Houston, AL Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Houston is about the same as Alabama average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Houston is much higher than Alabama average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #396
| Houston, AL | 0.04 |
| 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
| Houston, AL | 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, #116
| Houston, AL | 365.92 |
| 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 4,164 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Houston, AL 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: | 17 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 48 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 354 | Hail: | 1,249 | Heat: | 15 | Heavy Snow: | 6 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 2 | Ice Storm: | 2 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 17 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 2,178 | Tropical Storm: | 8 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 12 | Winter Weather: | 11 |
| Other: | 245 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Houston, AL.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Houston, AL.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Houston, AL.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 158 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Houston, AL.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 4.4 | 1964-03-25 | 3 | 34°10'N / 87°16'W | 34°12'N / 87°11'W | 5.40 Miles | 267 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Winston |
| 4.8 | 1987-05-21 | 2 | 34°10'N / 87°23'W | 0.30 Mile | 150 Yards | 1 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Winston | |
| 8.9 | 2007-03-01 | 2 | 34°04'N / 87°15'W | 34°09'N / 87°06'W | 9.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0K | Winston |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down near the intersection of County Road 41 and County Road 62, about 2 miles north of Arley. It then tracked northeastward, crossed Smith Lake, crossed County Road 77, before it moved into Cullman County. Several homes and barns were damaged along the path. One chicken house was totally destroyed and two others sustained major damage. Numerous trees were either uprooted or snapped off. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A powerful spring storm system brought an outbreak of tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail to Central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 11.1 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 34°00'N / 87°21'W | 34°03'N / 87°11'W | 11.30 Miles | 1175 Yards | 1 | 15 | 200K | 0K | Winston |
| Brief Description: M91PH The Carbon Hill Tornado was the first tornado of the evening. It began in Fayette County at 6:52 pm, about 5.6 miles north-northwest of the city of Fayette, and 2.8 miles west of US Highway 43. The tornado moved on a northeast track crossing US 43, State Route 129, and SR 13, and then moved into Walker County just southwest of Carbon Hill at 7:10 pm. It then crossed the western and northern sections of Carbon Hill, downing trees and power lines and damaging many residential structures. Carbon Hill Elementary School was also heavily damaged. The tornado continued northeast, crossing SR5, and exited the county at SR 195. The two deaths associated with this tornado occurred just south of SR 195. Entering Winston County at 7:31 pm, the tornado continued on a northeast path traveling across mostly sparsely populated areas of Bankhead National Forest and several fingers of Smith Lake. It crossed County Road 41 about 1.8 miles south of Arley and then crossed CR 12, finally lifting at 7:45 pm. This tornado was rated an F3 on the Fujita scale, with winds estimated to be in the 150 to 200 mph range. Much of the damage along the track was lesser intensity (F1 and F2). F3 damage occurred in both Fayette and Walker Counties. Total path length for the Carbon Hill Tornado was 44.3 miles, with a width of 1175 yards. Four deaths were reported with this tornado, three in the Rose Hill community of Walker County and one near Arley in Winston County. Injury figures are approximate with three in Fayette County, 20 in Walker County, and 15 in Winston County. About 40 percent of the injuries were treated at local hospitals while about 60 percent of the injuries were considered minor. Structural damage along the path included approximately 47 in Fayette County, 135 in Walker County, and 35 in Winston County. Numbers are approximate because most reports from Red Cross and EMA were made based on the whole county not by tornado. Beg: 33 45.949/87 51.069 End: 34 03.992/87 10.409 | |||||||||||
| 11.2 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 34°09'N / 87°38'W | 34°18'N / 87°21'W | 19.20 Miles | 500 Yards | 5 | 22 | 0K | 0 | Winston |
| 12.3 | 1983-02-22 | 2 | 34°00'N / 87°14'W | 34°02'N / 87°13'W | 2.00 Miles | 90 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Winston |
| 13.2 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 34°18'N / 87°21'W | 34°26'N / 87°07'W | 16.20 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 13.9 | 1976-03-20 | 2 | 34°01'N / 87°10'W | 0.50 Mile | 77 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Winston | |
| 14.0 | 1973-11-26 | 2 | 34°03'N / 87°07'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Winston | |||
| 14.4 | 1957-04-08 | 3 | 34°07'N / 87°59'W | 34°19'N / 87°07'W | 51.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Marion |
| 14.6 | 1975-02-23 | 2 | 34°13'N / 87°03'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Cullman | |
| 14.6 | 1973-05-08 | 2 | 33°59'N / 87°23'W | 2.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Walker | |
| 15.9 | 1963-03-11 | 2 | 34°15'N / 87°37'W | 34°18'N / 87°30'W | 7.60 Miles | 333 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Winston |
| 16.3 | 1983-02-22 | 2 | 33°54'N / 87°18'W | 34°00'N / 87°14'W | 6.00 Miles | 90 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Walker |
| 16.4 | 1983-05-19 | 2 | 34°16'N / 87°03'W | 34°18'N / 87°02'W | 2.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cullman |
| 16.4 | 1989-02-20 | 2 | 34°15'N / 87°36'W | 34°18'N / 87°32'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Winston |
| 17.1 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 33°58'N / 87°10'W | 33°59'N / 87°07'W | 2.40 Miles | 1175 Yards | 0 | 5 | 300K | 0K | Winston |
