 33°34'N / 87°40'W | 33°36'N / 87°38'W | 3.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 14 | 25K | 0 | Tuscaloosa |
| 27.3 | 1952-02-13 | 3 | 33°36'N / 87°38'W | 33°37'N / 87°37'W | 2.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fayette |
| 27.5 | 1961-12-11 | 2 | 32°47'N / 87°40'W | 32°52'N / 87°34'W | 8.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hale |
| 28.9 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 33°16'N / 88°12'W | 33°27'N / 87°50'W | 24.60 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25.0M | 0 | Pickens |
| 29.0 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | 33°20'N / 87°11'W | 33°24'N / 86°58'W | 12.30 Miles | 450 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0K | Jefferson |
| Brief Description: The Abernant Tornado first touched down in Tuscaloosa County in a wooded area west of County Road 99 around 10:22 pm. The tornado traveled east-northeast, damaging structures on Ridge Road before crossing into Jefferson County. The tornado entered Jefferson County at 10:29 pm, and damaged structures in the North Johns and Sumter areas before damaging a manufacturing facility just southwest of VisionLand Theme Park. The tornado crossed Interstate 59 and US Highway 11 where additional houses and businesses sustained minor damage. The tornado ended at this point at 10:43 pm. This F2 tornado had a path length of 15.2 miles, 2.9 miles in Tuscaloosa County and 12.3 miles in Jefferson County. The path width was about 450 yards. Three injuries were reported in Tuscaloosa County. Beg: 33 19.740/87 13.724 End: 33 22.873/86 58.362 | |||||||||||
| 29.4 | 1984-04-22 | 2 | 32°56'N / 87°10'W | 1.00 Mile | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bibb | |
| 29.5 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 33°24'N / 87°05'W | 1.00 Mile | 500 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 30.0 | 1973-05-27 | 4 | 32°47'N / 87°28'W | 32°50'N / 87°17'W | 11.20 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Perry |
| 30.4 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 33°37'N / 87°36'W | 33°42'N / 87°29'W | 8.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 2 | 29 | 25.0M | 0 | Fayette |
| 30.5 | 1963-03-17 | 3 | 32°56'N / 87°09'W | 32°57'N / 87°07'W | 2.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 0K | 0 | Bibb |
| 31.0 | 1973-05-27 | 4 | 32°50'N / 87°17'W | 33°05'N / 86°56'W | 26.70 Miles | 800 Yards | 5 | 47 | 25.0M | 0 | Bibb |
| 32.2 | 1985-08-16 | 2 | 33°29'N / 87°06'W | 33°32'N / 87°07'W | 3.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 32.2 | 1953-04-06 | 3 | 33°19'N / 87°00'W | 0.50 Mile | 37 Yards | 0 | 12 | 3K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 32.2 | 1951-02-20 | 2 | 33°40'N / 87°42'W | 0.10 Mile | 123 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Fayette | |
| 32.7 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 33°27'N / 87°03'W | 1.00 Mile | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 33.0 | 1977-02-23 | 2 | 32°50'N / 87°53'W | 0.20 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Greene | |
| 33.9 | 1998-04-08 | 5 | 33°23'N / 87°14'W | 33°35'N / 86°52'W | 24.30 Miles | 1320 Yards | 32 | 258 | 200.0M | 2.2M | Jefferson |
| Brief Description: F76PH, M49PH, M78PH, F89PH, M89PH, F54PH, M37PH, F27PH, M48PH, M4PH, M7PH, F33PH, F72PH, F66PH, M72PH, F72PH, F83PH, M44MH, F16MH, F37MH, F63PH, M61PH, F76PH, M78PH, F77PH, M8PH, M50PH, F46PH, F47PH, F49PH, F81PH, F50PH A tornado, the second spawned from the same supercell, began in rural sections of eastern Tuscaloosa County 1.5 miles east of the Warrior River. The tornado moved through primarily rural and unpopulated areas of eastern Tuscaloosa County before crossing into extreme southwestern Jefferson County. The tornado remained in primarily unpopulated area until just before reaching Oak Grove community where three deaths occurred in a mobile home. The tornado destroyed the Oak Grove School and a number of other buildings including a fire department as it cross CR 23/54. The tornado moved into unpopulated area for a short while before crossing CR 54 (Lock 17 Road/Warrior River Road) where numerous houses and other structures were damaged and destroyed including another volunteer fire department building. Eleven deaths were reported