Tanner, AL Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Tanner is about the same as Alabama average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Tanner is much higher than Alabama average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #254
Tanner, AL | 0.06 |
Alabama | 0.08 |
U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
Tanner, 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, #83
Tanner, AL | 381.81 |
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 4,932 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Tanner, 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: | 14 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 26 |
Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 592 | Hail: | 1,406 | Heat: | 14 | Heavy Snow: | 5 |
High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 2 | Ice Storm: | 2 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 13 |
Thunderstorm Winds: | 2,496 | Tropical Storm: | 6 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 11 | Winter Weather: | 11 |
Other: | 334 |
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Tanner, AL.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Tanner, AL.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Tanner, AL.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 156 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Tanner, AL.
Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
2.1 | 1958-05-25 | 2 | 34°38'N / 87°00'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Morgan | |||
5.9 | 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 |
6.8 | 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 |
7.0 | 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 | |||||||||||
7.8 | 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 | |||||||||||
8.2 | 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 |
8.3 | 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. | |||||||||||
9.9 | 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 |
10.2 | 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. | |||||||||||
10.4 | 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 |
10.5 | 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 |
10.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
11.2 | 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 |
11.6 | 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 |
13.6 | 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 | |||||||||||
13.7 | 1958-04-05 | 2 | 34°48'N / 87°00'W | 34°55'N / 86°53'W | 10.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Limestone |
14.1 | 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 |
14.9 | 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 |
16.4 | 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 |
17.0 | 1985-08-16 | 2 | 34°41'N / 86°42'W | 34°49'N / 86°43'W | 13.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Madison |
17.8 | 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 |
17.9 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 34°48'N / 86°46'W | 34°50'N / 86°42'W | 4.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 9 | 110 | 0K | 0 | Madison |
18.1 | 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 |
18.2 | 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 |
18.3 | 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. | |||||||||||
19.1 | 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 |
19.2 | 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 |
19.3 | 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 |
19.7 | 1974-04-01 | 3 | 34°42'N / 86°43'W | 34°45'N / 86°35'W | 8.40 Miles | 800 Yards | 1 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Madison |
21.0 | 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 |
22.3 | 1995-05-18 | 4 | 34°50'N / 87°02'W | 34°48'N / 86°15'W | 39.00 Miles | 1300 Yards | 1 | 55 | 5.0M | 0 | Limestone |
Brief Description: A supercell thunderstorm produced a violent tornado that began 3 miles northwest of Athens in Limestone County and moved on a path just slightly north of east completely across Madison County before ending in northwestern Jackson County about 15 miles northwest of Scottsboro. The tornado path varied from very narrow at the beginning and end to about three-quarters of a mile wide at the widest location in Madison County. Intensity varied from F0 intensity near both ends of the track to F4 at the strongest in several locations in Madison County. Damage along the track was primarily in the F2 and F3 category. Evidence in the damage as seen through an aerial survey indicated that the tornado was probably a multiple vortex with indications of at least two vortices within the main tornado funnel. The tornado began at 1633 CST in Limestone County crossing Interstate 65 and Highway 251 where the mobile home park was destroyed. It reached the Limestone/Madison county line at 1650 CST. The trek across Madison County saw the tornado move near the communities of Harvest, Meridianville, Buckhorn, and Fannings Crossing before moving into the rugged terrain of eastern Madison County. The tornado crossed the Madison/Jackson county line at 