Fort Payne City School District Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Fort Payne City School District is about the same as Alabama average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Fort Payne City School District is about the same as Alabama average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #35
| Fort Payne City School District | 0.07 |
| 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
| Fort Payne City School District | 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, #66
| Fort Payne City School District | 256.24 |
| 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 3,177 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Fort Payne City School District 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: | 1 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 3 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 197 | Hail: | 1,038 | Heat: | 0 | Heavy Snow: | 14 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 1 | Ice Storm: | 3 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 2 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,680 | Tropical Storm: | 2 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 13 | Winter Weather: | 0 |
| Other: | 223 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Fort Payne City School District.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 2 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Fort Payne City School District.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 26.7 | 1964-02-18 | 4.4 | 15 | 34.8 | -85.5 |
| 35.4 | 1984-10-09 | 4.2 | 12 | 34.75 | -85.2 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 110 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Fort Payne City School District.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.5 | 1977-03-30 | 2 | 34°27'N / 85°41'W | 2.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Dekalb | |
| 2.1 | 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 |
| 2.5 | 1983-05-19 | 3 | 34°29'N / 85°41'W | 1.20 Miles | 473 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Dekalb | |
| 4.6 | 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 |
| 9.2 | 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 |
| 9.3 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 9.7 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 9.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 9.9 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 11.2 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 13.5 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 15.9 | 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 |
| 16.7 | 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 |
| 16.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 16.8 | 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 |
| 17.1 | 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 |
| 17.4 | 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 |
| 17.4 | 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 |
| 17.5 | 1965-04-15 | 3 | 34°42'N / 85°42'W | 34°42'N / 85°35'W | 6.60 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 17.6 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 17.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 18.1 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 34°40'N / 85°41'W | 34°45'N / 85°35'W | 7.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 4 | 0K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 19.1 | 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 |
| 19.6 | 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 |
| 20.0 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 20.7 | 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 |
| 21.1 | 1973-12-29 | 2 | 34°17'N / 86°01'W | 0.30 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Dekalb | |
| 21.4 | 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 |
| 21.8 | 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 |
| 22.0 | 1973-01-26 | 2 | 34°20'N / 86°04'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |||
| 22.5 | 1964-01-24 | 2 | 34°15'N / 86°01'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dekalb | |||
| 22.9 | 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 |
| 23.1 | 1988-05-09 | 2 | 34°46'N / 85°33'W | 34°45'N / 85°32'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 23.5 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 23.9 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 24.0 | 1988-05-09 | 2 | 34°50'N / 85°54'W | 34°46'N / 85°33'W | 14.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Jackson |
| 24.9 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 34°45'N / 85°31'W | 34°47'N / 85°28'W | 3.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dade |
| 25.1 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 25.8 | 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 |
| 26.7 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 27.6 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 28.0 | 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 |
| 28.3 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 28.6 | 1977-06-22 | 2 | 34°05'N / 85°56'W | 1.20 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Etowah | |
| 28.9 | 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 |
| 29.1 | 1973-03-16 | 2 | 34°30'N / 85°15'W | 34°35'N / 85°10'W | 7.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Chattooga |
| 30.2 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 30.2 | 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 |
| 30.5 | 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 |
| 31.7 | 1983-02-22 | 2 | 34°16'N / 86°13'W | 2.20 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Marshall | |
| 32.0 | 1957-11-18 | 2 | 34°28'N / 85°16'W | 34°33'N / 85°02'W | 14.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Chattooga |
| 33.7 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 34.3 | 1967-12-18 | 2 | 34°13'N / 85°12'W | 34°14'N / 85°09'W | 3.30 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Floyd |