| 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 | |||||||||||
| 17.7 | 1953-02-20 | 2 | 33°56'N / 87°22'W | 0.70 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Walker | |
| 17.9 | 1983-05-19 | 2 | 34°18'N / 87°02'W | 34°20'N / 87°02'W | 2.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Morgan |
| 18.2 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°13'N / 87°38'W | 34°14'N / 87°36'W | 1.60 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 13 | 800K | 0K | Winston |
| Brief Description: The Haleyville tornado first struck about 3 tenths of a mile inside Marion County just south of CR196 at 11:21 am. The tornado traveled on a northeast path moving directly through the center of downtown Haleyville severely damaging buildings including a shopping mall. The tornado continued traveling northeast through a residential and partially wooded area before ending about 7 tenths of a mile northeast of downtown Haleyville at 11:24 am. The tornado was rated an F2 on the fujita scale for tornado classification making it a strong tornado. Wind speeds associated with an F2 fall in the range of 113 to 157 mph, however, winds speeds probably remained on the low side of the range perhaps 115 to 130 mph. The tornado path was 1.9 miles long and approximately 70 yards wide. Winston County EMA reported 13 injuries with the tornado including one that was listed as serious. Beginning: 34 13.037/87 38.354 Ending: 34 13.939/87 36.667 | |||||||||||
| 18.8 | 1957-11-17 | 4 | 33°54'N / 87°11'W | 33°56'N / 87°18'W | 7.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 4 | 15 | 25K | 0 | Walker |
| 19.1 | 1975-02-23 | 2 | 34°04'N / 87°00'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Walker | |
| 19.1 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°13'N / 87°38'W | 34°13'N / 87°38'W | 0.30 Mile | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 85K | 0K | Marion |
| Brief Description: The Haleyville tornado first struck about 3 tenths of a mile inside Marion County just south of CR196 at 11:21 am. The tornado traveled on a northeast path moving directly through the center of downtown Haleyville severely damaging buildings including a shopping mall. The tornado continued traveling northeast through a residential and partially wooded area before ending about 7 tenths of a mile northeast of downtown Haleyville at 11:24 am. The tornado was rated an F2 on the fujita scale for tornado classification making it a strong tornado. Wind speeds associated with an F2 fall in the range of 113 to 157 mph, however, winds speeds probably remained on the low side of the range perhaps 115 to 130 mph. The tornado path was 1.9 miles long and approximately 70 yards wide. Winston County EMA reported 13 injuries with the tornado including one that was listed as serious. Beginning: 34 13.037/87 38.354 Ending: 34 13.939/87 36.667 | |||||||||||
| 19.1 | 1983-11-23 | 2 | 33°55'N / 87°13'W | 0.50 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Walker | |
| 19.6 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 33°50'N / 87°32'W | 33°58'N / 87°07'W | 24.70 Miles | 1175 Yards | 7 | 40 | 2.5M | 0K | Walker |
| Brief Description: F39MH, F15MH, M50MH, M51MH, F73MH, F38MH, F61MH The Saragossa Tornado was the fourth tornado to occur in Alabama and the longest track of the severe weather episode. It began in Fayette County, just east of the Sipsey River about 6 miles north-northeast of the city of Fayette at 8:15 pm. The tornado moved northeast, crossing portions of State Routes 102 and 13, and then SR 102 again around Stoddards Crossroads. The tornado crossed into Walker County at 8:34 pm and traveled through sparsely populated areas of western Walker County. It crossed the interchange of US Highway 78 about 5.5 miles east-southeast of Carbon Hill, and became very strong as it traveled through the Saragossa area. It crossed State Roads 5, 195, and 257, before entering Winston County. The tornado appeared to be at its most intense during the travel from US 78/SR 118 interchange across Saragossa and the areas near SR 5 and SR 195. Seven deaths occurred in this 10 mile stretch of the tornado track, along with an estimated 40 injuries. At 9:03 pm the tornado crossed the extreme southeastern tip of Winston County, crossing a part of Smith Lake. The tornado entered Cullman County at 9:08 pm, moving across portions of Smith Lake and across CR 222. Tornado intensity remained high during the first several miles after it entered Cullman County. Continuing northeast, it crossed Interstate 65 and US 31 just south of Cullman on the southside of the Cullman Golf Course. The tornado seemed to be significantly less intense as it continued to travel northeasterly toward Holly Pond. Damage from just east of US 31 to just south of Holly Pond was not nearly as intense as it was west of Interstate 65. Traveling through mostly rural areas downing trees and powerlines, and damaging scattered structures along the way, the tornado finally ended just south-southeast of Holly Pond at 9:52 pm, This was the longest tornado of the outbreak, with a path length of 72.6 miles and a width of 1100 yards. It was the second F3 tornado of the day. Seven deaths were reported with the storm, all in Walker County, along with an estimated 45 injuries. Structural damage details are difficult to report since reporting is based primarily on county and not by individual tornadoes. Based on EMA and Red Cross data, structures damaged or destroyed were approximately 20 in Fayette County, 300 in Walker County, 5 in Winston County, and 164 in Cullman County. This is also one of the longest tornadoes tracks in recent history. At 72.6 miles in length, this becomes the fourth longest tornado in Alabama since 1950. Beg: 33 45.072/87 45.991 End: 34 09.775/86 36.403 | |||||||||||
| 19.9 | 1973-11-27 | 2 | 34°00'N / 87°02'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman | |||
