Cragford, AL Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Cragford is about the same as Alabama average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Cragford is lower than Alabama average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #459
| Cragford, AL | 0.03 |
| 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
| Cragford, 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, #438
| Cragford, AL | 206.82 |
| 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 2,720 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Cragford, 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: | 1 | Drought: | 63 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 156 | Hail: | 899 | Heat: | 10 | Heavy Snow: | 23 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 1 | Ice Storm: | 11 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 34 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,299 | Tropical Storm: | 5 | Wildfire: | 1 | Winter Storm: | 14 | Winter Weather: | 19 |
| Other: | 167 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Cragford, AL.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Cragford, AL.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Cragford, AL.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 81 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Cragford, AL.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 8.8 | 1953-05-01 | 4 | 33°13'N / 85°56'W | 33°18'N / 85°45'W | 12.10 Miles | 440 Yards | 7 | 12 | 250K | 0 | Clay |
| 9.5 | 1957-11-18 | 2 | 33°16'N / 85°51'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clay | |||
| 10.1 | 1996-03-18 | 3 | 33°15'N / 85°55'W | 32°54'N / 85°48'W | 14.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Tallapoosa |
| Brief Description: A tornado began on the northeast side of Eclectic and extended for 10 miles in Elmore County crossing the Elmore-Tallapoosa county line just east of Highway 63. The tornado continued for another 14 miles in Tallapoosa County crossing Lake Martin and ending on the north side of Jacksons Gap not far from where a tornado had occurred earlier in the evening. This was classified as an F3 tornado with a total damage path of 24 miles with a width of a quarter of a mile at the widest. Numerous buildings of all types were damaged along the track. Some of the most intense damage occurred as the tornado emerged from crossing Lake Martin in the Peckerwood area just southwest of Jacksons Gap. Numerous permanent homes and mobile homes were seriously damaged or destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 11.7 | 1980-06-17 | 2 | 33°20'N / 85°48'W | 33°21'N / 85°43'W | 5.20 Miles | 23 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clay |
| 13.3 | 1970-04-26 | 2 | 33°15'N / 85°31'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Randolph | |
| 19.6 | 1979-11-25 | 2 | 32°44'N / 85°54'W | 33°04'N / 85°44'W | 25.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Tallapoosa |
| 19.8 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°26'N / 85°44'W | 33°29'N / 85°38'W | 7.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Clay |
| 21.4 | 1974-01-26 | 3 | 33°08'N / 85°28'W | 33°24'N / 85°17'W | 21.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Randolph |
| 22.5 | 1989-03-05 | 2 | 32°54'N / 85°31'W | 33°06'N / 85°17'W | 15.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Chambers |
| 22.7 | 1973-05-27 | 4 | 33°27'N / 85°54'W | 33°32'N / 85°45'W | 10.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Clay |
| 22.7 | 1961-12-11 | 2 | 33°02'N / 86°05'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Coosa | |||
| 22.7 | 1973-12-26 | 2 | 33°02'N / 86°05'W | 0.10 Mile | 27 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Talladega | |
| 22.7 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 33°16'N / 86°09'W | 33°22'N / 86°01'W | 9.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 230K | 0K | Talladega |
| Brief Description: The same thunderstorm that spawned the Sylacauga tornado produced another tornado in eastern Talladega County. This tornado was also rated an F2 on the Fujita scale and began at 3:59 pm 4 miles southeast of Winterboro in the Talladega National Forest. The tornado tracked northeast across Germany Mountain and ended at 4:09 pm, 1 mile southeast of Waldo. Several homes were damaged on Germany Mountain with one receiving significant damage. At least 6 mobile homes were totally destroyed and several outbuildings and barns were destroyed. Several trees were blown down or snapped off along the path. No injuries were reported. Beg: 33 17.453/86 08.146 End: 33 22.351/86 00.750 | |||||||||||