| 34.6 | 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 |
| 34.6 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°13'N / 85°11'W | 34°16'N / 85°08'W | 4.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Floyd |
| 34.7 | 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 |
| 34.9 | 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 |
| 35.8 | 1974-05-02 | 2 | 34°09'N / 86°13'W | 2.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |
| 35.9 | 1980-06-17 | 2 | 34°00'N / 86°01'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Etowah | |
| 36.3 | 1968-05-29 | 2 | 34°18'N / 85°06'W | 0.80 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Floyd | |
| 36.5 | 1977-04-04 | 3 | 34°10'N / 85°12'W | 34°15'N / 85°05'W | 8.80 Miles | 400 Yards | 1 | 15 | 2.5M | 0 | Floyd |
| 36.6 | 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 |
| 37.8 | 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 |
| 37.9 | 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 |
| 38.7 | 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 |
| 38.9 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 39.2 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 39.4 | 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 |
| 39.7 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 40.1 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 34°48'N / 86°19'W | 34°51'N / 86°11'W | 8.30 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Jackson |
| 40.2 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 34°30'N / 85°03'W | 34°34'N / 84°58'W | 6.60 Miles | 150 Yards | 6 | 25 | 2.5M | 0 | Gordon |
| 40.7 | 2007-11-14 | 2 | 35°03'N / 85°41'W | 35°02'N / 85°39'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 9 | 2.5M | 0K | Marion |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Nine injuries resulted from the EF2 rated tornado which heavily damaged the roof of the Kimball Baptist Church as well as damaging several vehicles in the church parking lot. The tornado also destroyed several modular homes between Main Street and Interstate 24. Peak wind speed was estimated at 130 mph with a path width of 200 yards. Path length was 2 miles. EPISODE NARRATIVE: High shear with moderate instability in the warm sector ahead of strong late Fall cold front. The Event was characterized by a few wind damage reports and an EF 2 tornado (Marion County) all across Southeast Tennessee. | |||||||||||
| 40.7 | 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) | |||||||||||
| 41.0 | 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 |
| 41.0 | 1956-02-18 | 2 | 34°42'N / 85°17'W | 34°52'N / 84°56'W | 22.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Walker |
| 42.0 | 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 |
| 42.0 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 42.8 | 1982-01-03 | 2 | 34°21'N / 86°27'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |
| 43.2 | 1963-03-11 | 2 | 35°00'N / 85°43'W | 35°09'N / 85°32'W | 14.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Marion |
| 43.3 | 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 |
| 43.9 | 1973-03-16 | 2 | 34°34'N / 84°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Gordon | |
| 43.9 | 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 |
| 43.9 | 2008-03-15 | 3 | 34°05'N / 85°06'W | 34°06'N / 85°03'W | 3.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 1 | 3.5M | 0K | Polk |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A ground and aerial survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, GA in cooperation with the Georgia State Patrol and local emergency managers confirmed that an EF3 tornado had touched down in extreme north central Polk county, just east of the town of Seney near the intersection of Georgia Highway 101 and the Floyd county line. The tornado then tracked approximately 16 miles across extreme northeast Polk, extreme southeast Floyd, and into southern Bartow county before lifting southwest of Cartersville. The tornado had a maximum path width of 1/2 mile with maximum wind speeds estimated at 150 mph. EF3 damage was noted at three locations along the path of the tornado as it tracked across the three counties. The tornado made an approximate 3-mile track across far northern Polk county. Within Polk county, four homes were destroyed, two sustained major damage, five had minor damage, and 5 others were minimally impacted. All of these were in the far north central and northeast part of the county between Georgia Highway 101 and the Floyd county line where Bon Loop Road intersects the Floyd county line. One fatality and one injury occurred on Bon Loop Road where a home was destroyed. In addition, several county outbuildings, barns, shops, vehicles, one motor home, one travel trailer, one dog kennel business, several fences were heavily damaged. Several livestock were either injured or killed. Hundreds of trees and power lines were down in the area, including several high tension power lines support structures, which were heavily damaged. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable. Meanwhile, aloft, a low amplitude, yet vigorous short wave embedded within a fast zonal flow, was tracking rapidly eastward from the mid south into the southeast. Strong shear and high helicity combined with the unstable air mass and the frontal boundary to allow repeated severe thunderstorms to develop and track eastward along the boundary across north Georgia. The activity began early in the day as a complex of thunderstorms moved into the area from Alabama and continued until nearly midnight. As the day progressed, especially during the afternoon, the development of the activity gradually progressed further south and by midnight had reached the south and southeast parts of the state. Numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadic supercells were observed throughout the day. Historical records indicate that this was one of the most significant severe weather days for the Peachtree City Weather Forecast Office with more events and warnings than had been observed since May 2003. | |||||||||||