| 20.0 | 2008-02-06 | 4 | 34°24'N / 87°17'W | 34°31'N / 87°06'W | 14.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 4 | 23 | 0K | 0K | Lawrence |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Representatives from the National Weather Service and the Lawrence County Emergency Management Agency conducted a storm survey of damage that occurred in Lawrence 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 approximately 170 MPH, giving it a rating of EF-4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Based on reports and an aerial survey conducted by the Lawrence County EMA, the tornado is believed to have originally touched down near the Pinhook community in south-central Lawrence County (just north of the Bankhead National Forest) around 3:02 AM CST. The tornado remained on the ground for approximately 16.7 miles; the first 14 miles of the track occurred in Lawrence County, tracking through the Aldridge Grove, Fairfield, Five Points, Midway, and Caddo communities. The tornado exited Lawrence County about 3 miles south southeast of Caddo around 3:20 AM CST. The most significant damage occurred in two main areas. The first occurred just south of the Pinhook community, near the intersection of County Road 92 and 188. The second occurred north of Aldridge Grove near the intersection of County Road 94 and 183, where three fatalities occurred. Numerous homes received significant structural damage, including a 2300 square foot/2-story brick house that was nearly leveled off its foundation. Large trees, with diameters up to 4 feet, were completely snapped, with many uprooted. Fence posts embedded in concrete were ripped out of the ground and vaulted 50 to 100 feet in several different directions. A truck was thrown over a distance of more than 100 yards into an open field. 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. | |||||||||||
| 20.2 | 1971-02-04 | 3 | 34°18'N / 87°40'W | 34°23'N / 87°32'W | 9.60 Miles | 750 Yards | 1 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Franklin |
| 20.7 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 33°50'N / 87°35'W | 34°00'N / 87°21'W | 16.90 Miles | 1175 Yards | 3 | 20 | 2.5M | 0K | Walker |
| Brief Description: M53OU, M61MH, F62MH The Carbon Hill Tornado was the first tornado of the evening. It began in Fayette County at 6:52 pm, about 5.6 miles north-northwest of the city of Fayette, and 2.8 miles west of US Highway 43. The tornado moved on a northeast track crossing US 43, State Route 129, and SR 13, and then moved into Walker County just southwest of Carbon Hill at 7:10 pm. It then crossed the western and northern sections of Carbon Hill, downing trees and power lines and damaging many residential structures. Carbon Hill Elementary School was also heavily damaged. The tornado continued northeast, crossing SR5, and exited the county at SR 195. The two deaths associated with this tornado occurred just south of SR 195. Entering Winston County at 7:31 pm, the tornado continued on a northeast path traveling across mostly sparsely populated areas of Bankhead National Forest and several fingers of Smith Lake. It crossed County Road 41 about 1.8 miles south of Arley and then crossed CR 12, finally lifting at 7:45 pm. This tornado was rated an F3 on the Fujita scale, with winds estimated to be in the 150 to 200 mph range. Much of the damage along the track was lesser intensity (F1 and F2). F3 damage occurred in both Fayette and Walker Counties. Total path length for the Carbon Hill Tornado was 44.3 miles, with a width of 1175 yards. Four deaths were reported with this tornado, three in the Rose Hill community of Walker County and one near Arley in Winston County. Injury figures are approximate with three in Fayette County, 20 in Walker County, and 15 in Winston County. About 40 percent of the injuries were treated at local hospitals while about 60 percent of the injuries were considered minor. Structural damage along the path included approximately 47 in Fayette County, 135 in Walker County, and 35 in Winston County. Numbers are approximate because most reports from Red Cross and EMA were made based on the whole county not by tornado. Beg: 33 45.949/87 51.069 End: 34 03.992/87 10.409 | |||||||||||
| 22.0 | 1968-05-29 | 2 | 34°29'N / 87°26'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lawrence | |
| 22.2 | 1955-04-24 | 4 | 34°21'N / 87°03'W | 34°22'N / 86°54'W | 8.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 5 | 20 | 2.5M | 0 | Morgan |
| 22.4 | 1953-02-20 | 2 | 34°23'N / 87°04'W | 34°25'N / 86°57'W | 7.10 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 6 | 25K | 0 | Franklin |
| 22.6 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 33°57'N / 87°08'W | 34°16'N / 86°42'W | 33.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 1 | 36 | 25.0M | 0 | Cullman |
| 23.1 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 34°20'N / 87°44'W | 34°25'N / 87°32'W | 12.80 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 4 | 0K | 0 | Franklin |
| 24.0 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 34°26'N / 87°07'W | 34°30'N / 87°00'W | 8.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Morgan |
| 24.2 | 1985-08-16 | 2 | 33°50'N / 87°17'W | 1.50 Miles | 130 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Walker | |
| 24.8 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 33°42'N / 87°29'W | 33°57'N / 87°08'W | 26.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 102 | 25.0M | 0 | Walker |
| 24.9 | 1966-11-10 | 2 | 34°14'N / 86°56'W | 34°17'N / 86°49'W | 7.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Cullman |
| 25.8 | 2001-11-24 | 3 | 33°52'N / 87°33'W | 33°52'N / 87°32'W | 1.10 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0K | Walker |
| Brief Description: What was the longest tornado of the day began at 10:55 am about a two tenths of a mile inside Pickens County or about 5.8 miles southwest of Kennedy. The tornado traveled across southeastern Lamar County damaging or destroying a number of structures south and east of Kennedy. The tornado traveled on a northeast track moving into Fayette County at 11:07 am. Traveling northeast it went across western and northern sections of the city of Fayette doing serious damage to a number of structures. From the city of Fayette the tornado traveled across mostly rural areas damaging occasional structures and downing numerous trees and power lines. The tornado while still strong was weaker than it had been in southern Lamar County. The tornado crossed into Walker County at 11:41 am a little south-southwest of Carbon Hill before ending. Total path length has been estimated at 38.9 miles with a Fujita-scale rating of F3. The tornado began with F0 damage in Pickens County but strengthened to F3 intensity in southern Lamar County. It weakened some as it moved across Fayette County where the Fujita rating was an F2. Damage in Walker County was rated an F1 as the tornado dissipated. The path was 300 yards wide in Lamar County but estimated to have decreased to about 90 yards wide across much of Fayette County. Two people, a mother and her daughter, were killed in a double-wide mobile home in Lamar County just southwest of Kennedy and one person was injured. No deaths or injuries were reported in Pickens, Fayette or Walker counties. Beginning: 33 31.528/88 03.156 Ending: 33 52.606/87 31.676 | |||||||||||