| 23.5 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°29'N / 85°38'W | 33°30'N / 85°32'W | 6.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Randolph |
| 25.4 | 1967-05-07 | 2 | 33°24'N / 86°06'W | 33°26'N / 86°01'W | 5.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Talladega |
| 27.0 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°32'N / 85°41'W | 33°34'N / 85°31'W | 8.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cleburne |
| 27.3 | 1989-03-05 | 2 | 33°06'N / 85°17'W | 33°10'N / 85°14'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Randolph |
| 27.9 | 2008-08-25 | 2 | 33°34'N / 85°40'W | 33°35'N / 85°40'W | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0K | Cleburne | ||
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down on US-431, about a half mile south of the intersection with AL-281. It then moved northwestward, along and just east of US-431, and lifted just before reaching AL-281. One gas station/convenience store and one auto body shop were significantly damaged. Approximately 100 to 200 trees were snapped off or were uprooted along the damage path. This tornado was associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Tropical Storm Fay, and its remnants after landfall, brought high winds, heavy rain, and numerous tornadoes to Central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 27.9 | 1953-01-08 | 2 | 33°25'N / 86°07'W | 33°27'N / 86°05'W | 3.00 Miles | 867 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Talladega |
| 28.5 | 1973-05-27 | 4 | 33°15'N / 86°27'W | 33°27'N / 85°54'W | 34.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 17 | 25.0M | 0 | Talladega |
| 28.7 | 1980-03-20 | 2 | 33°10'N / 86°15'W | 33°12'N / 86°12'W | 3.80 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Talladega |
| 28.8 | 1985-04-05 | 2 | 33°34'N / 85°53'W | 33°35'N / 85°51'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Talladega |
| 29.6 | 1985-04-05 | 2 | 33°35'N / 85°51'W | 33°36'N / 85°50'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 30.2 | 1972-01-10 | 2 | 32°44'N / 85°35'W | 32°47'N / 85°33'W | 4.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Chambers |
| 30.4 | 1963-04-29 | 2 | 33°30'N / 86°05'W | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Talladega | |||
| 30.4 | 1983-12-03 | 3 | 33°35'N / 85°50'W | 33°38'N / 85°48'W | 4.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 2 | 51 | 2.5M | 0 | Calhoun |
| 31.1 | 1960-09-16 | 2 | 33°11'N / 86°16'W | 0.30 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Talladega | |
| 31.1 | 1962-03-21 | 2 | 33°09'N / 86°16'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Talladega | |
| 31.1 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°31'N / 85°24'W | 33°30'N / 85°20'W | 5.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cleburne |
| 31.6 | 1989-03-05 | 2 | 33°16'N / 86°22'W | 33°26'N / 86°06'W | 20.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Talladega |
| 32.5 | 2004-11-24 | 2 | 33°35'N / 86°00'W | 33°39'N / 85°50'W | 10.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 1 | 0 | 85K | 0 | Calhoun |
| Brief Description: F75MH The tornado touched down in the vicinity of the Talladega Superspeedway. Two concession stands within the infield area of the race track had their roofs blown off. The Bush Garage area received building damage and the garage doors were bowed out. Debris was scattered between the garage area and Victory Lane. One digital leader board was completely destroyed and another one sustained major damage. The tornado continued on a northeast path across northern Talladega County. Numerous trees were blown down or snapped off along the path. Several out-building were destroyed and sheet metal was lofted into trees. The tornado moved into the Eastaboga area where it caused severe damage. Two homes suffered major roof damage, two porches were destroyed and many trees were blown down. The tornado continued northeastward into southwest Calhoun County. In Bynum, two mobile homes were heavily damaged by fallen trees. One of the trees smashed a mobile home killing a 75 year old woman around 712 am. In the Coldwater area, one home was significantly damaged and a shed was destroyed. Numerous trees were still being knocked down along the path. The tornado then moved into the southwestern part of Anniston. A cinder block building sustained major structural damage and an animal shelter received major roof damage. Several other businesses sustained damage near Anniston. The total tornado damage path length was 15.2 miles and was 500 yards wide at its widest point. Begin: 33 34.19/86 04.42 End: 33 38.94/85 49.68 | |||||||||||
