Gadsden Metro Area Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Gadsden Area is higher than Alabama average and is lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Gadsden Area is much higher than Alabama average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #166
| Gadsden Area | 0.46 |
| 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, #129
| Gadsden Area | 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, #30
| Gadsden Area | 336.01 |
| 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 14,974 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Gadsden Area 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: | 34 | Dense Fog: | 2 | Drought: | 104 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 1,116 | Hail: | 4,952 | Heat: | 25 | Heavy Snow: | 57 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 6 | Ice Storm: | 24 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 67 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 7,405 | Tropical Storm: | 21 | Wildfire: | 2 | Winter Storm: | 39 | Winter Weather: | 41 |
| Other: | 1,079 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Gadsden Area.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Gadsden Area.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Gadsden Area.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 148 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Gadsden Area.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 3.4 | 1980-06-17 | 2 | 34°00'N / 86°01'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Etowah | |
| 6.3 | 1977-06-22 | 2 | 34°05'N / 85°56'W | 1.20 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Etowah | |
| 6.9 | 1969-12-30 | 2 | 33°54'N / 86°00'W | 34°00'N / 86°01'W | 7.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Etowah |
| 7.1 | 1980-04-27 | 2 | 34°05'N / 86°10'W | 34°07'N / 86°07'W | 3.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Etowah |
| 8.8 | 1970-04-02 | 2 | 33°57'N / 85°57'W | 34°00'N / 85°52'W | 6.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Etowah |
| 9.2 | 2000-12-16 | 3 | 34°03'N / 85°56'W | 34°05'N / 85°49'W | 8.10 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 14 | 10.0M | 0K | Etowah |
| Brief Description: Damage in Etowah and Cherokee counties was the result of an F3 tornado. The tornado track was 12.8 miles long and just over one quarter of a mile or about 500 yards wide at its widest point. The tornado touched down near Tidmore Bend, 5.3 miles east north east of the city of Gadsden, at 246 PM and lifted at 305 PM near Pollard Bend in Cherokee County. The tornado track was 8.1 miles in Etowah County and 4.7 miles in Cherokee County for a total of 12.8 miles. The most significant damage with the tornado was in the Coats Bend Community of Etowah County where 14 injuries occurred and approximately 250 homes were either totally destroyed or had major damage. Damage in Cherokee County was limited to downed trees and damage to a couple of structures. Beginning: 34 02.864/85 55.347 Ending: 34 06.877/85 42.900 | |||||||||||
| 9.5 | 1985-04-05 | 3 | 34°08'N / 86°11'W | 34°12'N / 86°03'W | 8.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Etowah |
| 9.9 | 1977-04-04 | 2 | 33°53'N / 86°01'W | 33°56'N / 85°58'W | 4.70 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Etowah |
| 10.3 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 34°11'N / 86°06'W | 34°12'N / 86°04'W | 5.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 6 | 0K | 0 | Etowah |
| 12.6 | 1974-05-02 | 2 | 34°09'N / 86°13'W | 2.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |
| 13.7 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 34°12'N / 86°04'W | 34°17'N / 85°54'W | 7.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 6 | 0K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 14.0 | 1964-01-24 | 2 | 34°15'N / 86°01'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dekalb | |||
| 14.2 | 1969-12-30 | 2 | 33°47'N / 86°03'W | 33°54'N / 86°00'W | 8.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 14.8 | 1967-03-06 | 2 | 33°53'N / 86°12'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | St. Clair | |||
| 15.7 | 1977-04-04 | 3 | 33°50'N / 86°15'W | 33°54'N / 86°09'W | 7.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 0 | 250K | 0 | St. Clair |
| 16.1 | 2000-12-16 | 3 | 34°04'N / 85°47'W | 34°07'N / 85°44'W | 4.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 40K | 0K | Cherokee |
| Brief Description: Damage in Etowah and Cherokee counties was the result of an F3 tornado. The tornado track was 12.8 miles long and just over one quarter of a mile or about 500 yards wide at its widest point. The tornado touched down near Tidmore Bend, 5.3 miles east north east of the city of Gadsden, at 246 PM and lifted at 305 PM near Pollard Bend in Cherokee County. The tornado track was 8.1 miles in Etowah County and 4.7 miles in Cherokee County for a total of 12.8 miles. The most significant damage with the tornado was in the Coats Bend Community of Etowah County where 14 injuries occurred and approximately 250 homes were either totally destroyed or had major damage. Damage in Cherokee County was limited to downed trees and damage to a couple of structures. Beginning: 34 02.864/85 55.347 Ending: 34 06.877/85 42.900 | |||||||||||
| 16.2 | 2001-11-24 | 4 | 34°01'N / 86°20'W | 34°02'N / 86°18'W | 1.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.5M | 0K | Etowah |
| Brief Description: The F4 tornado first touched down in the vicinity of the Mt. Carmel Church, south of US 231 on CR 29, where several trees were snapped off. The tornado tracked northeast and produced extensive F2-type damage to homes and trailer homes along Tidwell Road where several injuries occurred. All trees in the neighborhood were snapped mid-trunk. As the tornado crossed US 231, it completely destroyed a frame house with F4 magnitude damage. Large trees around the house were uprooted and snapped at mid-trunk. From there, the tornado continued moving northeast and produced it's worst, F4 magnitude damage, between Robbins Lake and Airport Road. Large trees were completely snapped off at ground level; two tandem-wheel dump trucks were overturned, and moved or rolled 30 yards; several storage containers filled with construction supplies and equipment were rolled up to 50 yards; a large bulldozer was moved 5 feet; a large pole-barn building was completely obliterated. The tornado continued northeast across Robbins Field, then across an unpopulated area, until it entered western Etowah County in the town of Altoona. One church was also destroyed. The tornado affected the south and east sections of Altoona. The tornado descended a steep hill and downed an entire stand of pine trees at mid-trunk. Several homes and trailer-homes were damaged or destroyed, including a well-constructed $250,000 home which was completely destroyed, the third occurrence of F4 magnitude damage. The tornado crossed SR 132, ascending a steep hill, and dissipated. At it's widest point, the tornado was approximately one-quarter mile wide. Debris was scattered several miles past the end of the tornado track. Beg: 33 55.619/86 25.749 End: 34 02.107/86 18.754 | |||||||||||
| 16.3 | 1973-12-29 | 2 | 34°17'N / 86°01'W | 0.30 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Dekalb | |
| 16.5 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 34°16'N / 86°02'W | 34°18'N / 85°56'W | 5.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 6 | 0K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 17.4 | 1968-04-04 | 2 | 34°16'N / 86°12'W | 34°17'N / 86°08'W | 4.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Marshall |
| 18.4 | 1983-02-22 | 2 | 34°16'N / 86°13'W | 2.20 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Marshall | |
| 18.4 | 1957-11-18 | 4 | 34°10'N / 86°21'W | 34°16'N / 86°13'W | 10.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Marshall |
| 18.5 | 1985-04-05 | 3 | 34°12'N / 86°19'W | 34°17'N / 86°12'W | 8.00 Miles | 277 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Marshall |
| 19.1 | 1994-03-27 | 4 | 33°43'N / 86°09'W | 34°01'N / 85°25'W | 50.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 22 | 150 | 500K | 50.0M | St. Clair, Calhoun And Cherokee |