in this area. The tornado crossed Rock Creek just west of Rock Creek Road, a steep, hilly unpopulated area. The tornado path then moved into a fairly densely populated area all the way until it dissipated in Pratt City. Areas affected included Pinedale Estates, McGregor Estates, Rockwood, Sylvan Springs, Wylam Heights, Edgewater, McDonald Chapel, Minor, West Ensley, and Pratt City. Pratt City is also within the city limits of Birmingham. Four deaths occurred in Sylvan Springs, two in Wylam Heights, nine in Edgewater, two in McDonald Chapel, and one in West Ensley. According to American Red Cross surveys, 608 homes were destroyed, 556 sustained major damage, and another 810 had minor damage. There were 1,164 families with homes that were unlivable. Forest service officials estimated 4,000 acres of timber was destoyed in Jefferson County and 1,000 acres in Tuscaloosa County. | |||||||||||
| 33.9 | 1959-05-12 | 2 | 33°12'N / 87°00'W | 33°12'N / 86°55'W | 4.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Bibb |
| 34.0 | 1971-02-26 | 3 | 32°49'N / 87°56'W | 32°50'N / 87°52'W | 4.30 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Greene |
| 34.3 | 2008-02-06 | 2 | 33°41'N / 87°30'W | 33°44'N / 87°24'W | 7.00 Miles | 2000 Yards | 0 | 4 | 200K | 0K | Walker |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado that first touched down in Fayette County, and also moved through a small portion of Tuscaloosa County, moved into southeastern Walker County just southwest of the Corona Community. From there, the tornado traveled northeast for about 6.5 miles, and finally lifted northwest of the town of Oakman. The greatest amount of damage along the entire path of this tornado was experienced on Patton Hill Road, just west of Oakman. Several homes sustained significant damage near Corona, and several mobile homes were damaged or destroyed west of Oakman. There were also 4 minor injuries reported in Walker County. Along the entire path, at least 8 structures were destroyed, most of them mobile homes, and 15 other structures sustained varying degrees of damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong cold front and very intense upper level storm system moving across the Gulf Coast States brought numerous severe thunderstorms and several tornadoes to Central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 34.3 | 1966-03-03 | 5 | 32°49'N / 88°21'W | 33°12'N / 87°49'W | 40.70 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 11 | 250K | 0 | Pickens |
| 34.8 | 1963-03-11 | 2 | 33°25'N / 88°06'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pickens | |||
| 35.1 | 1974-01-28 | 3 | 33°40'N / 87°50'W | 0.80 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Fayette | |
| 35.6 | 2001-11-24 | 3 | 33°31'N / 88°03'W | 33°37'N / 87°57'W | 8.50 Miles | 300 Yards | 2 | 1 | 600K | 0K | Lamar |
| Brief Description: F42MH, F63MH What was the longest tornado of the day began at 10:55 am about a two tenths of a mile inside Pickens County or about 5.8 miles southwest of Kennedy. The tornado traveled across southeastern Lamar County damaging or destroying a number of structures south and east of Kennedy. The tornado traveled on a northeast track moving into Fayette County at 11:07 am. Traveling northeast it went across western and northern sections of the city of Fayette doing serious damage to a number of structures. From the city of Fayette the tornado traveled across mostly rural areas damaging occasional structures and downing numerous trees and power lines. The tornado while still strong was weaker than it had been in southern Lamar County. The tornado crossed into Walker County at 11:41 am a little south-southwest of Carbon Hill before ending. Total path length has been estimated at 38.9 miles with a Fujita-scale rating of F3. The tornado began with F0 damage in Pickens County but strengthened to F3 intensity in southern Lamar County. It weakened some as it moved across Fayette County where the Fujita rating was an F2. Damage in Walker County was rated an F1 as the tornado dissipated. The path was 300 yards wide in Lamar County but estimated to have decreased to about 90 yards wide across much of Fayette County. Two people, a mother and her daughter, were killed in a double-wide mobile home in Lamar County just southwest of Kennedy and one person was injured. No deaths or injuries were reported in Pickens, Fayette or Walker counties. Beginning: 33 31.528/88 03.156 Ending: 33 52.606/87 31.676 | |||||||||||