| 32.5 | 1967-03-06 | 2 | 33°38'N / 85°51'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun | |||
| 32.6 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°16'N / 86°22'W | 33°19'N / 86°11'W | 11.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Talladega |
| 32.7 | 1979-11-25 | 2 | 32°43'N / 85°55'W | 32°44'N / 85°54'W | 1.90 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Elmore |
| 33.0 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 33°10'N / 86°19'W | 33°12'N / 86°17'W | 3.10 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 15 | 800K | 0K | Talladega |
| Brief Description: The F2 tornado began at 3:42 pm near the intersection of Forest Glen Rd. and Odens Mill Rd., in the Oak Grove Community. It traveled northeast crossing US 280 and ended at 3:45 pm near Shirtee Creek in the Odena Community. The Red Cross and the local Emergency Management Agency estimate that 15 people were injured, two critically. Forty to 50 homes were damaged with 7 of the homes sustaining significant damage. Ten mobile homes were totally destroyed. Several outbuildings and sheds were destroyed and numerous trees were blown down or uprooted along the entire path. The tornado path was 3.1 miles long and 400 yards wide at its widest point. Beg: 33 10.930/86 18.818 End: 33 12.502/86 16.176 | |||||||||||
| 33.5 | 1976-03-29 | 2 | 33°37'N / 85°58'W | 1.00 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun | |
| 34.3 | 2004-11-24 | 2 | 33°35'N / 86°04'W | 33°37'N / 86°00'W | 4.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 125K | 0 | Talladega |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down in the vicinity of the Talladega Superspeedway. Two concession stands within the infield area of the race track had their roofs blown off. The Bush Garage area received building damage and the garage doors were bowed out. Debris was scattered between the garage area and Victory Lane. One digital leader board was completely destroyed and another one sustained major damage. The tornado continued on a northeast path across northern Talladega County. Numerous trees were blown down or snapped off along the path. Several out-building were destroyed and sheet metal was lofted into trees. The tornado moved into the Eastaboga area where it caused severe damage. Two homes suffered major roof damage, two porches were destroyed and many trees were blown down. The tornado continued northeastward into southwest Calhoun County. In Bynum, two mobile homes were heavily damaged by fallen trees. One of the trees smashed a mobile home killing a 75 year old woman around 712 am. In the Coldwater area, one home was significantly damaged and a shed was destroyed. Numerous trees were still being knocked down along the path. The tornado then moved into the southwestern part of Anniston. A cinder block building sustained major structural damage and an animal shelter received major roof damage. Several other businesses sustained damage near Anniston. The total tornado damage path length was 15.2 miles and was 500 yards wide at its widest point. Begin: 33 34.19/86 04.42 End: 33 38.94/85 49.68 | |||||||||||
| 35.0 | 1974-04-02 | 2 | 32°53'N / 85°14'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Chambers | |||
| 35.2 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 33°33'N / 85°28'W | 33°40'N / 85°21'W | 10.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cleburne |
| 35.3 | 1967-11-22 | 2 | 33°39'N / 85°55'W | 33°41'N / 85°52'W | 3.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 35.7 | 1978-04-18 | 2 | 33°01'N / 86°19'W | 0.10 Mile | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Coosa | |
| 36.0 | 1996-03-18 | 3 | 32°39'N / 86°01'W | 32°44'N / 85°55'W | 10.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 700K | 50K | Elmore |
| Brief Description: A tornado began on the northeast side of Eclectic and extended for 10 miles in Elmore County crossing the Elmore-Tallapoosa county line just east of Highway 63. The tornado continued for another 14 miles in Tallapoosa County crossing Lake Martin and ending on the north side of Jacksons Gap not far from where a tornado had occurred earlier in the evening. This was classified as an F3 tornado with a total damage path of 24 miles with a width of a quarter of a mile at the widest. Numerous buildings of all types were damaged along the track. Some of the most intense damage occurred as the tornado emerged from crossing Lake Martin in the Peckerwood area just southwest of Jacksons Gap. Numerous permanent homes and mobile homes were seriously damaged or destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 36.9 | 1989-03-05 | 2 | 33°10'N / 85°14'W | 33°22'N / 84°58'W | 20.00 Miles | 167 Yards | 1 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Heard |