| Brief Description: A tornado began about one mile south-southwest of Ragland in St. Clair County at 1055 CST and traveled northeast at between 45 and 55 miles an hour crossing the Alabama/Georgia border about five miles northeast of Rock Run in Cherokee County. The tornado moved across County Highway 144 just south-southwest of Ragland where it first began then destroyed a number of structures along 144 to the east of Ragland. The tornado crossed primarily wooded land before moving through a camping area on the west side of Neely Henry Lake. A woman was killed outside on the west side of the lake as she tried to secure a boat. The tornado crossed Neely Henry Lake just north of the dam as it moved into Calhoun County. Twenty-six homes were damaged, 18 homes were destroyed, and 20 mobile homes were destroyed in St. Clair County. Moving into Calhoun County at 1104 CST, the storm continued on a steady northeast track (60 degree heading) crossing the north side of Ohatchee. The storm crossed U.S. Highway 431 at 1120 CST where one man was killed when the van he was in was thrown into a ditch. Three other people in the van were injured. The storm continued northeast across mostly woodlands with only scattered structures, mostly homes, in its path. It crossed U.S. Highway 278 between four and five miles west-northwest of Piedmont. The storm entered Cherokee County at 1135 CST. At 1139 CST the tornado destroyed the Goshen United Methodist Church located one mile north of the Cherokee/Calhoun County line on County Highway 9 killing 20 people and injuring 92. The tornado continued northeast across Cherokee County reaching the Alabama/Georgia state line at approximately 1152 CST. Deaths: St. Clair County - (F540); Calhoun County - (M49V); Cherokee County - (F02O) (M03O) (F04O) (M05O) (F10O) (M12O) (F24O) (M25O) (F34O) (M34O) (M37O) (M38O) (M39O) (M44O) (F50O) (M54O) (F54O) (M64O) (F72O) (M79O) | |||||||||||
| 19.1 | 1954-12-05 | 3 | 33°47'N / 86°00'W | 33°55'N / 85°36'W | 24.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 26 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 19.2 | 1964-04-07 | 2 | 34°19'N / 86°05'W | 34°20'N / 86°02'W | 3.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 19.8 | 1973-01-26 | 2 | 34°20'N / 86°04'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |||
| 20.6 | 1973-05-08 | 2 | 34°17'N / 86°17'W | 34°20'N / 86°08'W | 9.20 Miles | 900 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Marshall |
| 20.7 | 1964-04-28 | 2 | 33°46'N / 85°55'W | 33°47'N / 85°51'W | 4.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 20.9 | 2000-12-16 | 2 | 33°47'N / 86°19'W | 33°50'N / 86°12'W | 8.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 175K | 0K | St. Clair |
| Brief Description: In St. Clair County, an F2 tornado track extended from near Cool Springs to south of Ashville to near Gum Springs Church. The total track was 8.5 miles long and about 200 yards wide at its widest point. The tornado began at 220 PM on County Road 31, just west of Cool Springs. The tornado lifted around 231 PM about 3 miles east of Ashville. Four houses sustained significant damage and two mobile homes were annihilated. A baseball park was damaged at the Ashville High School. Two injuries occurred near the beginning of the tornado track near Cool Springs. Beginning: 33 47.292/86 19.737 Ending: 33 50.819/86 12.055 | |||||||||||
| 20.9 | 2001-11-24 | 4 | 33°55'N / 86°26'W | 34°03'N / 86°21'W | 8.30 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 22 | 800K | 0K | Blount |
| Brief Description: The F4 tornado first touched down in the vicinity of the Mt. Carmel Church, south of US 231 on CR 29, where several trees were snapped off. The tornado tracked northeast and produced extensive F2-type damage to homes and trailer homes along Tidwell Road where several injuries occurred. All trees in the neighborhood were snapped mid-trunk. As the tornado crossed US 231, it completely destroyed a frame house with F4 magnitude damage. Large trees around the house were uprooted and snapped at mid-trunk. From there, the tornado continued moving northeast and produced it's worst, F4 magnitude damage, between Robbins Lake and Airport Road. Large trees were completely snapped off at ground level; two tandem-wheel dump trucks were overturned, and moved or rolled 30 yards; several storage containers filled with construction supplies and equipment were rolled up to 50 yards; a large bulldozer was moved 5 feet; a large pole-barn building was completely obliterated. The tornado continued northeast across Robbins Field, then across an unpopulated area, until it entered western Etowah County in the town of Altoona. One church was also destroyed. The tornado affected the south and east sections of Altoona. The tornado descended a steep hill and downed an entire stand of pine trees at mid-trunk. Several homes and trailer-homes were damaged or destroyed, including a well-constructed $250,000 home which was completely destroyed, the third occurrence of F4 magnitude damage. The tornado crossed SR 132, ascending a steep hill, and dissipated. At it's widest point, the tornado was approximately one-quarter mile wide. Debris was scattered several miles past the end of the tornado track. Beg: 33 55.619/86 25.749 End: 34 02.107/86 18.754 | |||||||||||
| 21.6 | 1977-03-30 | 3 | 34°20'N / 86°04'W | 34°23'N / 85°55'W | 9.20 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 22.1 | 1961-12-11 | 3 | 33°48'N / 85°47'W | 33°50'N / 85°45'W | 3.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 22.2 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 34°03'N / 85°49'W | 34°12'N / 85°30'W | 20.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Cherokee |
| 22.4 | 1995-02-16 | 2 | 34°20'N / 86°13'W | 34°24'N / 86°00'W | 12.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 3 | 500K | 1K | Marshall |
| Brief Description: A tornado first touched down about two miles south-southwest of Martling in eastern Marshall County moving toward the east-northeast. The tornado continued on this track primarily across the rural area crossing into DeKalb County at 0531 CST. The tornado moved through the Hopewell community in southwest DeKalb County before ending just south of the Lakeview community at Highway 75. Emergency Management reported that more than 10 homes were destroyed, about 40 homes were damaged, and 30 chicken houses were damaged or demolished. | |||||||||||
| 22.7 | 1977-04-04 | 2 | 33°44'N / 86°09'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | St. Clair | |
| 22.9 | 1957-11-18 | 4 | 33°59'N / 86°31'W | 34°10'N / 86°21'W | 15.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 3 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Blount |
| 23.0 | 1958-04-06 | 3 | 34°16'N / 86°13'W | 34°28'N / 86°05'W | 15.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Marshall |
| 23.3 | 2009-04-19 | 2 | 33°51'N / 86°26'W | 33°54'N / 86°20'W | 6.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 400K | 0K | Blount |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down at the intersection of CR-27 and Jones Chapel Road. It then traveled northeastward and crossed Lake Rd, CR-29, Putman Road, and Hicks Road, before moving into Saint Clair County. Six chicken houses were completely destroyed, killing nearly 100,000 chickens. One home had its second story destroyed, and another home suffered a complete roof collapse. One large industrial barn was destroyed. Two additional homes, several more chicken sheds, and about 9 outbuilding also received varying degrees of damage. About 200 trees were snapped and uprooted. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A powerful spring storm system and associated cold front brought numerous thunderstorms to central Alabama. Many of the storms produced large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. | |||||||||||
| 23.4 | 1973-05-27 | 3 | 33°43'N / 86°33'W | 33°57'N / 86°09'W | 28.10 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | St. Clair |