| 25.9 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 34°28'N / 87°29'W | 34°39'N / 87°07'W | 24.40 Miles | 500 Yards | 14 | 60 | 0K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 26.3 | 2008-12-10 | 2 | 33°49'N / 87°08'W | 33°52'N / 87°04'W | 5.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0K | Walker |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down near the intersection of Snow Drive and Old Pineywoods Road, just north of US-78. It then traveled northeastward and crossed CR-77 and lifted shortly thereafter. One mobile home was totally destroyed and rolled approximately 50 feet. At least two additional mobile homes suffered significant damage. Two chicken houses were damaged. A few hundred trees were either snapped off or were uprooted along the path. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A developing strong storm system across the Southeastern United States caused several severe thunderstorms and locally heavy rainfall. Cold air surging in on the back side of the storm system caused the rain to turn over to snow, some of which became heavy. | |||||||||||
| 26.4 | 1961-03-07 | 3 | 33°53'N / 87°39'W | 33°54'N / 87°33'W | 5.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Walker |
| 26.6 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 26.7 | 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 |
| 26.8 | 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 |
| 26.8 | 1953-01-20 | 3 | 33°48'N / 87°14'W | 1.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Walker | |
| 27.2 | 1985-08-16 | 3 | 34°22'N / 87°05'W | 34°42'N / 87°05'W | 22.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Morgan |
| 27.3 | 1958-04-05 | 2 | 34°18'N / 86°54'W | 34°22'N / 86°49'W | 6.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cullman |
| 27.4 | 2008-02-06 | 2 | 34°31'N / 87°06'W | 34°33'N / 87°03'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Morgan |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Representatives from the National Weather Service conducted a storm survey of damage in Morgan County, Alabama that occurred early on February 6th, 2008. The tornado continued its destructive path from Lawrence into Morgan County about 5 miles southwest of Decatur. The tornado tracked another 2.7 miles into Morgan County lifting near the Trinity community west of Decatur around 3:20 AM CST. 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. | |||||||||||
| 28.0 | 2008-05-10 | 2 | 33°53'N / 87°01'W | 33°57'N / 86°51'W | 11.00 Miles | 330 Yards | 0 | 0 | 150K | 0K | Cullman |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado moved across far southern Cullman County. Several debris paths were found during this storm survey. The most significant damage with peak wind speeds of 120 mph occurred along Highway 91 in the vicinity of the town of Colony. Four chicken houses were either severely damaged or destroyed and numerous large trees were snapped or uprooted. Significant tree damage was found in the vicinity of Arkadelphia along County Roads 8 and 35. Spotty lighter damage was found near the end of the tornado's path just east of Interstate 65 near Black Bottom. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A complex of severe thunderstorms produced wind damage and isolated tornadoes in a moist unstable environment near the junction of a warm front and approaching cold front. The tornadic circulations were embedded within the linear segments of the line of thunderstorms that moved through the area. Swaths of wind damage were reported, particularly along interstate 65 between mile markers 295 and 299 near Dodge City. | |||||||||||
| 29.0 | 1971-02-04 | 3 | 34°02'N / 87°57'W | 34°18'N / 87°40'W | 24.50 Miles | 750 Yards | 0 | 12 | 25K | 0 | Marion |
| 29.2 | 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 |
| 29.4 | 1963-03-11 | 2 | 34°07'N / 88°01'W | 34°15'N / 87°37'W | 24.60 Miles | 333 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Marion |
| 29.5 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 33°57'N / 87°57'W | 34°09'N / 87°38'W | 22.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 23 | 250 | 0K | 0 | Marion |
| 29.6 | 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 |
| 30.5 | 1964-03-09 | 3 | 34°30'N / 87°40'W | 34°36'N / 87°32'W | 10.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Franklin |
| 30.6 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°33'N / 87°03'W | 34°33'N / 86°57'W | 3.10 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0K | Lawrence |
| Brief Description: The same supercell thunderstorm that produced the tornado in Haleyville produced another tornado near the Lawrence-Morgan county line. The tornado began at 12:10 pm 1 mile southwest of Caddo near CR 214. The tornado moved northeast through Caddo and into Morgan County. The tornado ended at 12:15 pm near North Mountain Road in Trinity. Emergency Management officials estimated that around 25 homes sustained varying degrees of damage including 3 homes that were totally destroyed, one mobile home demolished, and 2 homes received significant damage. Additional damage was reported to several businesses and one church. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted and numerous outbuildings were destroyed. Two minor injuries were reported in Caddo. The tornado path was 4.9 miles long and 300 yards wide at its widest point. Beg: 34 33.765/87 09.104 End: 34 35.979/87 04.963 | |||||||||||
| 31.1 | 1985-08-16 | 2 | 33°44'N / 87°17'W | 1.30 Miles | 120 Yards | 1 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Walker | |
| 31.1 | 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 |