| 35.9 | 1970-03-19 | 2 | 32°42'N / 87°36'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hale | |
| 36.3 | 2001-11-24 | 3 | 33°32'N / 88°03'W | 33°32'N / 88°03'W | 0.20 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2K | 0K | Pickens |
| Brief Description: What was the longest tornado of the day began at 10:55 am about a two tenths of a mile inside Pickens County or about 5.8 miles southwest of Kennedy. The tornado traveled across southeastern Lamar County damaging or destroying a number of structures south and east of Kennedy. The tornado traveled on a northeast track moving into Fayette County at 11:07 am. Traveling northeast it went across western and northern sections of the city of Fayette doing serious damage to a number of structures. From the city of Fayette the tornado traveled across mostly rural areas damaging occasional structures and downing numerous trees and power lines. The tornado while still strong was weaker than it had been in southern Lamar County. The tornado crossed into Walker County at 11:41 am a little south-southwest of Carbon Hill before ending. Total path length has been estimated at 38.9 miles with a Fujita-scale rating of F3. The tornado began with F0 damage in Pickens County but strengthened to F3 intensity in southern Lamar County. It weakened some as it moved across Fayette County where the Fujita rating was an F2. Damage in Walker County was rated an F1 as the tornado dissipated. The path was 300 yards wide in Lamar County but estimated to have decreased to about 90 yards wide across much of Fayette County. Two people, a mother and her daughter, were killed in a double-wide mobile home in Lamar County just southwest of Kennedy and one person was injured. No deaths or injuries were reported in Pickens, Fayette or Walker counties. Beginning: 33 31.528/88 03.156 Ending: 33 52.606/87 31.676 | |||||||||||
| 36.9 | 1980-04-25 | 2 | 33°20'N / 86°57'W | 33°25'N / 86°55'W | 6.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 37.8 | 1986-03-12 | 3 | 33°33'N / 88°03'W | 33°38'N / 88°00'W | 6.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lamar |
| 37.8 | 1965-02-11 | 3 | 33°12'N / 88°12'W | 1.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 18 | 250K | 0 | Pickens | |
| 37.9 | 1992-03-10 | 3 | 32°39'N / 87°47'W | 32°42'N / 87°29'W | 14.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 2 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Hale |
| 38.1 | 1986-03-12 | 3 | 33°11'N / 88°12'W | 33°23'N / 88°12'W | 16.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 2 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pickens |
| 38.2 | 2001-11-24 | 3 | 33°37'N / 87°57'W | 33°52'N / 87°34'W | 29.10 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 800K | 0K | Fayette |
| Brief Description: What was the longest tornado of the day began at 10:55 am about a two tenths of a mile inside Pickens County or about 5.8 miles southwest of Kennedy. The tornado traveled across southeastern Lamar County damaging or destroying a number of structures south and east of Kennedy. The tornado traveled on a northeast track moving into Fayette County at 11:07 am. Traveling northeast it went across western and northern sections of the city of Fayette doing serious damage to a number of structures. From the city of Fayette the tornado traveled across mostly rural areas damaging occasional structures and downing numerous trees and power lines. The tornado while still strong was weaker than it had been in southern Lamar County. The tornado crossed into Walker County at 11:41 am a little south-southwest of Carbon Hill before ending. Total path length has been estimated at 38.9 miles with a Fujita-scale rating of F3. The tornado began with F0 damage in Pickens County but strengthened to F3 intensity in southern Lamar County. It weakened some as it moved across Fayette County where the Fujita rating was an F2. Damage in Walker County was rated an F1 as the tornado dissipated. The path was 300 yards wide in Lamar County but estimated to have decreased to about 90 yards wide across much of Fayette County. Two people, a mother and her daughter, were killed in a double-wide mobile home in Lamar County just southwest of Kennedy and one person was injured. No deaths or injuries were reported in Pickens, Fayette or Walker counties. Beginning: 33 31.528/88 03.156 Ending: 33 52.606/87 31.676 | |||||||||||