1721 CST. The tornado track was much weaker in Jackson County as it moved through rugged terrain affecting very few structures. The track ended about 15 miles northwest of Scottsboro or a few miles west of the community of Hytop. Damage was the heaviest at a mobile home park about three miles northeast of Athens along Highway 251. The only fatality that occurred in this tornado occurred at this mobile home park, and the person died later from injuries received in the tornado. Twenty-six mobile homes were destroyed in Limestone County, 13 in the Oakdale Mobile Home Park. Another 35 buildings were damaged or destroyed in Limestone County where damage was estimated to be $1.5 million. About 9,500 electric customers were without electricity. A cow was also killed when a large tree fell on and crushed it. Another especially hard hit area was Anderson Hills subdivision in Madison County with houses ranging in price from $175,000 to $400,000. This area of well-constructed dwellings was one of the locations where F4 damage was evident as well as indications of a multiple vortex structure. In Anderson Hills, 21 houses were destroyed and 39 sustained major damage. Damage across the rest of Madison County was less concentrated than in this one subdivision. Over 10,000 Huntsville Utility Company customers were without power. M30M | |||||||||||
22.5 | 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 |
22.7 | 1967-12-18 | 2 | 34°35'N / 86°41'W | 34°50'N / 86°30'W | 20.20 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 27 | 2.5M | 0 | Madison |
22.8 | 1970-04-24 | 2 | 34°45'N / 86°36'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Madison | |
22.9 | 2010-01-21 | 2 | 34°42'N / 86°38'W | 34°45'N / 86°33'W | 7.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Madison |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado first touched down in a residential development on the Redstone Arsenal, just 2 miles south of the National Weather Service office located on the campus of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. A narrow tornado path uprooted a large tree, then moved into a residential area along Magnolia Circle. Here, the tornado tore shingles off of roofs and ripped siding off several homes. The tornado then lifted briefly before touching down again near the intersection of Triana Blvd and 9th Ave in Huntsville. It then proceeded northeast another 4.4 miles, through the Old Town and Five Points communities, before lifting near the intersection of Gaboury Lane and Rosalie Ridge road near Chapman Mountain. Along it's path, many hardwood/softwood trees and utility poles were snapped. Multiple well-built single family homes sustained substantial roof damage. Winds were estimated to reach peak speeds of 115 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Isolated classic supercells developed in northern Alabama during the late afternoon hours ahead of a cold front and low pressure system moving through the Tennessee Valley. One of the storms produced an EF-2 tornado in the northeast side of Huntsville. Several photographs and videos documented this tornado from various locations throughout the city of Huntsville and at many locations in Madison County. | |||||||||||
23.1 | 1977-07-17 | 2 | 34°42'N / 86°35'W | 0.20 Mile | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Madison | |
23.3 | 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 |
23.6 | 1976-03-20 | 2 | 34°55'N / 87°16'W | 1.00 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Lauderdale | |
23.9 | 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 |
24.0 | 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 |
24.4 | 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. | |||||||||||
24.8 | 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 |
25.0 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 34°36'N / 86°47'W | 34°48'N / 86°19'W | 29.90 Miles | 700 Yards | 2 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Madison |
25.2 | 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 |
25.3 | 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 |
25.4 | 1989-11-15 | 4 | 34°39'N / 86°39'W | 34°44'N / 86°26'W | 12.50 Miles | 880 Yards | 21 | 463 | 250.0M | 0 | Madison |
25.7 | 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 |
25.9 | 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 |
25.9 | 1967-11-24 | 2 | 34°43'N / 86°35'W | 34°40'N / 86°29'W | 6.60 Miles | 83 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Madison |
26.3 | 1980-06-29 | 2 | 35°01'N / 86°49'W | 1.00 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lincoln | |
26.3 | 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 |
26.4 | 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 |
26.4 | 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. | |||||||||||
27.2 | 1997-05-02 | 2 | 34°52'N / 86°35'W | 34°53'N / 86°35'W | 1.30 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 1 | 600K | 0K | Madison |