| 37.0 | 1964-04-28 | 3 | 33°36'N / 86°07'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Talladega | |||
| 37.0 | 1964-07-09 | 2 | 33°36'N / 86°07'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Talladega | |||
| 37.4 | 1961-05-09 | 2 | 32°56'N / 85°09'W | 0.80 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Troup | |
| 37.6 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 33°15'N / 85°05'W | 0.80 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Heard | |
| 37.8 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°15'N / 86°23'W | 33°16'N / 86°22'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shelby |
| 38.6 | 1970-03-19 | 3 | 32°50'N / 85°12'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 2 | 14 | 250K | 0 | Chambers | |
| 39.3 | 2008-05-11 | 2 | 33°33'N / 85°13'W | 33°33'N / 85°13'W | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 0K | Carroll | ||
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that two brief spinup tornadoes occurred within a larger and extensive area of straight-line wind damage across much of central Carroll county. The first brief tornado spinup was an EF2 in the Jonesville community, just northeast of Bowdon and west of Carrollton. The tornado touched down approximately two miles east of where the straight-line wind damage began. The tornado was only on the ground approximately 100 yards and had a path width of 100 yards as well. The roofs of two homes were completely blown off the structures, including nearly $1 million in damages to a Dalton Carpet Outlet. Hundreds of trees were also down in the area. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stationary front was draped across north Georgia early on May 10th with an active northwest flow aloft. Meanwhile...a vigorous short wave aloft was approaching the area from the southern plains. The stationary front provided the focus for two rounds of showers and thunderstorms, one early in the morning on the 10th and another in the afternoon. The activity tracked east-southeast with the upper flow aloft, mainly across north Georgia during the early morning and across central Georgia during the afternoon. An isolated strong supercell also tracked across the southern part of central Georgia during the evening. After a lull of convective activity for about four hours, intense multicell thunderstorms tracked into the area from Alabama after midnight and before dawn on the 11th. As these thunderstorms tracked across west central and central Georgia, 15 tornadoes were identified by subsequent surveys making this the most significant tornado outbreak to affect the area since the Katrina-associated tornadoes on August 29, 2005. Millions of dollars of property damage were reported as many homes were destroyed from these tornadoes from the western and southern suburbs of Atlanta southeastward across Macon, Dublin, and other counties in east central and southeast Georgia. Many of these counties were eligible for disaster assistance from the federal government. In addition to the tornadoes and thunderstorm winds that caused extensive damage in dozens of counties across north and central Georgia during the early morning hours of May 11th, strong gradient winds developed on the back side of the strong cold front that moved through the area as low pressure intensified across the mid-Atlantic region. The strong winds combined with wet ground resulted in dozens of trees being blown down in some north Georgia counties. There were also two deaths as a result of downed trees in Barrow and Gwinnett county, all non-thunderstorm-related winds. | |||||||||||
| 39.4 | 2008-02-26 | 3 | 33°33'N / 85°17'W | 33°34'N / 85°10'W | 7.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 8.0M | 0K | Carroll |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A ground and aerial damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia and the Carroll County Emergency Management Director concluded that an EF3 tornado touched down in extreme western Carroll county, just across the Alabama state line, about 13 miles west of Carrollton and continued to a point approximately five miles west of Carrollton. The tornado traveled a path length of seven to eight miles and had a maximum path width of 100 yards. Maximum wind speeds were estimated at 140 mph. Twelve structures, mostly single family homes, suffered extensive damage along the path of the tornado. Only four of the affected structures were manufactured or mobile homes. Two of the affected homes were destroyed, on Indian Creek Road. A woman was injured