| 38.6 | 1985-08-16 | 2 | 33°44'N / 87°17'W | 1.30 Miles | 120 Yards | 1 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Walker | |
| 39.0 | 1973-05-27 | 4 | 32°32'N / 87°48'W | 32°47'N / 87°28'W | 26.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 1 | 72 | 25.0M | 0 | Hale |
| 39.0 | 1962-03-31 | 2 | 33°42'N / 87°54'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fayette | |||
| 39.9 | 1973-03-16 | 2 | 32°37'N / 87°40'W | 32°40'N / 87°31'W | 9.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Hale |
| 40.0 | 1959-05-12 | 3 | 33°22'N / 86°57'W | 33°25'N / 86°49'W | 8.60 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 40.3 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 33°46'N / 87°48'W | 33°49'N / 87°33'W | 14.60 Miles | 1175 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0K | Fayette |
| Brief Description: The Saragossa Tornado was the fourth tornado to occur in Alabama and the longest track of the severe weather episode. It began in Fayette County, just east of the Sipsey River about 6 miles north-northeast of the city of Fayette at 8:15 pm. The tornado moved northeast, crossing portions of State Routes 102 and 13, and then SR 102 again around Stoddards Crossroads. The tornado crossed into Walker County at 8:34 pm and traveled through sparsely populated areas of western Walker County. It crossed the interchange of US Highway 78 about 5.5 miles east-southeast of Carbon Hill, and became very strong as it traveled through the Saragossa area. It crossed State Roads 5, 195, and 257, before entering Winston County. The tornado appeared to be at its most intense during the travel from US 78/SR 118 interchange across Saragossa and the areas near SR 5 and SR 195. Seven deaths occurred in this 10 mile stretch of the tornado track, along with an estimated 40 injuries. At 9:03 pm the tornado crossed the extreme southeastern tip of Winston County, crossing a part of Smith Lake. The tornado entered Cullman County at 9:08 pm, moving across portions of Smith Lake and across CR 222. Tornado intensity remained high during the first several miles after it entered Cullman County. Continuing northeast, it crossed Interstate 65 and US 31 just south of Cullman on the southside of the Cullman Golf Course. The tornado seemed to be significantly less intense as it continued to travel northeasterly toward Holly Pond. Damage from just east of US 31 to just south of Holly Pond was not nearly as intense as it was west of Interstate 65. Traveling through mostly rural areas downing trees and powerlines, and damaging scattered structures along the way, the tornado finally ended just south-southeast of Holly Pond at 9:52 pm, This was the longest tornado of the outbreak, with a path length of 72.6 miles and a width of 1100 yards. It was the second F3 tornado of the day. Seven deaths were reported with the storm, all in Walker County, along with an estimated 45 injuries. Structural damage details are difficult to report since reporting is based primarily on county and not by individual tornadoes. Based on EMA and Red Cross data, structures damaged or destroyed were approximately 20 in Fayette County, 300 in Walker County, 5 in Winston County, and 164 in Cullman County. This is also one of the longest tornadoes tracks in recent history. At 72.6 miles in length, this becomes the fourth longest tornado in Alabama since 1950. Beg: 33 45.072/87 45.991 End: 34 09.775/86 36.403 | |||||||||||
| 40.4 | 1975-01-10 | 2 | 33°38'N / 87°03'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 40.7 | 1961-12-11 | 3 | 32°38'N / 87°24'W | 32°41'N / 87°15'W | 9.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Perry |
| 41.1 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 33°25'N / 88°13'W | 2.00 Miles | 127 Yards | 0 | 7 | 2.5M | 0 | Pickens | |
| 41.4 | 1963-04-29 | 2 | 33°17'N / 86°50'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Shelby | |||