| 31.2 | 2010-04-24 | 3 | 33°43'N / 87°17'W | 33°48'N / 86°57'W | 20.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 598K | 0K | Walker |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This long tracked, strong, tornado first touched down in the Walker County city of Parrish. It then remained on the ground for 54 minutes, traversing nearly 30 miles in three counties. The vast majority of the damage was done in Walker County. In addition to Parrish, heavy damaged occurred in the cities of Cordova, Sumiton, and Empire. Between 70 and 80 homes and other buildings along the path received varying degrees of damage, and at least one home in Parrish was completely destroyed. Somewhere between 800 and 1000 trees were snapped, with a similar number uprooted. While there were no known deaths or injuries directly caused by the tornado, one 50 year old woman died (indirect) after she slipped and fell while going to a storm shelter. The tornado moved into Jefferson County near the intersection of Bankston Road and County Line Road. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A deepening storm system and associated cold front brought widespread severe thunderstorms, including at least 8 tornadoes, to central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 31.6 | 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 |
| 31.6 | 1983-02-22 | 2 | 34°04'N / 86°46'W | 1.50 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman | |
| 31.7 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°36'N / 87°06'W | 34°37'N / 87°05'W | 1.80 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0K | Morgan |
| Brief Description: The same supercell thunderstorm that produced the tornado in Haleyville produced another tornado near the Lawrence-Morgan county line. The tornado began at 12:10 pm 1 mile southwest of Caddo near CR 214. The tornado moved northeast through Caddo and into Morgan County. The tornado ended at 12:15 pm near North Mountain Road in Trinity. Emergency Management officials estimated that around 25 homes sustained varying degrees of damage including 3 homes that were totally destroyed, one mobile home demolished, and 2 homes received significant damage. Additional damage was reported to several businesses and one church. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted and numerous outbuildings were destroyed. Two minor injuries were reported in Caddo. The tornado path was 4.9 miles long and 300 yards wide at its widest point. Beg: 34 33.765/87 09.104 End: 34 35.979/87 04.963 | |||||||||||
| 32.0 | 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 |
| 32.5 | 1982-01-03 | 2 | 34°13'N / 86°44'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman | |
| 32.8 | 1953-02-20 | 2 | 33°57'N / 87°48'W | 0.50 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Marion | |
| 33.2 | 1986-03-12 | 2 | 33°56'N / 87°49'W | 34°07'N / 87°53'W | 7.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Marion |
| 33.6 | 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 |
| 33.6 | 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 |
| 33.9 | 2008-02-06 | 2 | 33°41'N / 87°30'W | 33°44'N / 87°24'W | 7.00 Miles | 2000 Yards | 0 | 4 | 200K | 0K | Walker |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado that first touched down in Fayette County, and also moved through a small portion of Tuscaloosa County, moved into southeastern Walker County just southwest of the Corona Community. From there, the tornado traveled northeast for about 6.5 miles, and finally lifted northwest of the town of Oakman. The greatest amount of damage along the entire path of this tornado was experienced on Patton Hill Road, just west of Oakman. Several homes sustained significant damage near Corona, and several mobile homes were damaged or destroyed west of Oakman. There were also 4 minor injuries reported in Walker County. Along the entire path, at least 8 structures were destroyed, most of them mobile homes, and 15 other structures sustained varying degrees of damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong cold front and very intense upper level storm system moving across the Gulf Coast States brought numerous severe thunderstorms and several tornadoes to Central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 34.4 | 1951-11-15 | 2 | 34°12'N / 86°42'W | 0 | 2 | 3K | 0 | Cullman | |||
| 34.4 | 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 |
| 34.5 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 33°46'N / 87°48'W | 33°49'N / 87°33'W | 14.60 Miles | 1175 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0K | Fayette |
| Brief Description: The Saragossa Tornado was the fourth tornado to occur in Alabama and the longest track of the severe weather episode. It began in Fayette County, just east of the Sipsey River about 6 miles north-northeast of the city of Fayette at 8:15 pm. The tornado moved northeast, crossing portions of State Routes 102 and 13, and then SR 102 again around Stoddards Crossroads. The tornado crossed into Walker County at 8:34 pm and traveled through sparsely populated areas of western Walker County. It crossed the interchange of US Highway 78 about 5.5 miles east-southeast of Carbon Hill, and became very strong as it traveled through the Saragossa area. It crossed State Roads 5, 195, and 257, before entering Winston County. The tornado appeared to be at its most intense during the travel from US 78/SR 118 interchange across Saragossa and the areas near SR 5 and SR 195. Seven deaths occurred in this 10 mile stretch of the tornado track, along with an estimated 40 injuries. At 9:03 pm the tornado crossed the extreme southeastern tip of Winston County, crossing a part of Smith Lake. The tornado entered Cullman County at 9:08 pm, moving across portions of Smith Lake and across CR 222. Tornado intensity remained high during the first several miles after it entered Cullman County. Continuing northeast, it crossed Interstate 65 and US 31 just south of Cullman on the southside of the Cullman Golf Course. The tornado seemed to be significantly less intense as it continued to travel northeasterly toward Holly Pond. Damage from just east of US 31 to just south of Holly Pond was not nearly as intense as it was west of Interstate 65. Traveling through mostly rural areas downing trees and powerlines, and damaging scattered structures along the way, the tornado finally ended just south-southeast of Holly Pond at 9:52 pm, This was the longest tornado of the outbreak, with a path length of 72.6 miles and a width of 1100 yards. It was the second F3 tornado of the day. Seven deaths were reported with the storm, all in Walker County, along with an estimated 45 injuries. Structural damage details are difficult to report since reporting is based primarily on county and not by individual tornadoes. Based on EMA and Red Cross data, structures damaged or destroyed were approximately 20 in Fayette County, 300 in Walker County, 5 in Winston County, and 164 in Cullman County. This is also one of the longest tornadoes tracks in recent history. At 72.6 miles in length, this becomes the fourth longest tornado in Alabama since 1950. Beg: 33 45.072/87 45.991 End: 34 09.775/86 36.403 | |||||||||||