on Smithfield Road when she was blown from her home. Numerous trees and power lines were down throughout the area as well. Damages were estimated to be nearly $10 million. This plus the following tornado resulted in damage to 128 structures. Six single-family and one mobile home were destroyed, two mobile homes suffered major damage, 34 single-family homes sustained minor damage, and 84 single-family homes, along with one mobile home, suffered minor damage. Five businesses were damaged, two of which were destroyed, along with one suffering major and two others minor damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A deep upper trough was moving from the mid-south toward the southeast U.S. early on the 26th. A strong cold front accompanied the upper system. A squall line of thunderstorms developed after midnight on the 25th across Mississippi and Alabama and reached the Georgia/Alabama border around 5 am EST. The line of thunderstorms intensified and bowed out just as it was moving in Georgia during the early morning hours. Wind gusts in excess 60 mph affected many counties as these thunderstorms rolled through the area during the early morning hours, causing extensive wind damage to trees, power lines, and some structures from the west and northwest side of Atlanta toward the Alabama border. In addition, two tornadoes, one an EF3, developed along the stronger part of the line as it moved through Carroll county before daybreak causing extensive damage along their paths. | |||||||||||
| 39.4 | 2004-11-24 | 2 | 32°53'N / 86°31'W | 33°00'N / 86°11'W | 18.70 Miles | 1400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0 | Coosa |
| Brief Description: National Weather Service Meteorologist made a few trips to the damage areas across Autauga, Chilton and Coosa Counties. The damage was consistent with a very large tornado with a long damage path. The tornado damage was rated an F2, but the strength of the tornado may have been stronger but the tornado affected mostly rural areas. The F2 tornado first touched down between Jones and Bethel Grove generally producing only tree damage until it reached the county line. The tornado then traveled on a northeast heading into southern Chilton County between Pletcher and Billingsley. The tornado was fairly weak at this time, blowing down and snapping off several large trees in rural areas. As the tornado approached the west side of Interstate 65, the tornado increased to F2 intensity and caused considerable damage to several structures. Continuing northeast, the tornado weakened a bit as it crossed Interstate 65 in the vicinity of mile marker 202, approximately 3 miles south of the Clanton Exit. The tornado was still strong enough at this time to down several large trees and block the northbound lanes of traffic. After crossing the interstate, the tornado regained F2 intensity moving through the Cooper Community. The tornado produced extensive structural damage in Cooper. Several homes, businesses, mobile homes and out-buildings were damaged or destroyed. Hundreds of trees were blown down or snapped off in this area. The tornado moved across eastern Chilton County and went across Lake Mitchell. At Lake Mitchell, on the Chilton/Coosa County Line, numerous homes and mobile homes were destroyed generally between Blue Creek and Cargle Creek. The tornado crossed Lake Mitchell and moved into the Coosa Wildlife Management Area along Hatchet Creek. Hundreds of trees were splintered in this area. The tornado then moved through rural Coosa County crossing US 231 just south of the Hanover Community. The tornado dissipated shortly after US 231. The tornado damage path was 49.1 miles long and an astounding 1400 yards wide at its widest point. No injuries or fatalities were reported with this strong tornado. Begin: 32 35.77/86 53.11 End: 32 59.99/86 11.45 | |||||||||||
| 39.8 | 2008-02-06 | 2 | 33°00'N / 86°30'W | 33°06'N / 86°18'W | 14.00 Miles | 2000 Yards | 0 | 0 | 115K | 0K | Coosa |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down in the Hidden Valley community along Lay Lake, about 2 miles northeast of Lay Dam. It then tracked northeastward, before producing its most significant damage just east of Marble Valley along County Road 56. Four large wooden power poles were snapped off. Two mobile homes were knocked off their foundations and rolled over. Hundreds of hardwood and softwood trees were either snapped off or uprooted along the path. The tornado then continued northeastward, eventually crossing into Talladega County. 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. | |||||||||||
| 40.0 | 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 |