| 42.1 | 1963-03-05 | 4 | 33°22'N / 86°58'W | 33°29'N / 86°45'W | 14.90 Miles | 667 Yards | 0 | 35 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 42.3 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 33°45'N / 87°52'W | 33°52'N / 87°37'W | 16.10 Miles | 1175 Yards | 0 | 3 | 500K | 0K | Fayette |
| Brief Description: The Carbon Hill Tornado was the first tornado of the evening. It began in Fayette County at 6:52 pm, about 5.6 miles north-northwest of the city of Fayette, and 2.8 miles west of US Highway 43. The tornado moved on a northeast track crossing US 43, State Route 129, and SR 13, and then moved into Walker County just southwest of Carbon Hill at 7:10 pm. It then crossed the western and northern sections of Carbon Hill, downing trees and power lines and damaging many residential structures. Carbon Hill Elementary School was also heavily damaged. The tornado continued northeast, crossing SR5, and exited the county at SR 195. The two deaths associated with this tornado occurred just south of SR 195. Entering Winston County at 7:31 pm, the tornado continued on a northeast path traveling across mostly sparsely populated areas of Bankhead National Forest and several fingers of Smith Lake. It crossed County Road 41 about 1.8 miles south of Arley and then crossed CR 12, finally lifting at 7:45 pm. This tornado was rated an F3 on the Fujita scale, with winds estimated to be in the 150 to 200 mph range. Much of the damage along the track was lesser intensity (F1 and F2). F3 damage occurred in both Fayette and Walker Counties. Total path length for the Carbon Hill Tornado was 44.3 miles, with a width of 1175 yards. Four deaths were reported with this tornado, three in the Rose Hill community of Walker County and one near Arley in Winston County. Injury figures are approximate with three in Fayette County, 20 in Walker County, and 15 in Winston County. About 40 percent of the injuries were treated at local hospitals while about 60 percent of the injuries were considered minor. Structural damage along the path included approximately 47 in Fayette County, 135 in Walker County, and 35 in Winston County. Numbers are approximate because most reports from Red Cross and EMA were made based on the whole county not by tornado. Beg: 33 45.949/87 51.069 End: 34 03.992/87 10.409 | |||||||||||
| 42.5 | 1974-04-22 | 2 | 32°38'N / 87°19'W | 2.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Perry | |
| 43.2 | 1968-12-27 | 2 | 33°06'N / 86°51'W | 33°08'N / 86°46'W | 5.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Shelby |
| 43.6 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | 33°30'N / 88°15'W | 33°34'N / 88°09'W | 7.20 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 2 | 200K | 0K | Lamar |
| Brief Description: The Fernbank Tornado was the second tornado of the evening in Alabama, but it actually began in Mississippi. The tornado crossed the Alabama-Mississippi State Line at 7:31 pm, downing trees in Luxapallila Creek. When it reached County Road 12, a well built home was deroofed along with damage to the upper floor of the house and tremendous tree destruction. The tornado continued on a northeast track, damaging mostly trees before knocking over head stones at the Ebenezer Church and flipping automobiles. The tornado weakened fairly quickly after it passed the church and ended about 7:42 pm. This tornado was rated an F2 in Alabama but was rated an F3 in Mississippi. No deaths and two injuries were reported in the Alabama portion of this tornado. The path length was 7.2 miles with an estimated width of 150 yards. | |||||||||||
| 44.0 | 1953-01-20 | 3 | 33°48'N / 87°14'W | 1.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Walker | |
| 44.0 | 1952-02-13 | 3 | 33°36'N / 86°56'W | 1 | 26 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson | |||
| 44.1 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 33°42'N / 87°29'W | 33°57'N / 87°08'W | 26.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 102 | 25.0M | 0 | Walker |
| 44.1 | 1992-03-10 | 3 | 32°35'N / 87°49'W | 32°39'N / 87°47'W | 4.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Greene |
| 44.3 | 1973-03-16 | 2 | 33°17'N / 86°49'W | 33°18'N / 86°45'W | 4.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Shelby |
| 44.5 | 1963-05-27 | 2 | 33°28'N / 86°50'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Jefferson | |||