| 34.5 | 1978-04-18 | 2 | 34°41'N / 87°23'W | 34°41'N / 87°16'W | 6.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 34.7 | 1959-01-21 | 2 | 34°15'N / 86°42'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cullman | |
| 34.9 | 1989-02-20 | 2 | 34°02'N / 87°59'W | 34°08'N / 87°49'W | 10.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Marion |
| 34.9 | 1973-11-26 | 2 | 33°58'N / 87°54'W | 34°01'N / 87°50'W | 5.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Marion |
| 35.0 | 1986-03-12 | 3 | 33°56'N / 87°50'W | 2.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Marion | |
| 35.3 | 1967-03-06 | 4 | 33°42'N / 87°10'W | 33°47'N / 86°49'W | 20.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 2 | 25 | 250K | 0 | Walker |
| 35.4 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 34°32'N / 86°54'W | 34°34'N / 86°50'W | 4.50 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Morgan |
| 35.4 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 34°39'N / 87°07'W | 34°41'N / 87°04'W | 4.10 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 56 | 0K | 0 | Morgan |
| 35.5 | 1957-12-19 | 2 | 34°36'N / 87°40'W | 0 | 7 | 25K | 0 | Colbert | |||
| 35.5 | 1958-05-25 | 2 | 34°38'N / 87°00'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Morgan | |||
| 35.6 | 1961-03-07 | 3 | 33°49'N / 87°54'W | 33°53'N / 87°39'W | 15.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Fayette |
| 35.7 | 1976-05-06 | 2 | 33°46'N / 86°56'W | 0.20 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 36.1 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 33°45'N / 87°52'W | 33°52'N / 87°37'W | 16.10 Miles | 1175 Yards | 0 | 3 | 500K | 0K | Fayette |
| Brief Description: The Carbon Hill Tornado was the first tornado of the evening. It began in Fayette County at 6:52 pm, about 5.6 miles north-northwest of the city of Fayette, and 2.8 miles west of US Highway 43. The tornado moved on a northeast track crossing US 43, State Route 129, and SR 13, and then moved into Walker County just southwest of Carbon Hill at 7:10 pm. It then crossed the western and northern sections of Carbon Hill, downing trees and power lines and damaging many residential structures. Carbon Hill Elementary School was also heavily damaged. The tornado continued northeast, crossing SR5, and exited the county at SR 195. The two deaths associated with this tornado occurred just south of SR 195. Entering Winston County at 7:31 pm, the tornado continued on a northeast path traveling across mostly sparsely populated areas of Bankhead National Forest and several fingers of Smith Lake. It crossed County Road 41 about 1.8 miles south of Arley and then crossed CR 12, finally lifting at 7:45 pm. This tornado was rated an F3 on the Fujita scale, with winds estimated to be in the 150 to 200 mph range. Much of the damage along the track was lesser intensity (F1 and F2). F3 damage occurred in both Fayette and Walker Counties. Total path length for the Carbon Hill Tornado was 44.3 miles, with a width of 1175 yards. Four deaths were reported with this tornado, three in the Rose Hill community of Walker County and one near Arley in Winston County. Injury figures are approximate with three in Fayette County, 20 in Walker County, and 15 in Winston County. About 40 percent of the injuries were treated at local hospitals while about 60 percent of the injuries were considered minor. Structural damage along the path included approximately 47 in Fayette County, 135 in Walker County, and 35 in Winston County. Numbers are approximate because most reports from Red Cross and EMA were made based on the whole county not by tornado. Beg: 33 45.949/87 51.069 End: 34 03.992/87 10.409 | |||||||||||
| 36.5 | 1982-04-26 | 3 | 33°57'N / 87°57'W | 33°57'N / 87°48'W | 9.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Marion |
| 36.5 | 1957-11-18 | 2 | 34°29'N / 87°52'W | 34°32'N / 87°45'W | 7.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Franklin |
| 37.0 | 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 |
| 37.0 | 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 |
| 37.3 | 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 |
| 37.5 | 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 |
| 37.6 | 1977-07-08 | 2 | 33°49'N / 86°49'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 37.9 | 1988-11-04 | 3 | 34°44'N / 87°24'W | 34°44'N / 87°14'W | 13.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 38.2 | 1958-04-05 | 2 | 34°40'N / 87°32'W | 34°46'N / 87°26'W | 8.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Colbert |
| 38.3 | 1958-01-31 | 2 | 34°29'N / 87°52'W | 3.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Franklin | |
| 38.5 | 1967-10-24 | 3 | 34°40'N / 87°40'W | 34°44'N / 87°27'W | 13.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Colbert |
| 38.7 | 1967-10-24 | 3 | 34°44'N / 87°27'W | 34°44'N / 87°25'W | 1.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 38.8 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 33°37'N / 87°36'W | 33°42'N / 87°29'W | 8.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 2 | 29 | 25.0M | 0 | Fayette |
| 39.4 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 34°34'N / 86°50'W | 34°36'N / 86°47'W | 3.80 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Limestone |
| 39.9 | 2008-05-08 | 2 | 34°44'N / 87°28'W | 34°46'N / 87°25'W | 13.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 0K | Colbert |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A surveillance camera from an equipment company northeast of Leighton captured a tornado on video picking up at least 2 cars and throwing them nearly 40 feet. A home was destroyed and another heavily damaged along River Road and Second Street. Large trees were snapped and uprooted near Fosters Mill at the intersection County Road 40. An 18 wheeler was reported to be overturned in this area as well. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) produced no less than five tornadoes and damaging thunderstorm winds across northern Alabama during the late morning through mid afternoon hours. | |||||||||||