| 40.6 | 2005-08-29 | 2 | 33°24'N / 85°05'W | 33°25'N / 85°05'W | 1.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 750K | 0 | Heard |
| Brief Description: A National Weather Survey Team concluded that an F2 tornado touched down approximately 1/4 mile south of Glenloch in far northern Heard county, then continued north at 30-35 mph into Carroll county about three miles southeast of Roopville, finally terminating three miles northeast of Roopville. This was the first confirmed tornado in the Peachtree City forecast area associated with Hurricane Katrina. While the overall damage path with this tornado was 5.5 miles long, only 1.5 miles of this damage path occurred within Heard county. The path width of this tornado was approximately 200 yards wide. Several homes in the Glenloch area were severely damaged, along with a number of downed trees and power lines. Three residents at one of the damaged homes were injured by debris during the tornado. | |||||||||||
| 40.6 | 1964-01-24 | 4 | 33°19'N / 86°26'W | 33°20'N / 86°23'W | 3.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 10 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Shelby |
| 41.0 | 2005-08-29 | 2 | 33°25'N / 85°06'W | 33°29'N / 85°06'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 0 | 4.4M | 0 | Carroll |
| Brief Description: A National Weather Service Damage Survey Team, in conjunction with the Carroll County Emergency Manager and Chief of Fire and Rescue operations, concluded that the F2 tornado, which began just south of Glenloch in Heard county, continued north into Carroll county. The tornado entered Carroll county approximately three miles southeast of Roopville and continued north at 30-35 mph to a point about three miles northeast of Roopville. The overall path length within Carroll county was 4.0 miles with an approximate path width of 200 yards. Extensive damage occurred along the path of the tornado. A total of 17 large chicken houses were destroyed along with 1,000,000 chickens. This resulted in agricultural damages alone in Carroll county of $3,000,000. A 40-year old man was killed while stepping outside his house to check on the status of his poultry and one of his chicken houses. Other livestock, including cattle and horses were also killed along the tornado path. Several homes and vehicles were also damaged or destroyed. One Chevrolet pickup truck was flipped over by the tornado onto a pile of bricks and wooden panels. Damage to homes and residential property from the tornado was estimated at $1,435,800. Overall damage in Carroll county from the tornado and subsequent thunderstorm wind was estimated at $5,235,800. All together 30 homes in the county suffered moderate damage, with another 100 homes sustaining minor damage. M40OU | |||||||||||
| 41.3 | 1976-03-12 | 3 | 32°37'N / 86°04'W | 32°39'N / 86°00'W | 4.90 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 15 | 2.5M | 0 | Elmore |
| 41.8 | 1968-11-17 | 3 | 32°49'N / 86°27'W | 32°52'N / 86°13'W | 14.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Coosa |
| 42.3 | 1980-04-13 | 2 | 32°36'N / 85°27'W | 32°41'N / 85°17'W | 11.30 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 13 | 2.5M | 0 | Lee |
| 42.4 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 33°35'N / 86°17'W | 33°37'N / 86°14'W | 4.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 500K | 0K | St. Clair |
| Brief Description: A tornado rated an F2 began weakly on the west-southwest side of Pell City just behind the school at 3:10 pm. The tornado traveled on an east-northeast path downing a communication tower at the EMA/911 office and doing minor roof damage. The storm then crossed over downtown Pell City where a number of buildings sustained light to moderate roof damage along with awnings damaged and some windows broken. The tornado crossed US 231 and became very weak, possibly lifting for a little more than a mile, before slamming into a number of buildings in an industrial park. Some of the greatest destruction was done here. The tornado crossed Interstate 20 and ended after damaging a couple of houses on Sprayberry Road at approximately 3:17 pm. The tornado path was 4.5 miles long and approximately 100 yards wide at the widest. No deaths occurred in this tornado but there were two injuries, both classified as minor. Beginning: 33 34.926/86 17.647 Ending: 33 37.039/86 14.029 | |||||||||||
| 42.5 | 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 |
| 43.7 | 1964-04-28 | 3 | 33°44'N / 85°25'W | 33°44'N / 85°20'W | 5.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 8 | 25K | 0 | Cleburne |