| 23.8 | 2008-03-15 | 2 | 33°52'N / 86°27'W | 33°54'N / 86°21'W | 6.00 Miles | 675 Yards | 0 | 0 | 960K | 0K | Blount |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down just east of CR-27, about 5 miles south-southeast of Oneonta. It then moved north of River Road, through the Highland Lake community, and across CR-29 near the Appalachian Community. The Appalachian School property sustained damage, but the school was spared any significant damage. The tornado continued northeastward and strengthened as it nearly paralleled CR-12, before lifting just north of the intersection of CR-12 and US-231. Along the entire path, several hundred trees were either snapped off or were uprooted. A few dozen chicken houses were damaged and many were destroyed. Many outbuildings, garages, and sheds were destroyed. At least 25 homes sustained major damage, and another few dozen received minor damage. At least one mobile home was destroyed and a few more were damaged. At least 6 cows and hundreds of chickens were killed by flying debris. In some instances, the roof debris from damaged structures was blown over one half mile downstream. A few feed silos were tipped over and one rolled at least one half mile. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An upper level disturbance, and a developing surface low and associated cold front, caused several rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms across central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 24.4 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°15'N / 85°46'W | 34°20'N / 85°41'W | 8.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 2 | 4 | 300K | 0K | Cherokee |
| Brief Description: The tornado began about 2.7 miles south-southwest of Sand Rock at 3:01 pm moving northeast. The tornado moved across the southern and eastern portions of Sand Rock damaging a number of structures. Two people were killed in a mobile home just east of Sand Rock. The tornado continued northeast moving through mostly open areas with structures damaged and trees downed along the way. The tornado finally dissipated around 3:18 pm about 5.5 miles northeast of Sand Rock. The tornado was rated an F2 with a path length of 8.2 miles and a width of 200 yards. Beginning: 34 12.477/85 47.520 Ending: 34 18.063/85 42.139 | |||||||||||
| 24.6 | 1962-03-21 | 3 | 33°45'N / 85°49'W | 33°45'N / 85°47'W | 2.30 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Etowah |
| 25.1 | 1973-05-08 | 2 | 34°20'N / 86°08'W | 34°29'N / 85°50'W | 19.90 Miles | 900 Yards | 2 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Dekalb |
| 25.2 | 1976-03-20 | 3 | 33°58'N / 86°37'W | 34°07'N / 86°20'W | 19.20 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 11 | 250K | 0 | Blount |
| 25.8 | 2008-03-15 | 2 | 33°58'N / 85°37'W | 33°59'N / 85°34'W | 4.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 75K | 0K | Cherokee |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down near the intersection of CR-6 and CR-31, just west of AL-9, about 5 miles north of Piedmont. From there, it moved just north of due east, across AL-9, and then roughly parallel to CR-10 for about 3 miles, before lifting near Hurricane Creek. Some metal roof paneling was torn off a barn and one-half of a roof was torn off a brick home. Two other homes and another barn also sustained damage. Numerous trees in the area were also snapped or uprooted. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An upper level disturbance, and a developing surface low and associated cold front, caused several rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms across central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 27.2 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°23'N / 85°55'W | 34°27'N / 85°49'W | 7.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0K | Dekalb |
| Brief Description: The tornado first touched down at 2:25 pm along CR 65 southwest of Peaks Corner causing tree damage. The tornado tracked northeast to CR 52 where a small barn was destroyed. As the tornado continued northeastward, several chicken barns received heavy damage, and many trees were snapped off at mid-trunk. A narrow path of damage continued northeast removing the roof from a cinder-block building, knocking down a wall, and moving a small pickup truck several feet. The tornado continued northeast destroying a trailer home, snapping off trees, and damaging more chicken barns along CR 44. The tornado descended a steep hill into the Pine Ridge community damaging a church before it ended. The width of the tornado was approximately 100 yards wide with a track length of 7.1 miles. There were no injuries reported with this tornado. Beg: 34 23.227/85 53.365 End: 34 27.040/85 47.568 | |||||||||||
| 27.3 | 2006-09-22 | 2 | 33°55'N / 86°31'W | 33°57'N / 86°28'W | 4.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 1.5M | 0 | Blount |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down just southwest of the Allgood community, north of Highway 75. The tornado then tracked northeastward, remaining north of Highway 75 the entire time. It dissipated in the city of Oneonta, just north of the Blount County Courthouse near 7th Street. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down along the tornado path. Oneonta High School suffered significant damage to its football field press box, and two concession stands were destroyed. The high school structure also sustained roof damage. The Blount County Courthouse sustained roof damage and many flagpoles were broken down. Several homes and out-buildings received major damage and a local gas station had its canopy blown off. Three people were injured as the tornado moved through, one seriously. | |||||||||||
| 27.5 | 1967-11-22 | 2 | 33°39'N / 85°55'W | 33°41'N / 85°52'W | 3.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 27.7 | 1951-11-16 | 2 | 34°05'N / 86°31'W | 1.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Blount | |
| 27.8 | 1995-02-16 | 3 | 34°15'N / 86°35'W | 34°16'N / 86°19'W | 14.00 Miles | 10 Yards | 6 | 130 | 5.0M | 5K | Cullman And Marshall |
| Brief Description: A tornado began in the extreme northeast part of Cullman County about three miles west of Joppa in a rural area. The tornado travelled east-northeast through Joppa and across Alabama Highway 69 crossing into Marshall County just southwest of Arab at 5:06 am CST. Continuing on an east-northeast track, the tornado crossed the southern side of Arab crossing U.S. Highway 231 at 5:08 am. The tornado moved into increasing rugged terrain as it moved east of Arab, dissipating at the Browns Creek section of Guntersville Lake just north of the Diamond community. Six people were killed in the tornado, five in Marshall County and one in Cullman County. One death occurred in a house and the rest in mobile homes. There were 130 injuries though it is impossible to specify how many occurred in each county. The Joppa area of Cullman County and the Arab area of Marshall County were the most heavily populated areas affected by the tornado with some of the worst damage occurring in these areas. Officials reported that 77 dwellings and six businesses were destroyed in Cullman County while 80 dwellings and six businesses were destroyed in Marshall County. In the city of Arab, there were 30 to 35 homes destroyed or heavily damaged along with 30 to 35 mobile homes. A pregnant woman severely injured in her mobile home in the tornado was sent into labor early, but the baby died at birth. F04H, M49M, M36M, F70M, F88M, M0M | |||||||||||
| 28.1 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 33°42'N / 86°24'W | 33°45'N / 86°16'W | 8.40 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | St. Clair |
| 28.3 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | 34°07'N / 85°38'W | 34°09'N / 85°28'W | 10.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 1 | 4 | 1.2M | 0K | Cherokee |
| Brief Description: The Centre Tornado touched down near Highway 411, just to the east of the Cherokee Country Club. It then traveled northeast, crossed over Cowan Creek, and damaged houses along County Road 40 at approximately 1122 pm CST. The tornado continued its northeastward movement and crossed over County Road 16 at approximately 1125 pm CST. One death was reported in a mobile home at the point where the tornado crossed over County Road 16. From this point, the tornado crossed County Road 31, damaging more homes before moving over Spring Creek. The tornado turned more to the east-northeast, damaging even more homes, before finally lifting near the eastern end of Weiss Lake near Mud Creek. The Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency estimates that 88 homes were either damaged or destroyed as this tornado moved across the county. In addition to the one fatality, there were also 4 injuries reported. The tornado was on the ground from 1120 pm CST to approximately 1132 pm CST. It had a path 10.5 miles long, and at its widest point was 440 yards wide. Beg: 34 07.176/85 38.020 End: 34 10.010/85 27.928 F72MH | |||||||||||