| 44.1 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 34°34'N / 84°58'W | 34°36'N / 84°56'W | 3.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 2 | 25 | 2.5M | 0 | Whitfield |
| 44.1 | 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 |
| 44.2 | 1957-04-08 | 2 | 34°26'N / 85°00'W | 34°32'N / 84°52'W | 10.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Gordon |
| 44.3 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 44.4 | 1961-03-08 | 2 | 34°54'N / 85°18'W | 34°56'N / 85°02'W | 15.20 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Catoosa |
| 44.4 | 2008-03-15 | 3 | 34°06'N / 85°05'W | 34°06'N / 85°02'W | 3.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 1 | 1.0M | 0K | Floyd |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A ground and aerial storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City Georgia in cooperation with the Georgia State Patrol confirmed that the EF3 tornado, that first touched down in extreme north central Polk county just east of Seney, continued on an east-northeastward track across extreme southeast Floyd county. Approximately three miles of the 16-mile long path of this tornado was within Floyd county. The maximum path was once again estimated to be approximately 1/2 mile. Despite the relatively short time frame and small area of the county affected, considerable damage was inflicted to the far southeast part of the county. A home was destroyed on Old Wax Road, resulting in additional fatality and injury. Dozens of trees and several power lines were also down in this part of the county. Overall damage consisted of 20 homes, 10 of which were destroyed, and 10 with minor damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable. Meanwhile, aloft, a low amplitude, yet vigorous short wave embedded within a fast zonal flow, was tracking rapidly eastward from the mid south into the southeast. Strong shear and high helicity combined with the unstable air mass and the frontal boundary to allow repeated severe thunderstorms to develop and track eastward along the boundary across north Georgia. The activity began early in the day as a complex of thunderstorms moved into the area from Alabama and continued until nearly midnight. As the day progressed, especially during the afternoon, the development of the activity gradually progressed further south and by midnight had reached the south and southeast parts of the state. Numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadic supercells were observed throughout the day. Historical records indicate that this was one of the most significant severe weather days for the Peachtree City Weather Forecast Office with more events and warnings than had been observed since May 2003. | |||||||||||
| 44.4 | 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 |
| 44.6 | 1989-11-15 | 4 | 34°44'N / 86°26'W | 34°47'N / 86°22'W | 6.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250.0M | 0 | Madison |
| 45.6 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 45.9 | 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 |
| 46.0 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 46.1 | 1972-06-27 | 2 | 34°19'N / 86°30'W | 0.30 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |
| 46.2 | 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 |
| 46.4 | 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 |
| 46.7 | 2002-11-11 | 2 | 34°18'N / 84°59'W | 34°19'N / 84°50'W | 12.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.5M | 0 | Bartow |
| Brief Description: A National Weather Service disaster survey team and the Bartow county Emergency Management Director confirmed a 12 mile long west-east path of damage beginning on Barnsley Garden Road near Barnsley Gardens in northwest Bartow county continuing east to just south of Halls Station crossing U.S. Highway 41, then east across Pleasant Valley Road, to just east of Interstate 75 on Crowe Spring Road. The path of damage, up to 500 yards wide in some area, consisted mostly of damage caused by straight line winds with speeds of 80 to 100 mph, but there was definite evidence of tornadic damage of F2 intensity in an isolated area on Clear Creek Road. This portion of the tornado had a path length of 500 yards with a path width of 100 yards. Tornadic damage of F1 intensity was evident along a secondary segment of the damage path at the intersection of Cedar Creek Road and Hazel Road about 3 miles north of Cassville. This portion of the torando had a path length of 500 yards with a path width of 100 yards. Twelve to 15 residental homes suffered major structural damage, seven chicken houses were destroyed, including 7500 chickens, and a barn was completely destroyed. There were also numerous downed trees and power lines along and near the the damage path. Bartow county was one of five counties declared in a state of emergency by the governor. | |||||||||||
| 47.7 | 1995-04-21 | 2 | 35°03'N / 85°17'W | 10.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0.1M | 0 | Hamilton | |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down over parts of suburban Chattanooga. The tornado most of its damage in a 16-block area. Overall 80 buildings were damaged. Of the 80 buildings damaged, 50 of them were homes and 30 of the buildings were businesses. Several apartments suffered roof damage and 43 persons were evacuated. | |||||||||||
| 47.9 | 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 |
| 48.3 | 1967-03-06 | 2 | 33°53'N / 86°12'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | St. Clair | |||
| 48.6 | 2006-04-08 | 2 | 34°01'N / 85°04'W | 34°01'N / 85°01'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 450K | 0 | Polk |