| 43.7 | 1975-01-10 | 3 | 33°33'N / 86°19'W | 33°46'N / 86°07'W | 18.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 60 | 2.5M | 0 | St. Clair |
| 44.2 | 1954-12-05 | 3 | 32°41'N / 85°25'W | 32°40'N / 85°05'W | 19.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Lee |
| 44.5 | 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 |
| 45.5 | 1982-01-03 | 2 | 32°47'N / 86°25'W | 32°50'N / 86°21'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Coosa | ||
| 45.6 | 1977-04-04 | 2 | 33°44'N / 86°09'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | St. Clair | |
| 46.4 | 1999-05-07 | 2 | 33°39'N / 85°13'W | 33°42'N / 85°10'W | 4.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Carroll |
| Brief Description: Sight survey by NWS personnel and newspaper accounts determined that the tornado touched down in Carroll county near Five Points Road and Mt Zion Road. The storm path was to the northeast across Interstate 20 and then into Haralson county. All along the path there was structural damage to several homes, businesses, barns and outbuildings. Many hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted, which caused much of the damage. Several of the trees were very large hardwoods and pines. There was also extensive damage to power and telephone lines. | |||||||||||
| 46.9 | 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 |
| 47.2 | 1956-12-23 | 2 | 32°25'N / 86°01'W | 32°36'N / 85°49'W | 17.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Elmore |
| 47.5 | 1965-11-27 | 2 | 33°36'N / 86°30'W | 33°36'N / 86°15'W | 14.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | St. Clair |
| 47.5 | 2008-05-11 | 2 | 33°04'N / 84°55'W | 33°04'N / 84°55'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 80K | 0K | Troup |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that an EF2 tornado touched down approximately one mile south of Louise or 5.5 miles northeast of LaGrange in northeast Troup county. This was just one of 15 tornadoes that affected the central portion of Georgia early on Mother's Day 2008 and the first of two tornadoes, within the same parent thunderstorm, to touch down in Troup county. The tornado touched down near the intersection of U.S. Highway 29 and Willowwood Road. The tornado tracked approximately 1 mile to the east-northeast to a point less than one mile east-southeast of Louise. The path width was approximately 150 yards wide. Three homes were damaged, a well house was destroyed, and numerous large trees were snapped in half along the path of the tornado. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stationary front was draped across north Georgia early on May 10th with an active northwest flow aloft. Meanwhile...a vigorous short wave aloft was approaching the area from the southern plains. The stationary front provided the focus for two rounds of showers and thunderstorms, one early in the morning on the 10th and another in the afternoon. The activity tracked east-southeast with the upper flow aloft, mainly across north Georgia during the early morning and across central Georgia during the afternoon. An isolated strong supercell also tracked across the southern part of central Georgia during the evening. After a lull of convective activity for about four hours, intense multicell thunderstorms tracked into the area from Alabama after midnight and before dawn on the 11th. As these thunderstorms tracked across west central and central Georgia, 15 tornadoes were identified by subsequent surveys making this the most significant tornado outbreak to affect the area since the Katrina-associated tornadoes on August 29, 2005. Millions of dollars of property damage were reported as many homes were destroyed from these tornadoes from the western and southern suburbs of Atlanta southeastward across Macon, Dublin, and other counties in east central and southeast Georgia. Many of these counties were eligible for disaster assistance from the federal government. In addition to the tornadoes and thunderstorm winds that caused extensive damage in dozens of counties across north and central Georgia during the early morning hours of May 11th, strong gradient winds developed on the back side of the strong cold front that moved through the area as low pressure intensified across the mid-Atlantic region. The strong winds combined with wet ground resulted in dozens of trees being blown down in some north Georgia counties. There were also two deaths as a result of downed trees in Barrow and Gwinnett county, all non-thunderstorm-related winds. | |||||||||||
| 47.6 | 1977-03-29 | 2 | 32°37'N / 86°21'W | 32°42'N / 86°12'W | 10.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Elmore |