| 28.8 | 1975-01-10 | 3 | 33°33'N / 86°19'W | 33°46'N / 86°07'W | 18.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 60 | 2.5M | 0 | St. Clair |
| 29.1 | 1994-03-27 | 4 | 34°26'N / 85°59'W | 34°28'N / 85°47'W | 23.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 20 | 5.0M | 0 | Dekalb |
| Brief Description: A tornado struck near the Grove Oak area in the western sections of Dekalb County moving northeast through the towns of Rainsville, Sylvania, and Henager. In the path of the tornado, Emergency Management personnel reported 16 homes and 13 mobile homes completely destroyed, 45 homes and two mobile homes with major damage, and 21 homes and nine mobile home with minor damage. Two businesses and 12 poultry houses were destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 30.0 | 1977-04-04 | 2 | 33°46'N / 86°28'W | 33°47'N / 86°25'W | 3.30 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | St. Clair |
| 30.0 | 1976-03-29 | 2 | 33°37'N / 85°58'W | 1.00 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun | |
| 30.3 | 2000-04-02 | 2 | 33°54'N / 85°33'W | 33°55'N / 85°31'W | 1.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 6 | 300K | 0K | Calhoun |
| Brief Description: F90MH The tornado began at 12:34 am just south of Vigo at the end of Helen Drive. Vigo is located east of Piedmont, AL. The tornado traveled on a northeast track crossing Bethel Church Road and continuing along Vigo Road (County Road 70). The tornado straddled the road moving up a hill and crossing a few hundred feet into Cleburne County. Damage in Cleburne County was confined to downed trees. The tornado path was 1.9 miles long and approximately 100 yards wide. Most of the property that was damaged or destroyed was located in the area of Helen Drive and Bethel Church Road. Six mobile homes were destroyed along with two houses, one of which was under construction. One elderly woman was killed and six people were injured in that area. The woman was one of three people in a mobile home whose frame was thrown approximately 130 feet by the force of the tornado. Beginning: 33 54.855/85 33.720 End: 33 55.293/85 31.752 | |||||||||||
| 30.5 | 1967-03-06 | 2 | 33°38'N / 85°51'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun | |||
| 30.5 | 2004-11-24 | 2 | 33°35'N / 86°00'W | 33°39'N / 85°50'W | 10.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 1 | 0 | 85K | 0 | Calhoun |
| Brief Description: F75MH The tornado touched down in the vicinity of the Talladega Superspeedway. Two concession stands within the infield area of the race track had their roofs blown off. The Bush Garage area received building damage and the garage doors were bowed out. Debris was scattered between the garage area and Victory Lane. One digital leader board was completely destroyed and another one sustained major damage. The tornado continued on a northeast path across northern Talladega County. Numerous trees were blown down or snapped off along the path. Several out-building were destroyed and sheet metal was lofted into trees. The tornado moved into the Eastaboga area where it caused severe damage. Two homes suffered major roof damage, two porches were destroyed and many trees were blown down. The tornado continued northeastward into southwest Calhoun County. In Bynum, two mobile homes were heavily damaged by fallen trees. One of the trees smashed a mobile home killing a 75 year old woman around 712 am. In the Coldwater area, one home was significantly damaged and a shed was destroyed. Numerous trees were still being knocked down along the path. The tornado then moved into the southwestern part of Anniston. A cinder block building sustained major structural damage and an animal shelter received major roof damage. Several other businesses sustained damage near Anniston. The total tornado damage path length was 15.2 miles and was 500 yards wide at its widest point. Begin: 33 34.19/86 04.42 End: 33 38.94/85 49.68 | |||||||||||
| 30.9 | 2004-11-24 | 2 | 33°35'N / 86°04'W | 33°37'N / 86°00'W | 4.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 125K | 0 | Talladega |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down in the vicinity of the Talladega Superspeedway. Two concession stands within the infield area of the race track had their roofs blown off. The Bush Garage area received building damage and the garage doors were bowed out. Debris was scattered between the garage area and Victory Lane. One digital leader board was completely destroyed and another one sustained major damage. The tornado continued on a northeast path across northern Talladega County. Numerous trees were blown down or snapped off along the path. Several out-building were destroyed and sheet metal was lofted into trees. The tornado moved into the Eastaboga area where it caused severe damage. Two homes suffered major roof damage, two porches were destroyed and many trees were blown down. The tornado continued northeastward into southwest Calhoun County. In Bynum, two mobile homes were heavily damaged by fallen trees. One of the trees smashed a mobile home killing a 75 year old woman around 712 am. In the Coldwater area, one home was significantly damaged and a shed was destroyed. Numerous trees were still being knocked down along the path. The tornado then moved into the southwestern part of Anniston. A cinder block building sustained major structural damage and an animal shelter received major roof damage. Several other businesses sustained damage near Anniston. The total tornado damage path length was 15.2 miles and was 500 yards wide at its widest point. Begin: 33 34.19/86 04.42 End: 33 38.94/85 49.68 | |||||||||||
| 31.3 | 1964-04-28 | 3 | 33°36'N / 86°07'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Talladega | |||
| 31.3 | 1964-07-09 | 2 | 33°36'N / 86°07'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Talladega | |||
| 31.3 | 2000-04-02 | 2 | 33°54'N / 85°31'W | 33°54'N / 85°31'W | 0.20 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Cleburne |
| Brief Description: The tornado began at 12:34 am just south of Vigo at the end of Helen Drive. Vigo is located east of Piedmont, AL. The tornado traveled on a northeast track crossing Bethel Church Road and continuing along Vigo Road (County Road 70). The tornado straddled the road moving up a hill and crossing a few hundred feet into Cleburne County. Damage in Cleburne County was confined to downed trees. The tornado path was 1.9 miles long and approximately 100 yards wide. Most of the property that was damaged or destroyed was located in the area of Helen Drive and Bethel Church Road. Six mobile homes were destroyed along with two houses, one of which was under construction. One elderly woman was killed and six people were injured in that area. The woman was one of three people in a mobile home whose frame was thrown approximately 130 feet by the force of the tornado. Beginning: 33 54.855/85 33.720 End: 33 55.293/85 31.752 | |||||||||||
| 31.6 | 1982-01-03 | 2 | 34°21'N / 86°27'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |
| 31.7 | 2009-04-10 | 3 | 34°29'N / 86°15'W | 34°30'N / 86°06'W | 9.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 5 | 0K | 0K | Marshall |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down approximately 2.5 miles south southeast of Grant along Campbell Mill Road. A few houses sustained minor roof damage on the southeast side of Grant. At least two mobile homes sustained major damage from falling trees. The tornado continued east crossing Old Union Road, Columbus City Road, and Cardessa Lane before descending into the Tennessee River Valley. The tornado crossed Highway 79 at approximately 307 PM CDT at the Baker Mountain Road intersection. At this point the damage path width was just below a half of a mile wide. One woman was injured when a tree fell on her car near the Waterfront Grocery store. Several houses sustained substantial damage on the east side of Highway 79 and many trees were snapped and uprooted. The roof was blown off of one home and a brick wall collapsed. The tornado crossed a small inlet onto the south side of Preston Island, wiping out several boat docks and boat houses. Several homes sustained significant damage on the island from falling trees. At least two wood homes had complete roof collapse and partial wall collapse. The tornado crossed Lake Guntersville into the South Sauty community. At least one person was injured in this area when he was caught outside during the tornado. At this point, the damage path width increased to at least a half a mile wide. Several well built homes were damaged by falling trees along Memonminee Road. At least 20 boat houses were destroyed in the community. Along Chilcotin Road a well constructed two story brick house lost its roof. Also falling trees damaged several camper trailers. One trailer was blown into Lake Guntersville. Thousands of trees were uprooted or snapped along the path of the tornado in Marshall county. The tornado crossed the CR 67 causeway and very shortly after moved into Jackson county. On CR 67, tornadic winds damaged the shoulder of the roadway as it crossed. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong upper level storm moving across the Mississipi Valley brought a dry line and cold front into north Alabama during the afternoon and early evening hours. Several classic supercell thunderstorms developed by early afternoon in northwest Alabama, sweeping across the remainder of north Alabama during mid to late afternoon hours. Many of the storms produced very large hail, up to baseball and softball sized, producing significant damage, especially from Decatur through Madison and northwest Huntsville. One of the supercells produced a long track tornado producing damage of up to EF-3 intensity which struck northeastern Marshall County, crossed Lake Guntersville, and moved into southern DeKalb County. | |||||||||||
| 32.0 | 1957-04-08 | 3 | 34°18'N / 86°36'W | 34°23'N / 86°20'W | 16.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman |
| 32.0 | 1986-03-12 | 2 | 34°19'N / 86°30'W | 34°23'N / 86°25'W | 6.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Marshall |
| 32.0 | 1997-04-22 | 2 | 34°28'N / 85°54'W | 34°31'N / 85°51'W | 5.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 10 | 2.2M | 10K | Dekalb |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado tracked from southwest to northeast across the center of Rainsville. The tornado began at 3:53 pm CDT three miles southwest of Rainsville just south of the intersection of County Roads 92 and 72. The tornado moved northeastward directly through the downtown section of Rainsville at the intersection of State Highways 75 and 35. Damage was severe to a number of buildings including the Rainsville police and fire department station and a number of commercial buildings. The tornado continued northeast crossing Dilbeck and Marshall Roads before ending about two miles northeast of Rainsville on the east side of Marshall Road. The tornado severely damaged a large poultry raising facility and debris from the chicken houses was blown over half a mile further to the northeast. The tornado had dissipated by 4:01 pm CDT. At the Rainsville police station, eleven of 12 police cars were either damaged or destroyed and several of the city's fire trucks were damaged. Five of the 10 people injured were hospitalized according to emergency management officials. Damage assessment indicated that 63 homes and/or apartments were damaged or destroyed along with 34 businesses. The tornado path was five miles in length and about 220 yards wide at the widest. | |||||||||||
| 32.1 | 1986-03-12 | 2 | 34°18'N / 86°30'W | 34°19'N / 86°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cullman |
| 32.3 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 33°41'N / 86°30'W | 33°46'N / 86°23'W | 10.10 Miles | 125 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 0K | St. Clair |
| Brief Description: A tornado began weakly on the east side of the Cahaba River in Trussville and damaged a dugout and fencing at the Trussville Sports Complex. The tornado downed trees as it moved northeastward crossing Deerfoot Parkway near the intersection of Interstate 59 in Trussville at 1:31 pm. The tornado followed along Interstate 59 for a short distance downing trees and causing damage to houses especially on the east side of the Interstate. The tornado crossed into St. Clair County at Argo at approximately 1:36 pm. The tornado continued on a northeast track moving primarily through rural settings with property damage along the way including a number of houses and mobile homes. The tornado ended about 5.5 miles east of Springville around 1:52 pm. The tornado was rated an F2 and was on the ground for 16 miles with a width of about 125 yards. Only one injury was reported at Argo with this tornado. Beg: 33 37.990/86 35.939 End: 33 46.089/86 22.720 | |||||||||||
| 32.4 | 2009-04-10 | 3 | 34°30'N / 86°06'W | 34°32'N / 85°55'W | 14.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Jackson |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Just east of CR 67, this tornado continued east northeast from Marshall county and into southern Jackson county. Several homes were destroyed in the Macedonia community along with numerous large trees uprooted and snapped. Three TVA high voltage powerline towers also collapsed. As the tornado approached Powell, a double wide manufactured home was shifted off its foundation with total roof collapse and complete destruction to the front of the home. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong upper level storm moving across the Mississipi Valley brought a dry line and cold front into north Alabama during the afternoon and early evening hours. Several classic supercell thunderstorms developed by early afternoon in northwest Alabama, sweeping across the remainder of north Alabama during mid to late afternoon hours. Many of the storms produced very large hail, up to baseball and softball sized, producing significant damage, especially from Decatur through Madison and northwest Huntsville. One of the supercells produced a long track tornado producing damage of up to EF-3 intensity which struck northeastern Marshall County, crossed Lake Guntersville, and moved into southern DeKalb County. | |||||||||||
| 32.4 | 1972-06-27 | 2 | 34°19'N / 86°30'W | 0.30 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |
| 32.8 | 1983-12-03 | 3 | 33°35'N / 85°50'W | 33°38'N / 85°48'W | 4.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 2 | 51 | 2.5M | 0 | Calhoun |
| 33.0 | 1958-04-06 | 3 | 34°28'N / 86°05'W | 34°35'N / 85°59'W | 9.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 33.4 | 1985-04-05 | 2 | 33°35'N / 85°51'W | 33°36'N / 85°50'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 33.5 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 33°35'N / 86°17'W | 33°37'N / 86°14'W | 4.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 500K | 0K | St. Clair |
| Brief Description: A tornado rated an F2 began weakly on the west-southwest side of Pell City just behind the school at 3:10 pm. The tornado traveled on an east-northeast path downing a communication tower at the EMA/911 office and doing minor roof damage. The storm then crossed over downtown Pell City where a number of buildings sustained light to moderate roof damage along with awnings damaged and some windows broken. The tornado crossed US 231 and became very weak, possibly lifting for a little more than a mile, before slamming into a number of buildings in an industrial park. Some of the greatest destruction was done here. The tornado crossed Interstate 20 and ended after damaging a couple of houses on Sprayberry Road at approximately 3:17 pm. The tornado path was 4.5 miles long and approximately 100 yards wide at the widest. No deaths occurred in this tornado but there were two injuries, both classified as minor. Beginning: 33 34.926/86 17.647 Ending: 33 37.039/86 14.029 | |||||||||||
| 34.0 | 1985-04-05 | 2 | 33°34'N / 85°53'W | 33°35'N / 85°51'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Talladega |
| 34.3 | 1977-03-30 | 2 | 34°27'N / 85°41'W | 2.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Dekalb | |
| 34.3 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 34°18'N / 86°37'W | 34°35'N / 86°11'W | 31.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Marshall |
| 34.3 | 1996-09-28 | 2 | 34°30'N / 86°15'W | 34°32'N / 86°13'W | 2.50 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 50K | Marshall |