Brief Description: A short but powerful tornado struck the area northwest of Meridianville destroying four homes along with major damage to two otehrs and minor damage to twelve more. The tornado path began in an hope area just southwest of the Colonial Golf Course. The torndo moved through a small subdivision on the north and east sides of the golf course and moved into an open area again as it dissipated. | |||||||||||
27.7 | 1963-04-29 | 2 | 35°02'N / 87°13'W | 35°02'N / 87°08'W | 5.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Giles |
27.7 | 1976-03-20 | 2 | 34°46'N / 86°31'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Madison | |
27.8 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 34°50'N / 86°47'W | 35°00'N / 86°26'W | 22.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 5 | 110 | 0K | 0 | Madison |
28.2 | 1968-05-29 | 2 | 34°29'N / 87°26'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lawrence | |
28.4 | 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 |
28.7 | 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 |
28.9 | 1963-03-11 | 2 | 34°53'N / 86°48'W | 34°57'N / 86°22'W | 25.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Madison |
30.1 | 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 |
30.2 | 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 |
30.6 | 1989-05-22 | 2 | 35°03'N / 87°09'W | 35°09'N / 87°00'W | 9.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Giles |
30.6 | 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 | |||||||||||
31.0 | 1975-02-23 | 2 | 34°13'N / 87°03'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Cullman | |
31.8 | 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 |
31.8 | 1973-05-19 | 2 | 34°57'N / 86°33'W | 2.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Madison | |
32.5 | 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 |
32.5 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°30'N / 86°27'W | 34°33'N / 86°26'W | 2.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0K | Madison |
Brief Description: The same storm that spawned the Union Grove Tornado moved northeast across the Tennessee River and produced another tornado in southeastern Madison County. This tornado, rated an F2 on the Fujita scale, touched down around 1:50 pm about 3.6 miles west-southwest of the city of New Hope near the base of Lemley Mountain where it downed trees and produced light damage to some homes. The tornado then strengthened as it moved northeast through a mobile home community where several mobile homes were thrown and demolished. After crossing US 431 and damaging several businesses, the tornado lifted about three-quarters of a mile northeast of the US 431/Old US 431 intersection around 1:54 pm. Despite damage to at least 21 homes, including eight that were completely demolished, there were no known injuries. In the mobile home community where the greatest damage occurred, residents stated they heard the Tornado Warning on televison and through NOAA Weather Radio and took cover in underground storm shelters. Beg: 34 31.445/86 26.951 End: 34 33.250/86 25.254 | |||||||||||
32.7 | 1999-02-27 | 2 | 34°54'N / 87°29'W | 34°56'N / 87°28'W | 1.70 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 145K | 0K | Lauderdale |
Brief Description: A tornado occurred around 5:55 pm about 4 miles northeast of Killen in northern Lauderdale County. A mobile home was destroyed, several houses were heavily damaged, numerous trees were downed and uprooted, and several other structures sustained damage. The damage area was along CR 71 in the Antioch area. | |||||||||||
32.9 | 1959-01-21 | 2 | 34°15'N / 86°42'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cullman | |
33.3 | 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 |
33.7 | 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 |
34.0 | 1989-11-15 | 4 | 34°44'N / 86°26'W | 34°47'N / 86°22'W | 6.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250.0M | 0 | Madison |
34.1 | 1982-01-03 | 2 | 34°13'N / 86°44'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman | |
34.3 | 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 |
34.6 | 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 |
34.9 | 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 |
35.6 | 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 |
35.8 | 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 |
35.9 | 1956-02-17 | 3 | 35°09'N / 87°18'W | 35°09'N / 87°07'W | 10.40 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lawrence |
35.9 | 1951-11-15 | 2 | 34°12'N / 86°42'W | 0 | 2 | 3K | 0 | Cullman | |||
36.0 | 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 |
36.4 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 34°32'N / 86°24'W | 34°36'N / 86°19'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Madison |
36.6 | 1985-08-16 | 2 | 35°06'N / 86°43'W | 35°12'N / 86°45'W | 7.00 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lincoln |
36.6 | 1997-01-24 | 2 | 35°08'N / 86°47'W | 35°11'N / 86°44'W | 4.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lincoln |
Brief Description: Hot Rock area was hardest hit. 3 homes were totally destroyed and 9 more were damaged by the tornado. 14 outbuildings and one house trailer were damaged. Tornado path width and length are approximations. | |||||||||||