| 40.2 | 2001-11-24 | 3 | 33°37'N / 87°57'W | 33°52'N / 87°34'W | 29.10 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 800K | 0K | Fayette |
| Brief Description: What was the longest tornado of the day began at 10:55 am about a two tenths of a mile inside Pickens County or about 5.8 miles southwest of Kennedy. The tornado traveled across southeastern Lamar County damaging or destroying a number of structures south and east of Kennedy. The tornado traveled on a northeast track moving into Fayette County at 11:07 am. Traveling northeast it went across western and northern sections of the city of Fayette doing serious damage to a number of structures. From the city of Fayette the tornado traveled across mostly rural areas damaging occasional structures and downing numerous trees and power lines. The tornado while still strong was weaker than it had been in southern Lamar County. The tornado crossed into Walker County at 11:41 am a little south-southwest of Carbon Hill before ending. Total path length has been estimated at 38.9 miles with a Fujita-scale rating of F3. The tornado began with F0 damage in Pickens County but strengthened to F3 intensity in southern Lamar County. It weakened some as it moved across Fayette County where the Fujita rating was an F2. Damage in Walker County was rated an F1 as the tornado dissipated. The path was 300 yards wide in Lamar County but estimated to have decreased to about 90 yards wide across much of Fayette County. Two people, a mother and her daughter, were killed in a double-wide mobile home in Lamar County just southwest of Kennedy and one person was injured. No deaths or injuries were reported in Pickens, Fayette or Walker counties. Beginning: 33 31.528/88 03.156 Ending: 33 52.606/87 31.676 | |||||||||||
| 40.7 | 1975-01-10 | 2 | 33°38'N / 87°03'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 40.8 | 1985-08-16 | 2 | 34°39'N / 87°38'W | 34°45'N / 87°40'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Colbert |
| 40.9 | 1976-08-15 | 2 | 33°45'N / 86°49'W | 0.50 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 41.1 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 41.2 | 1988-11-04 | 3 | 34°35'N / 88°05'W | 34°44'N / 87°24'W | 45.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 16 | 2.5M | 0 | Colbert |
| 41.7 | 2008-05-08 | 2 | 34°46'N / 87°25'W | 34°48'N / 87°22'W | 4.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0K | Lawrence |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado continued its track from Fosters Mill in Colbert County into the far northern tip of Lawrence County. The tornado struck the Doublehead Resort and Lodge producing significant structural damage. A 2-story house was completely lifted off its foundation and moved nearly 20 feet. The entire west-facing side of this house was ripped off along with significant roof damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) produced no less than five tornadoes and damaging thunderstorm winds across northern Alabama during the late morning through mid afternoon hours. | |||||||||||
| 42.0 | 1982-04-26 | 3 | 33°56'N / 88°00'W | 33°57'N / 87°57'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lamar |
| 42.0 | 1952-03-22 | 4 | 34°36'N / 87°00'W | 34°41'N / 86°38'W | 21.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 4 | 50 | 25K | 0 | Morgan |
| 42.2 | 1953-02-20 | 3 | 34°42'N / 87°42'W | 0.10 Mile | 20 Yards | 1 | 8 | 25K | 0 | Colbert | |
| 42.4 | 1951-02-20 | 2 | 33°40'N / 87°42'W | 0.10 Mile | 123 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Fayette | |
| 42.9 | 1963-04-29 | 2 | 34°00'N / 88°08'W | 34°10'N / 87°57'W | 15.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 17 | 250K | 0 | Marion |
| 42.9 | 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 |
| 43.0 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 43.2 | 1958-04-05 | 2 | 34°46'N / 87°26'W | 34°51'N / 87°17'W | 10.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 43.4 | 1958-04-05 | 2 | 34°42'N / 87°24'W | 34°55'N / 87°02'W | 25.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 43.7 | 1967-12-18 | 2 | 34°33'N / 86°42'W | 34°35'N / 86°41'W | 2.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 2 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Morgan |
| 43.8 | 1952-02-13 | 3 | 33°36'N / 87°38'W | 33°37'N / 87°37'W | 2.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fayette |
| 44.3 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 34°41'N / 87°04'W | 34°48'N / 86°46'W | 18.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 5 | 41 | 0K | 0 | Limestone |
| 44.4 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 44.8 | 2009-05-06 | 2 | 34°40'N / 86°49'W | 34°42'N / 86°47'W | 2.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 40K | 0K | Limestone |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down along Segers Road in eastern Limestone county, snapping and uprooting numerous large trees. A tree fell on a mobile home on Hardiman Road and split it in half. Peak wind speed was estimated at 115 mph with a path width of 75 yards. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Strong thunderstorms erupted around Midnight on the 6th in northwest Alabama and tracked across portions of north Alabama. The storms produced one to three inches of rainfall in parts of Lawrence, Morgan, Cullman and Marshall Counties resulting in a few instances of flash flooding. Following this first round of thunderstorms, a vigorous quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) advanced eastward from northern Mississippi into northwest Alabama before sunrise. This system strengthened as it encountered increasing instability. Given high amounts of low level wind shear, a break in the line resulted as a strong comma head / mesocyclone developed. This storm evolved into its own miniature supercell spawning three tornadoes along its track from eastern Lawrence through Morgan, Limestone and Madison Counties. The tornado in Limestone and Madison County produced up to EF2 damage along its 10.9 mile track, narrowly missing an elementary school, high school, and two churches in Madison. Other reports of thunderstorm wind damage were received with these storms. | |||||||||||
| 44.9 | 1965-03-17 | 3 | 34°45'N / 87°40'W | 34°50'N / 87°30'W | 11.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 22 | 250K | 0 | Colbert |