| 44.7 | 2010-04-24 | 3 | 33°43'N / 87°17'W | 33°48'N / 86°57'W | 20.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 598K | 0K | Walker |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This long tracked, strong, tornado first touched down in the Walker County city of Parrish. It then remained on the ground for 54 minutes, traversing nearly 30 miles in three counties. The vast majority of the damage was done in Walker County. In addition to Parrish, heavy damaged occurred in the cities of Cordova, Sumiton, and Empire. Between 70 and 80 homes and other buildings along the path received varying degrees of damage, and at least one home in Parrish was completely destroyed. Somewhere between 800 and 1000 trees were snapped, with a similar number uprooted. While there were no known deaths or injuries directly caused by the tornado, one 50 year old woman died (indirect) after she slipped and fell while going to a storm shelter. The tornado moved into Jefferson County near the intersection of Bankston Road and County Line Road. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A deepening storm system and associated cold front brought widespread severe thunderstorms, including at least 8 tornadoes, to central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 44.7 | 1961-12-17 | 2 | 32°36'N / 87°18'W | 32°38'N / 87°13'W | 5.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Perry |
| 44.8 | 2001-11-24 | 3 | 33°52'N / 87°33'W | 33°52'N / 87°32'W | 1.10 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0K | Walker |
| Brief Description: What was the longest tornado of the day began at 10:55 am about a two tenths of a mile inside Pickens County or about 5.8 miles southwest of Kennedy. The tornado traveled across southeastern Lamar County damaging or destroying a number of structures south and east of Kennedy. The tornado traveled on a northeast track moving into Fayette County at 11:07 am. Traveling northeast it went across western and northern sections of the city of Fayette doing serious damage to a number of structures. From the city of Fayette the tornado traveled across mostly rural areas damaging occasional structures and downing numerous trees and power lines. The tornado while still strong was weaker than it had been in southern Lamar County. The tornado crossed into Walker County at 11:41 am a little south-southwest of Carbon Hill before ending. Total path length has been estimated at 38.9 miles with a Fujita-scale rating of F3. The tornado began with F0 damage in Pickens County but strengthened to F3 intensity in southern Lamar County. It weakened some as it moved across Fayette County where the Fujita rating was an F2. Damage in Walker County was rated an F1 as the tornado dissipated. The path was 300 yards wide in Lamar County but estimated to have decreased to about 90 yards wide across much of Fayette County. Two people, a mother and her daughter, were killed in a double-wide mobile home in Lamar County just southwest of Kennedy and one person was injured. No deaths or injuries were reported in Pickens, Fayette or Walker counties. Beginning: 33 31.528/88 03.156 Ending: 33 52.606/87 31.676 | |||||||||||
| 45.1 | 1985-08-16 | 2 | 33°50'N / 87°17'W | 1.50 Miles | 130 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Walker | |
| 45.6 | 1961-03-07 | 3 | 33°49'N / 87°54'W | 33°53'N / 87°39'W | 15.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Fayette |
| 46.1 | 1967-05-06 | 3 | 33°27'N / 86°50'W | 33°28'N / 86°46'W | 4.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 25 | 2.5M | 0 | Jefferson |
| 46.6 | 1961-03-07 | 3 | 33°53'N / 87°39'W | 33°54'N / 87°33'W | 5.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Walker |
| 46.8 | 1976-01-13 | 2 | 33°31'N / 86°49'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 47.0 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 33°06'N / 88°24'W | 33°16'N / 88°19'W | 15.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 15 | 250K | 0 | Noxubee |
| 47.2 | 1994-03-27 | 2 | 33°18'N / 86°51'W | 33°23'N / 86°38'W | 12.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 53 | 5.0M | 0 | Shelby |