| 47.8 | 1964-04-28 | 3 | 33°44'N / 85°20'W | 33°44'N / 85°09'W | 10.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Haralson |
| 48.0 | 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) | |||||||||||
| 48.2 | 1998-04-08 | 2 | 33°37'N / 86°29'W | 33°38'N / 86°15'W | 14.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 2 | 12 | 2.0M | 5K | St. Clair |
| Brief Description: The tornado began 2.3 miles north-northeast of Moody and just west of US 411. The tornado crossed US 411 where a large church and associated buildings, some recently constructed were destroyed. The tornado traveled on an east-northeast track moving through relatively rural areas. It affected a portion of CR 174 and then crossed US 231 just south of Wattsville. The tornado damaged a number of buildings in the Coal City area including a mobile home where two people were killed and three children were injured. The tornado ended in an open area just east of Coal City. Emergency Management for St. Clair County reported that 26 homes were destroyed, 30 homes suffered major damage, and 59 sustained minor damage. This included 42 mobile homes. M29MH, F33MH | |||||||||||
| 48.9 | 1975-01-10 | 2 | 32°36'N / 85°14'W | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Lee | |||
| 49.2 | 1969-12-30 | 2 | 33°47'N / 86°03'W | 33°54'N / 86°00'W | 8.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 49.6 | 2008-05-11 | 2 | 33°06'N / 84°53'W | 33°07'N / 84°52'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0K | Troup |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that a second tornado touched down in Troup county. This was spawned by the same thunderstorm that earlier spawned the first tornado south of Louise. This second tornado was also rated an EF2, touching down initially 4.5 south-southeast of Hogansville along the 1100 block of Perkins Road. The tornado tracked about one mile east-northeast across Troup county before crossing into Meriwether county. At the point of the initial touchdown on Perkins Road, a house was damaged and two trucks were destroyed as they were lifted up and tossed approximately 50 feet. Just before the tornado crossed into Meriwether county, near the intersection of Perkins Road and Duchesne Lane along the Troup/Meriwether county line, it completly lifted the roof off a brick home and partially destroyed a cinder block outbuilding. The path length within Troup county was approximately one mile with a maximum path width of 300 yards. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stationary front was draped across north Georgia early on May 10th with an active northwest flow aloft. Meanwhile...a vigorous short wave aloft was approaching the area from the southern plains. The stationary front provided the focus for two rounds of showers and thunderstorms, one early in the morning on the 10th and another in the afternoon. The activity tracked east-southeast with the upper flow aloft, mainly across north Georgia during the early morning and across central Georgia during the afternoon. An isolated strong supercell also tracked across the southern part of central Georgia during the evening. After a lull of convective activity for about four hours, intense multicell thunderstorms tracked into the area from Alabama after midnight and before dawn on the 11th. As these thunderstorms tracked across west central and central Georgia, 15 tornadoes were identified by subsequent surveys making this the most significant tornado outbreak to affect the area since the Katrina-associated tornadoes on August 29, 2005. Millions of dollars of property damage were reported as many homes were destroyed from these tornadoes from the western and southern suburbs of Atlanta southeastward across Macon, Dublin, and other counties in east central and southeast Georgia. Many of these counties were eligible for disaster assistance from the federal government. In addition to the tornadoes and thunderstorm winds that caused extensive damage in dozens of counties across north and central Georgia during the early morning hours of May 11th, strong gradient winds developed on the back side of the strong cold front that moved through the area as low pressure intensified across the mid-Atlantic region. The strong winds combined with wet ground resulted in dozens of trees being blown down in some north Georgia counties. There were also two deaths as a result of downed trees in Barrow and Gwinnett county, all non-thunderstorm-related winds. | |||||||||||
| 50.0 | 1953-04-18 | 3 | 32°36'N / 85°35'W | 32°30'N / 85°00'W | 34.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 6 | 195 | 2.5M | 0 | Lee |
* 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.