| 45.2 | 1997-05-02 | 2 | 34°46'N / 87°00'W | 34°48'N / 86°58'W | 3.20 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 12 | 2.3M | 50K | Limestone |
| Brief Description: A tornado, rated at F2 on the Fujita scale, struck the southern and eastern sections of Athens in Limestone County. The tornado path began about 2 miles south-southwest of Athens near the intersection of Sanderfer Road and County Road 45. The tornado moved northeasterly crossing through southern and eastern sections of Athens. It crossed the intersection of State Road 127 and US 72 where several businesses were damaged. Some damage was caused at Athens Middle School. The tornado continued northeast dissipating near the intersection of Proyr Street and US 31 near Athens High School. According to EMA officals, siz homes were destroyed, 14 homes sustained major damage, and an additional 14 homes had minor damage. Three apartment buildings, each with eight units, were damaged, 13 businesses had major damage, and two businesses reported minor damage. Of the 12 injuries, two were described as serious. | |||||||||||
| 45.4 | 1951-11-16 | 2 | 34°05'N / 86°31'W | 1.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Blount | |
| 45.5 | 1972-10-27 | 2 | 33°31'N / 86°55'W | 33°45'N / 86°49'W | 17.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 45.5 | 1952-02-13 | 3 | 33°36'N / 86°56'W | 1 | 26 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson | |||
| 45.8 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 34°42'N / 87°03'W | 34°50'N / 86°47'W | 17.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 11 | 80 | 0K | 0 | Limestone |
| 46.0 | 1952-02-13 | 3 | 33°34'N / 87°40'W | 33°36'N / 87°38'W | 3.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 14 | 25K | 0 | Tuscaloosa |
| 46.5 | 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 |
| 46.6 | 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 |
| 46.7 | 1972-06-27 | 2 | 34°19'N / 86°30'W | 0.30 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |
| 46.9 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 33°50'N / 88°08'W | 33°57'N / 87°57'W | 13.30 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Lamar |
| 46.9 | 1989-02-20 | 2 | 33°57'N / 88°08'W | 34°03'N / 88°03'W | 9.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Lamar |
| 46.9 | 1974-01-28 | 3 | 33°40'N / 87°50'W | 0.80 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Fayette | |
| 47.1 | 1958-04-29 | 2 | 33°38'N / 86°49'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 47.5 | 1986-03-19 | 2 | 33°49'N / 86°36'W | 0.20 Mile | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Blount | |
| 47.8 | 1964-03-09 | 3 | 34°51'N / 87°23'W | 34°54'N / 87°19'W | 5.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 2 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Lauderdale |
| 47.8 | 1963-03-11 | 2 | 34°46'N / 87°10'W | 34°53'N / 86°48'W | 22.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Limestone |
| 47.9 | 1962-03-31 | 2 | 33°42'N / 87°54'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fayette | |||
| 47.9 | 1985-08-16 | 2 | 33°29'N / 87°06'W | 33°32'N / 87°07'W | 3.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 48.0 | 1985-08-16 | 3 | 34°42'N / 87°05'W | 35°01'N / 87°07'W | 23.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Limestone |
| 48.2 | 2008-01-10 | 3 | 33°28'N / 87°30'W | 33°32'N / 87°26'W | 6.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 435K | 0K | Tuscaloosa |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down around just southwest of the intersection of AL-69 and CR-38, near Windham Springs. From there, it traveled northeast across the intersection, and then roughly parallel to CR-38 for about 5 miles, before lifting northeast of the Wiley Community. At least 5 structures were heavily damaged, including a church in Windham Springs and a general store in Wiley. At least 300 trees were either snapped or uprooted along the damage path. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong low pressure system and associated cold front caused numerous severe thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes across central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 48.3 | 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 |
| 48.3 | 1983-11-15 | 2 | 33°49'N / 86°35'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Blount | |
| 48.4 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 48.9 | 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 |
| 48.9 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 48.9 | 1965-03-17 | 3 | 34°50'N / 87°30'W | 34°57'N / 87°12'W | 18.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lauderdale |
| 49.0 | 1965-02-11 | 2 | 34°50'N / 87°39'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Colbert | |||
| 49.3 | 1967-10-24 | 3 | 34°48'N / 87°47'W | 34°51'N / 87°35'W | 11.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Lauderdale |
| 49.3 | 2000-12-16 | 2 | 34°51'N / 87°03'W | 34°52'N / 86°59'W | 4.80 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 150K | 0K | Limestone |
| Brief Description: A second tornado began 5.1 miles west-northwest of Athens just south of O'Neal. The tornado travelled in a northeasterly direction crossing SR 99 where several houses were damaged heavily. Continuing northeast the tornado crossed CR 63 and damaged several houses and destroyed three mobile homes just south of Cross Key. The tornado then crossed CR 26 and SR 127 before dissipating about 5.0 miles north of Athens. The tornado was rated an F2 with no known injuries reported. The total tornado path was 4.8 miles long and about 60 yards wide. The tornado began at 12:38 PM and dissipated at 12:44 PM. Beginning: 34 50.326/87 03.032 Ending: 34 52.552/86 58.748 | |||||||||||
| 49.4 | 1953-03-22 | 2 | 34°51'N / 87°37'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lauderdale | |
| 49.5 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 49.5 | 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 |
| 49.5 | 1967-12-19 | 2 | 33°36'N / 86°48'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Jefferson | |
| 49.6 | 1973-11-27 | 3 | 34°38'N / 86°47'W | 34°44'N / 86°34'W | 14.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 42 | 2.5M | 0 | Madison |
| 49.9 | 1982-01-03 | 2 | 34°21'N / 86°27'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |
* 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.