| Brief Description: Around 1:50 am CDT a small but briefly strong tornado struck in northern Marshall County just southeast and east of Grant. The tornado path began about 2.5 miles south-southeast of Grant just off County Road 503 and extended in a northeastward direction for 2.5 miles. The damage path ended 3 miles east of Grant and just south of County Road 34. Total path length was 2.5 miles. Marshall County Emergency Management Agency reported that four houses were destroyed and five homes and four house trailers sustained damage. Six greenhouses were also totally wrecked. Fortunately, many of the destroyed houses were unoccupied at the time of the tornado with occupants away for the weekend. | |||||||||||
| 34.4 | 1957-04-08 | 3 | 34°27'N / 86°25'W | 34°28'N / 86°20'W | 5.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Marshall |
| 34.9 | 1998-04-08 | 2 | 33°37'N / 86°29'W | 33°38'N / 86°15'W | 14.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 2 | 12 | 2.0M | 5K | St. Clair |
| Brief Description: The tornado began 2.3 miles north-northeast of Moody and just west of US 411. The tornado crossed US 411 where a large church and associated buildings, some recently constructed were destroyed. The tornado traveled on an east-northeast track moving through relatively rural areas. It affected a portion of CR 174 and then crossed US 231 just south of Wattsville. The tornado damaged a number of buildings in the Coal City area including a mobile home where two people were killed and three children were injured. The tornado ended in an open area just east of Coal City. Emergency Management for St. Clair County reported that 26 homes were destroyed, 30 homes suffered major damage, and 59 sustained minor damage. This included 42 mobile homes. M29MH, F33MH | |||||||||||
| 35.0 | 1974-04-01 | 2 | 33°53'N / 86°46'W | 33°57'N / 86°29'W | 16.90 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 11 | 250K | 0 | Blount |
| 35.2 | 2006-09-22 | 2 | 33°53'N / 86°37'W | 33°53'N / 86°37'W | 0.30 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Blount |
| Brief Description: The tornado briefly touched down just south of Locust Fork, along Spunky Hollow Road near Azzilee Circle. A substantial workshop structure collapsed due to wall failure, as the entire roof was removed and pushed off. A home under construction was completely destroyed, and several other homes suffered roof and shingle damage. Several trees were knocked down along the path. | |||||||||||
| 35.3 | 1983-11-15 | 2 | 33°49'N / 86°35'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Blount | |
| 35.3 | 1961-03-07 | 3 | 34°20'N / 86°35'W | 34°24'N / 86°27'W | 8.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Marshall |
| 35.4 | 1973-05-19 | 4 | 34°28'N / 85°45'W | 34°30'N / 85°40'W | 5.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 19 | 2.5M | 0 | Dekalb |
| 35.8 | 2009-04-10 | 3 | 34°32'N / 85°55'W | 34°33'N / 85°46'W | 10.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Dekalb |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This destructive tornado continued to move east northeast from Jackson county into Dekalb county. Just on the east side of Highway 35, a large metal industrial building that was securely anchored into the ground was completely destroyed. In Sylvania, significant damage occurred to several homes in the Stonebrook division. One home was completely lifted off its foundation and driven nearly 4 feet into the ground. Sporadic damage continued just to the east of Sylvania until the tornado apparently lifted between 335 and 340 PM CDT, just south of the Mahan Crossroads community in west central Dekalb county. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong upper level storm moving across the Mississipi Valley brought a dry line and cold front into north Alabama during the afternoon and early evening hours. Several classic supercell thunderstorms developed by early afternoon in northwest Alabama, sweeping across the remainder of north Alabama during mid to late afternoon hours. Many of the storms produced very large hail, up to baseball and softball sized, producing significant damage, especially from Decatur through Madison and northwest Huntsville. One of the supercells produced a long track tornado producing damage of up to EF-3 intensity which struck northeastern Marshall County, crossed Lake Guntersville, and moved into southern DeKalb County. | |||||||||||
| 36.1 | 1986-03-19 | 2 | 33°49'N / 86°36'W | 0.20 Mile | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Blount | |
| 36.1 | 1999-02-27 | 2 | 33°56'N / 86°39'W | 33°56'N / 86°39'W | 0.40 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 85K | 2K | Blount |
| Brief Description: A brief tornado occurred about 3.5 miles northwest of Locust Fork around 7:15 pm. The tornado crossed County Road 13 moving in a northerly direction. Two large metal barns were demolished, a sturdy brick home lost a portion of its roof, and a small wood frame house was completely deroofed. One minor injury occurred in the wood frame house. Several large hay bales were strewn across CR 13 and two vehicles were nearly blown off the road. Numerous trees in the area were uprooted or snapped off. | |||||||||||
| 36.1 | 1983-05-19 | 3 | 34°29'N / 85°41'W | 1.20 Miles | 473 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Dekalb | |
| 36.6 | 1965-11-27 | 2 | 33°36'N / 86°30'W | 33°36'N / 86°15'W | 14.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | St. Clair |
| 37.9 | 1977-04-04 | 2 | 34°33'N / 85°59'W | 34°38'N / 85°55'W | 6.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 37.9 | 1963-04-29 | 2 | 33°30'N / 86°05'W | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Talladega | |||
| 38.1 | 1952-02-29 | 3 | 34°30'N / 85°42'W | 34°32'N / 85°40'W | 3.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 12 | 0K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 38.1 | 1976-03-20 | 3 | 34°13'N / 86°44'W | 34°16'N / 86°35'W | 9.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 17 | 2.5M | 0 | Cullman |
| 38.8 | 1971-03-06 | 2 | 33°41'N / 86°36'W | 33°43'N / 86°32'W | 4.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 38.9 | 2008-08-25 | 2 | 33°34'N / 85°40'W | 33°35'N / 85°40'W | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0K | Cleburne | ||
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down on US-431, about a half mile south of the intersection with AL-281. It then moved northwestward, along and just east of US-431, and lifted just before reaching AL-281. One gas station/convenience store and one auto body shop were significantly damaged. Approximately 100 to 200 trees were snapped off or were uprooted along the damage path. This tornado was associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Tropical Storm Fay, and its remnants after landfall, brought high winds, heavy rain, and numerous tornadoes to Central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 39.0 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 34°36'N / 85°59'W | 34°37'N / 85°55'W | 4.30 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 39.1 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°27'N / 86°31'W | 34°27'N / 86°31'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 7 | 400K | 0K | Marshall |
| Brief Description: A supercell thunderstorm produced a tornado in the Union Grove area. The tornado began at 1:41 pm, 5.3 miles northwest of Union Grove, near Shumate Mountain. The tornado moved northeast crossing CR 240 and ending at 1:44 pm near the base of Benton Round Mountain. The heaviest damage occurred southwest of CR 240. Ten to 15 mobile homes were destroyed, 5 homes suffered varying degrees of damage, several outbuildings and barns were destroyed, an ultra-lite hangar was destroyed, 2 hunting cabins were destroyed, and 7 people received minor injuries. Beg: 34 26.213/86 31.892 End: 34 27.381/86 30.407 | |||||||||||
| 39.3 | 1973-05-19 | 2 | 34°36'N / 85°47'W | 34°33'N / 85°46'W | 3.60 Miles | 900 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 39.4 | 2006-09-22 | 2 | 33°50'N / 86°41'W | 33°51'N / 86°40'W | 1.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 75K | 0 | Blount |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down briefly between the Lehigh Community and AL-79. One mobile home and one barn were completely destroyed. Two automobiles and one motorcycle were lifted from inside a barn and thrown at least 50 yards. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down along its damage path. | |||||||||||