| Brief Description: A tornado began on the north side of Helena on the Bearden Farm moving northeastward crossing Alabama 261 near Pelham High School. The school suffered some damage. Continuing northeast, the tornado caused damage in a residential section before doing extensive damage to two mobile home parks on the west side of U.S. Highway 31 on the north side of Pelham. The tornado did extensive to businesses in the stretch from the U.S. 31/Alabama 119 intersection to the Alabama 119/Interstate 65 intersection. The tornado continued on its track going through primarily residential areas of Pelham and Indian Springs. The tornado dissipated just before reaching the Meadow Brook area about two miles west of U.S. Highway 280. Areas in the path of the tornado included sections of Chandalar, Green Park South mobile home park, South Gate Mobile Home Park, Indian Springs Village, Broken Bow, Broken Bow South, and Riverchase. | |||||||||||
| 47.3 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 32°54'N / 88°18'W | 32°57'N / 88°16'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Sumter |
| 47.5 | 2004-12-07 | 2 | 33°34'N / 88°16'W | 33°39'N / 88°11'W | 3.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 30K | 0 | Lamar |
| Brief Description: A tornado crossed the Mississippi-Alabama state line at 402 AM. The tornado caused F2 damage along its relatively short path in Mississippi. The tornado produced only F0 damage in Alabama. The tornado path in Alabama started near the Luxapallia Creek in far southwest Lamar County. The tornado snapped off and uprooted numerous trees along its entire northeastward path. The tornado ended near the intersection of Baines Circle and CR 12. One home sustained shingle damage and a few out-buildings were damaged near the ending point. The tornado was approximately 3.0 miles long and 75 yards wide at its widest point in Alabama. The tornado began approximately 3 miles southwest of Steens, Mississippi where it produced the most significant damage. Begin: 33 33.808/88 16.255 End: 33 35.081/88 13.692 | |||||||||||
| 47.7 | 1953-05-01 | 2 | 33°02'N / 86°45'W | 1.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Chilton | |
| 48.1 | 1962-03-31 | 3 | 33°28'N / 88°18'W | 33°30'N / 88°20'W | 3.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Lowndes |
| 48.1 | 1977-04-04 | 5 | 33°31'N / 86°56'W | 33°36'N / 86°42'W | 14.70 Miles | 550 Yards | 22 | 130 | 25.0M | 0 | Jefferson |
| 48.2 | 1967-03-06 | 4 | 33°42'N / 87°10'W | 33°47'N / 86°49'W | 20.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 2 | 25 | 250K | 0 | Walker |
| 48.4 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 33°50'N / 87°35'W | 34°00'N / 87°21'W | 16.90 Miles | 1175 Yards | 3 | 20 | 2.5M | 0K | Walker |
| Brief Description: M53OU, M61MH, F62MH The Carbon Hill Tornado was the first tornado of the evening. It began in Fayette County at 6:52 pm, about 5.6 miles north-northwest of the city of Fayette, and 2.8 miles west of US Highway 43. The tornado moved on a northeast track crossing US 43, State Route 129, and SR 13, and then moved into Walker County just southwest of Carbon Hill at 7:10 pm. It then crossed the western and northern sections of Carbon Hill, downing trees and power lines and damaging many residential structures. Carbon Hill Elementary School was also heavily damaged. The tornado continued northeast, crossing SR5, and exited the county at SR 195. The two deaths associated with this tornado occurred just south of SR 195. Entering Winston County at 7:31 pm, the tornado continued on a northeast path traveling across mostly sparsely populated areas of Bankhead National Forest and several fingers of Smith Lake. It crossed County Road 41 about 1.8 miles south of Arley and then crossed CR 12, finally lifting at 7:45 pm. This tornado was rated an F3 on the Fujita scale, with winds estimated to be in the 150 to 200 mph range. Much of the damage along the track was lesser intensity (F1 and F2). F3 damage occurred in both Fayette and Walker Counties. Total path length for the Carbon Hill Tornado was 44.3 miles, with a width of 1175 yards. Four deaths were reported with this tornado, three in the Rose Hill community of Walker County and one near Arley in Winston County. Injury figures are approximate with three in Fayette County, 20 in Walker County, and 15 in Winston County. About 40 percent of the injuries were treated at local hospitals while about 60 percent of the injuries were considered minor. Structural damage along the path included approximately 47 in Fayette County, 135 in Walker County, and 35 in Winston County. Numbers are approximate because most reports from Red Cross and EMA were made based on the whole county not by tornado. Beg: 33 45.949/87 51.069 End: 34 03.992/87 10.409 | |||||||||||