| Brief Description: A survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, GA concluded that a second tornado, this one an F2, touched down one mile northwest of Rockmart and traveled to the east approximately three miles, terminating at a point around two miles east-northeast of Rockmart. Over two dozen homes along the path of the tornado were destroyed. A young child was injured at one of the damaged homes when sheet rock and rafters fell on the couch where he was sleeping. Over three dozen outbuildings were also heavily damaged or destroyed. A carport was blown off one home northwest of Rockmart and five coal cars were completely blown off a railroad track in the Rockmart area and left lying on their side, while an 18-wheel truck trailer was also blown over in the same general area. Finally, minor damage was reported to the roof of the Rockmart Highschool and especially to the athletic fields. Hundreds of trees and dozens of power lines were blown down along the path of the tornado. A total of 700 residents were left without power for many hours following the storm. The tornado was determined to have a path length of approximately 3.0 miles with a path width of 50 to 100 yards. Overall tornado damage from the two tornadoes in Polk county netted: 30 homes with minor damage. 2 homes destroyed. 60 outbuildings heavily damaged or destroyed. Minor damage to the Rockmart Highschool and athletic facility. 700 customers without power. Extensive loss to timber in the area | |||||||||||
| 48.7 | 1997-03-29 | 3 | 35°03'N / 85°19'W | 35°03'N / 85°11'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 44 | 45.0M | 0 | Hamilton |
| Brief Description: In Hamilton county...the tornado first touched down in the Tiftonia community just west of downtown Chattanooga around 1:10 am EDT. As the tornado moved due east across the southern part of the county, 50 homes were completely destroyed. Another 600 homes and one business were heavily damaged. Most of the damage was concentrated in the East Brainerd community. There, about half of the 180-unit Hickory Villa apartment complex was destroyed, and 18 of 23 townhomes of the Hickory Trace complex were destroyed. Two more apartment complexes, Hickory Valley and Ledford Apartments, were severely damaged. Around 20000 homes were without electricity after the storm. Most power had been restored by Monday morning. In Bradley county...the tornado destroyed 5 poultry farms, 4 homes, and 4 mobile homes. Another 45 homes, 16 mobile homes and 3 poultry farms were damaged. | |||||||||||
| 48.8 | 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 |
| 48.9 | 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 |
| 49.3 | 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 |
| 49.3 | 1970-07-19 | 2 | 34°12'N / 84°54'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Bartow | |
| 49.4 | 1997-05-02 | 2 | 35°01'N / 86°16'W | 35°00'N / 86°15'W | 0.90 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 60K | 100K | Franklin |
| Brief Description: A half dozen farm related buildings sustained damage. About 100 big trees were blown down in an apple orchard on White Gap Road. The trees were lying in different directions. | |||||||||||
| 49.7 | 1967-11-24 | 2 | 34°43'N / 86°35'W | 34°40'N / 86°29'W | 6.60 Miles | 83 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Madison |
| 49.8 | 2008-03-15 | 3 | 34°06'N / 85°02'W | 34°07'N / 84°51'W | 11.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.0M | 0K | Bartow |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia in cooperation with the Georgia State Patrol confirmed that the EF3 tornado, that originated in Polk county just east of Seney, and continued across extreme southeast Floyd county, continued into southern Bartow county. The tornado entered the county about 3 1/4 miles west-northwest of Taylorsville and finally lifted about four miles southwest of Cartersville. The tornado tracked approximately 11 miles across southern Bartow county. While no deaths or injuries were reported from the tornado in Bartow county, several mobile homes were heavily damaged and hundreds of trees and several high voltage power transmission lines were knocked down and there was damage to the Georgia Power Plant on Georgia Highway 113. In addition, the Taylorsville Elementary School sustained significant damage. Several homes sustained roof damage along Popum Road just north of Taylorsville, a number of trees were down along Euharlee Road, and several bulidings, a number of trees, and several street signs were down in the area of Woodland High School about three miles southwest of Cartersville. All together, there were approximately 55 homes damaged, six of which were destroyed, and 30 homes with minor damage. Two schools, as noted above Taylorsville Elementary and Woodland High School suffered heavy damage. Some Georgia Power high transmission towers were also down. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable. Meanwhile, aloft, a low amplitude, yet vigorous short wave embedded within a fast zonal flow, was tracking rapidly eastward from the mid south into the southeast. Strong shear and high helicity combined with the unstable air mass and the frontal boundary to allow repeated severe thunderstorms to develop and track eastward along the boundary across north Georgia. The activity began early in the day as a complex of thunderstorms moved into the area from Alabama and continued until nearly midnight. As the day progressed, especially during the afternoon, the development of the activity gradually progressed further south and by midnight had reached the south and southeast parts of the state. Numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadic supercells were observed throughout the day. Historical records indicate that this was one of the most significant severe weather days for the Peachtree City Weather Forecast Office with more events and warnings than had been observed since May 2003. | |||||||||||
* 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.