| 39.4 | 1961-03-07 | 3 | 34°15'N / 86°44'W | 34°20'N / 86°35'W | 10.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman |
| 39.5 | 1951-11-15 | 2 | 34°12'N / 86°42'W | 0 | 2 | 3K | 0 | Cullman | |||
| 39.5 | 1963-03-11 | 4 | 33°54'N / 86°54'W | 34°11'N / 86°33'W | 28.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 2 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Cullman |
| 39.6 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 33°39'N / 86°34'W | 33°41'N / 86°32'W | 5.90 Miles | 125 Yards | 0 | 1 | 200K | 0K | Jefferson |
| Brief Description: A tornado began weakly on the east side of the Cahaba River in Trussville and damaged a dugout and fencing at the Trussville Sports Complex. The tornado downed trees as it moved northeastward crossing Deerfoot Parkway near the intersection of Interstate 59 in Trussville at 1:31 pm. The tornado followed along Interstate 59 for a short distance downing trees and causing damage to houses especially on the east side of the Interstate. The tornado crossed into St. Clair County at Argo at approximately 1:36 pm. The tornado continued on a northeast track moving primarily through rural settings with property damage along the way including a number of houses and mobile homes. The tornado ended about 5.5 miles east of Springville around 1:52 pm. The tornado was rated an F2 and was on the ground for 16 miles with a width of about 125 yards. Only one injury was reported at Argo with this tornado. Beg: 33 37.990/86 35.939 End: 33 46.089/86 22.720 | |||||||||||
| 39.6 | 1977-04-04 | 2 | 34°04'N / 86°46'W | 34°07'N / 86°41'W | 5.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Cullman |
| 40.2 | 1973-05-27 | 4 | 33°27'N / 85°54'W | 33°32'N / 85°45'W | 10.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Clay |
| 40.3 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 34°32'N / 86°24'W | 34°36'N / 86°19'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Madison |
| 40.3 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°30'N / 86°27'W | 34°33'N / 86°26'W | 2.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0K | Madison |
| Brief Description: The same storm that spawned the Union Grove Tornado moved northeast across the Tennessee River and produced another tornado in southeastern Madison County. This tornado, rated an F2 on the Fujita scale, touched down around 1:50 pm about 3.6 miles west-southwest of the city of New Hope near the base of Lemley Mountain where it downed trees and produced light damage to some homes. The tornado then strengthened as it moved northeast through a mobile home community where several mobile homes were thrown and demolished. After crossing US 431 and damaging several businesses, the tornado lifted about three-quarters of a mile northeast of the US 431/Old US 431 intersection around 1:54 pm. Despite damage to at least 21 homes, including eight that were completely demolished, there were no known injuries. In the mobile home community where the greatest damage occurred, residents stated they heard the Tornado Warning on televison and through NOAA Weather Radio and took cover in underground storm shelters. Beg: 34 31.445/86 26.951 End: 34 33.250/86 25.254 | |||||||||||
| 40.5 | 1959-01-21 | 2 | 34°15'N / 86°42'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cullman | |
| 40.8 | 2000-04-03 | 2 | 33°58'N / 85°23'W | 34°00'N / 85°16'W | 6.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 6 | 1.0M | 0 | Polk |
| Brief Description: Survey of damage by NWS personnel indicated that an F1 - F2 tornado, 50 - 100 yards wide, touched down in the Potash community at approximately 2:00 am EDT near Harmony Road. The tornado traveled approximately 6 miles with the terminating point just southwest of Cedartown. The tornado snapped off and uprooted several trees at its touchdown point on Harmony Road and caused a poultry house to lean as well as blowing off some of its tin roof. Next, a house on Blair Road was severely damaged and numerous trees were felled. Further downstream, several mobile homes and numerous trees were hit on Branch Road, Cornelius Road, and Highway 278 between Cornelius Road and Berry Road. The most severe damage was on Berry Road where two mobile homes were totally destroyed and 3 people seriously injured. The Polk county EMA director reported that a total a 6 people were injured, 2 seriously, and a total of 20 homes were destroyed or damaged. In addition, a roof was blown off a fruit/vegetable stand on Highway 27 south of Cedartown, but this did not appear to be related to the tornado. In excess of 1 million dollars damage was caused by the tornado. | |||||||||||
| 40.9 | 1989-11-15 | 2 | 34°15'N / 85°27'W | 34°22'N / 85°20'W | 8.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Floyd |
| 41.1 | 1973-05-19 | 2 | 34°40'N / 86°02'W | 34°36'N / 85°47'W | 14.90 Miles | 900 Yards | 0 | 9 | 2.5M | 0 | Jackson |
| 41.5 | 1983-11-15 | 3 | 34°06'N / 86°52'W | 34°16'N / 86°37'W | 17.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 19 | 2.5M | 0 | Cullman |
| 41.6 | 1982-01-03 | 2 | 34°13'N / 86°44'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman | |
| 41.9 | 1983-02-22 | 2 | 34°04'N / 86°46'W | 1.50 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman | |
| 42.4 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°32'N / 85°41'W | 33°34'N / 85°31'W | 8.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cleburne |
| 42.6 | 1953-01-08 | 2 | 33°25'N / 86°07'W | 33°27'N / 86°05'W | 3.00 Miles | 867 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Talladega |
| 42.6 | 2010-10-25 | 2 | 34°37'N / 85°51'W | 34°39'N / 85°45'W | 6.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 150K | 0K | Jackson |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF-2 tornado with peak winds up to 115 mph touched down along Highway 40 just east of Highway 71. Significant damage occurred at highway 40 and County Road 22. A couple of sheds were destroyed and numerous large trees were snapped and uprooted. A single-wide manufactured home was lifted 4 to 6 feet off its foundation along County Road 382 north of Highway 40. Additional damage occurred along County Road 134 before the tornado crossed into DeKalb County. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) produced three tornadoes in northeast Alabama, including one EF-2 which tracked through portions of Jackson and DeKalb Counties. Severe weather began as early as late evening on the 24th and lasted through the pre-dawn hours on the 25th. Two people were also injured by lightning in Colbert County. | |||||||||||
| 42.7 | 1985-04-05 | 3 | 34°16'N / 86°45'W | 34°18'N / 86°42'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman |
| 43.6 | 1964-04-28 | 3 | 33°44'N / 85°25'W | 33°44'N / 85°20'W | 5.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 8 | 25K | 0 | Cleburne |
| 43.6 | 1967-05-07 | 2 | 33°24'N / 86°06'W | 33°26'N / 86°01'W | 5.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Talladega |
| 43.9 | 1985-08-16 | 2 | 33°58'N / 86°53'W | 34°03'N / 86°43'W | 10.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman |
| 44.0 | 1973-05-27 | 3 | 33°34'N / 86°42'W | 33°43'N / 86°33'W | 13.50 Miles | 800 Yards | 1 | 44 | 25.0M | 0 | Jefferson |
| 44.5 | 1957-04-08 | 3 | 34°19'N / 86°59'W | 34°27'N / 86°25'W | 33.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 2 | 90 | 0K | 0 | Morgan |
| 44.7 | 1985-08-16 | 3 | 34°04'N / 86°50'W | 34°21'N / 86°45'W | 18.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Cullman |
| 45.4 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°26'N / 85°44'W | 33°29'N / 85°38'W | 7.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Clay |
| 45.6 | 1978-04-18 | 2 | 33°56'N / 85°17'W | 33°56'N / 85°13'W | 4.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Polk |
| 45.6 | 1964-04-07 | 2 | 34°15'N / 86°45'W | 34°16'N / 86°50'W | 5.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman |
| 46.3 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°29'N / 85°38'W | 33°30'N / 85°32'W | 6.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Randolph |
| 46.4 | 1970-06-21 | 2 | 34°06'N / 86°52'W | 34°08'N / 86°49'W | 3.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman |
| 46.4 | 1973-11-27 | 2 | 34°19'N / 86°49'W | 34°20'N / 86°44'W | 5.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Morgan |