| 48.5 | 1972-10-27 | 2 | 33°31'N / 86°55'W | 33°45'N / 86°49'W | 17.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 48.7 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 33°50'N / 87°32'W | 33°58'N / 87°07'W | 24.70 Miles | 1175 Yards | 7 | 40 | 2.5M | 0K | Walker |
| Brief Description: F39MH, F15MH, M50MH, M51MH, F73MH, F38MH, F61MH The Saragossa Tornado was the fourth tornado to occur in Alabama and the longest track of the severe weather episode. It began in Fayette County, just east of the Sipsey River about 6 miles north-northeast of the city of Fayette at 8:15 pm. The tornado moved northeast, crossing portions of State Routes 102 and 13, and then SR 102 again around Stoddards Crossroads. The tornado crossed into Walker County at 8:34 pm and traveled through sparsely populated areas of western Walker County. It crossed the interchange of US Highway 78 about 5.5 miles east-southeast of Carbon Hill, and became very strong as it traveled through the Saragossa area. It crossed State Roads 5, 195, and 257, before entering Winston County. The tornado appeared to be at its most intense during the travel from US 78/SR 118 interchange across Saragossa and the areas near SR 5 and SR 195. Seven deaths occurred in this 10 mile stretch of the tornado track, along with an estimated 40 injuries. At 9:03 pm the tornado crossed the extreme southeastern tip of Winston County, crossing a part of Smith Lake. The tornado entered Cullman County at 9:08 pm, moving across portions of Smith Lake and across CR 222. Tornado intensity remained high during the first several miles after it entered Cullman County. Continuing northeast, it crossed Interstate 65 and US 31 just south of Cullman on the southside of the Cullman Golf Course. The tornado seemed to be significantly less intense as it continued to travel northeasterly toward Holly Pond. Damage from just east of US 31 to just south of Holly Pond was not nearly as intense as it was west of Interstate 65. Traveling through mostly rural areas downing trees and powerlines, and damaging scattered structures along the way, the tornado finally ended just south-southeast of Holly Pond at 9:52 pm, This was the longest tornado of the outbreak, with a path length of 72.6 miles and a width of 1100 yards. It was the second F3 tornado of the day. Seven deaths were reported with the storm, all in Walker County, along with an estimated 45 injuries. Structural damage details are difficult to report since reporting is based primarily on county and not by individual tornadoes. Based on EMA and Red Cross data, structures damaged or destroyed were approximately 20 in Fayette County, 300 in Walker County, 5 in Winston County, and 164 in Cullman County. This is also one of the longest tornadoes tracks in recent history. At 72.6 miles in length, this becomes the fourth longest tornado in Alabama since 1950. Beg: 33 45.072/87 45.991 End: 34 09.775/86 36.403 | |||||||||||
| 49.2 | 1956-04-15 | 4 | 33°30'N / 86°58'W | 33°38'N / 86°38'W | 21.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 25 | 200 | 2.5M | 0 | Jefferson |
| 49.4 | 1979-09-20 | 2 | 32°33'N / 87°19'W | 32°31'N / 87°17'W | 3.00 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Perry |
| 49.5 | 1973-05-27 | 4 | 33°05'N / 86°56'W | 33°15'N / 86°27'W | 30.20 Miles | 800 Yards | 1 | 63 | 25.0M | 0 | Shelby |
| 49.6 | 2004-12-07 | 2 | 33°32'N / 88°21'W | 33°34'N / 88°16'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Lowndes |
| Brief Description: This tornado touched down southwest of Steens and tracked east-northeast for 5 miles before moving into Lamar county, Alabama at 4:02 AM, in the Luxapalila Creek bottom. Along the path, several buildings sustained significant roof damage, one mobile home was destroyed and an RV was rolled over and destroyed. Hundreds of trees were also snapped and uprooted. The majority of the damage occurred across Harrison Road, Tom Blalock Road and Gunshoot Road. | |||||||||||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.