| 46.6 | 1988-01-19 | 3 | 34°07'N / 86°54'W | 34°15'N / 86°46'W | 10.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 35 | 25.0M | 0 | Cullman |
| 46.9 | 1985-08-16 | 3 | 34°21'N / 86°45'W | 34°30'N / 86°41'W | 14.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Morgan |
| 47.0 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 33°33'N / 85°28'W | 33°40'N / 85°21'W | 10.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cleburne |
| 47.1 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 33°59'N / 87°07'W | 34°09'N / 86°36'W | 30.90 Miles | 1175 Yards | 0 | 8 | 1.3M | 0K | Cullman |
| 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 | |||||||||||
| 47.6 | 1977-07-08 | 2 | 33°49'N / 86°49'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 48.3 | 2008-02-06 | 4 | 34°40'N / 85°50'W | 34°45'N / 85°41'W | 11.00 Miles | 660 Yards | 1 | 12 | 0K | 0K | Jackson |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Representatives from the National Weather Service and the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency conducted a storm survey of damage that occurred in Jackson County, Alabama early in the morning of February 6, 2008. The damage was determined to originate from a strong tornado, which at its peak had winds of at least 180 MPH, giving it a rating of EF-4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The most significant damage occurred at the corner of County Road 60 and 177, between the Rosalie and Pisgah communities in eastern Jackson County. This is also approximately the location where one fatality occurred. Trees along the tornado path were snapped and in some cases shredded, several houses were swept from their foundations, and a large section of a chicken house collapsed. Several large hay bales (weighing 2,500 pounds) were blown apart or tossed around. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The WFO Huntsville County Warning Area experienced the worst tornado outbreak in 19 years on February 6, 2008. While the number of observed tornadoes was low (4), the area experienced two EF-4 tornadoes, the first time the area has witnessed more than one devastating tornado on the same day since 1974. This event was part of a large tornado outbreak which spanned both February 5th (Super Tuesday) and 6th (Wednesday). A series of tornadic supercell thunderstorms swept across the Mid-South and Southeast states ahead of a potent cold front. | |||||||||||
| 48.4 | 1965-04-15 | 3 | 34°42'N / 85°45'W | 34°42'N / 85°42'W | 3.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 48.5 | 2008-12-10 | 2 | 34°44'N / 86°04'W | 34°46'N / 86°00'W | 4.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 0K | Jackson |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado struck portions of central Jackson county around 1 AM CST Wednesday morning. This tornado initially snapped several cedar trees near county road 21, before toppling three TVA high voltage power line towers near Pikeville Alabama. It then rapidly proceeded northeast snapping trees, collapsing several barns, and ripping off roofs before lifting near the end of county road 34. According to Jackson County Emergency Management, the tornado and adjacent straight-line winds were to blame for up to twenty homes being damaged. Three mobile homes were destroyed and seven more were damaged. Nine barns were destroyed and three were damaged. The maximum wind speed with this tornado was estimated at 125 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A warm front pushed northeast from Mississippi into northern Alabama producing widespread rainfall during the afternoon of the 9th. A squall line then produced another round of heavy rainfall, along with several small bow echoes. One of these stronger bow echoes resulted in an EF-2 tornado in Jackson County after midnight on the 10th. Widespread rain amounts of 3 to 5 inches, locally near 6 inches, fell in Madison, Limestone, Morgan, and Lawrence counties resulting in widespread river and local flash flooding. | |||||||||||
| 48.8 | 1973-05-27 | 4 | 33°15'N / 86°27'W | 33°27'N / 85°54'W | 34.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 17 | 25.0M | 0 | Talladega |
| 48.9 | 2009-04-10 | 2 | 34°29'N / 85°22'W | 34°29'N / 85°21'W | 0 | 0 | 900K | 0K | Chattooga | ||
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that a brief EF2 tornado had touched down approximately one mile southeast of Summerville and tracked less than one mile almost due east. The tornado was determined to have a maximum path width of 200 yards with maximum winds estimated to be 120 mph. Considerable damage was noted in the Summerville area. Over 30 homes were damaged along with 10 businesses. Most of the damage to these structures was determined to be minor. The majority of the damage occurred on Commerce Street. The brick wall of a car care center collapsed, the roof was shifted and lifted from a lumber warehouse, and windows were blown out of a barbecue restaurant. All of these events occurred on Commerce Street. At the intersection of Cleghorn and Scoggin Streets nearby, a single-wide mobile home was completely destroyed. Although the mobile home was anchored, the metal frame was ripped from the foundation and the home was tossed on its side. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A vigorous upper closed low was moving from the mid-south and Mississippi valley region into the mid-Atlantic and southeast U.S. A strong cold front accompanied the upper system. A strong low-level jet in advance of these weather systems transported warm, moist Gulf air northward into the region. With strong dynamics, hence shear, combined with an unusually moist, unstable atmosphere, the atmosphere was primed for a major weather outbreak. One round of thunderstorms passed through north Georgia during the early morning hours. A few minor severe weather events accompanied this system in northwest Georgia. Partial clearing followed the morning convection, allowing temperatures to soar into the mid 70s across much of north and central Georgia in advance of the main weather system. Scattered to numerous discrete supercell thunderstorms developed during mid-afternoon in northwest Georgia and progressed east and southeast across the remaining portions of the county warning area during the evening hours. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes lingered into the early morning hours of the 11th across the southern counties of central Georgia. During the eight hour period from 5 pm EDT on April 10th to 1 am EDT on April 11th, a total of 14 tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down in north and central Georgia causing millions in damages. While some injuries were observed, no deaths were observed. | |||||||||||
| 49.3 | 1976-08-15 | 2 | 33°45'N / 86°49'W | 0.50 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 49.5 | 1989-03-05 | 2 | 33°16'N / 86°22'W | 33°26'N / 86°06'W | 20.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Talladega |
| 49.6 | 2010-10-25 | 2 | 34°39'N / 85°45'W | 34°44'N / 85°33'W | 10.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0K | Dekalb |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF-2 tornado with peak winds up to 115 mph continued it's track from Jackson into DeKalb County producing it's worst damage near the intersection of County Road 134 and 131. At this location, a cinder-block foundation shed was completely destroyed. The tornado continued northeast lifting much of a roof and portions of a brick exterior of a home along County Roady 886. It also destroyed a 20 by 20 foot shed. As the tornado moved into the town of Ider, it destroyed the bleachers and scoreboard at the Ider High School football field. The bleachers were solid concrete and were reinforced with 1/2 inch thick rebar. Additional damage was observed along Highway 75 as the tornado tracked into Dade County, Georgia. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) produced three tornadoes in northeast Alabama, including one EF-2 which tracked through portions of Jackson and DeKalb Counties. Severe weather began as early as late evening on the 24th and lasted through the pre-dawn hours on the 25th. Two people were also injured by lightning in Colbert County. | |||||||||||
| 49.9 | 1957-11-18 | 2 | 33°36'N / 86°48'W | 33°38'N / 86°40'W | 8.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 35 | 2.5M | 0 | Jefferson |
* 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.