36.7 | 1972-06-27 | 2 | 34°19'N / 86°30'W | 0.30 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |
36.8 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 34°18'N / 86°37'W | 34°35'N / 86°11'W | 31.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Marshall |
37.0 | 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 |
37.0 | 1957-04-08 | 3 | 34°18'N / 86°36'W | 34°23'N / 86°20'W | 16.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman |
37.1 | 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 |
37.5 | 1982-01-03 | 2 | 34°21'N / 86°27'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Marshall | |
37.6 | 1957-04-08 | 3 | 34°27'N / 86°25'W | 34°28'N / 86°20'W | 5.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Marshall |
37.7 | 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 |
37.8 | 1951-06-08 | 2 | 34°58'N / 86°26'W | 0 | 2 | 3K | 0 | Madison | |||
37.9 | 1953-03-22 | 2 | 34°51'N / 87°37'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lauderdale | |
38.3 | 1951-11-14 | 2 | 35°13'N / 87°02'W | 0.20 Mile | 7 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Giles | |
38.5 | 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 |
38.6 | 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 |
38.8 | 1957-12-19 | 2 | 34°36'N / 87°40'W | 0 | 7 | 25K | 0 | Colbert | |||
38.8 | 1957-11-08 | 2 | 35°12'N / 87°01'W | 35°15'N / 86°58'W | 4.70 Miles | 133 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Giles |
39.3 | 1965-02-11 | 2 | 34°50'N / 87°39'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Colbert | |||
39.7 | 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. | |||||||||||
40.2 | 1995-05-18 | 4 | 35°00'N / 87°29'W | 35°21'N / 87°10'W | 29.00 Miles | 1000 Yards | 3 | 32 | 4.6M | 0 | Lawrence And Giles |
Brief Description: The tornado touched down near the Lawrence/Wayne County line near Deerfield and lifted near Campbellsville in Giles County. Two people were killed while outside their trailer in the extreme western part of Lawrence County and a third person was killed while inside a house near Deerfield. Thirty-four houses, 16 mobile homes and one business were destroyed. Ninety-eight houses, three mobile homes and two other buildings were damaged. The tornado pulled corn stalks that were two feet tall out fo the ground and destroyed 6 TVA steel high-tension-wire towers. Three of these towers were never found. A cancelled check from Etheridge was found in Cannon County, some 90 miles away. Seventy-five to 100 people were evacuated in Ethridge because of downed power lines. (F48H,M65H,M67H) | |||||||||||
40.5 | 1953-02-20 | 3 | 34°42'N / 87°42'W | 0.10 Mile | 20 Yards | 1 | 8 | 25K | 0 | Colbert | |
40.7 | 1952-02-29 | 4 | 35°09'N / 86°35'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 2 | 150 | 2.5M | 0 | Lincoln | |
41.0 | 1987-05-21 | 2 | 34°10'N / 87°23'W | 0.30 Mile | 150 Yards | 1 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Winston | |
41.0 | 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 |
41.2 | 1975-02-23 | 2 | 34°04'N / 87°00'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Walker | |
41.3 | 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 |
41.5 | 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 | |||||||||||
41.7 | 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 |
41.7 | 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 |
41.8 | 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 | |||||||||||
41.9 | 1963-03-11 | 2 | 35°07'N / 87°36'W | 35°12'N / 87°14'W | 21.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Lawrence |
42.1 | 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 |
42.2 | 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 |
42.4 | 1988-06-18 | 2 | 35°05'N / 86°27'W | 35°00'N / 86°21'W | 7.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lincoln |
42.4 | 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 |
42.7 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 35°00'N / 86°30'W | 35°07'N / 86°19'W | 13.10 Miles | 800 Yards | 6 | 100 | 2.5M | 0 | Lincoln |
42.8 | 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 |
42.9 | 1973-11-26 | 2 | 34°03'N / 87°07'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Winston | |||
43.1 | 1983-02-22 | 2 | 34°04'N / 86°46'W | 1.50 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman | |
43.4 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 34°48'N / 86°19'W | 34°51'N / 86°11'W | 8.30 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Jackson |
43.6 | 1972-04-21 | 3 | 35°08'N / 87°32'W | 35°17'N / 87°13'W | 20.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Lawrence |
43.8 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 35°00'N / 86°20'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lincoln | |||
44.0 | 1965-03-17 | 2 | 35°14'N / 87°20'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lawrence | |
44.1 | 1996-09-28 | 2 | 34°30'N / 86°15'W | 34°32'N / 86°13'W | 2.50 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 50K | Marshall |
Brief Description: Around 1:50 am CDT a small but briefly strong tornado struck in northern Marshall County just southeast and east of Grant. The tornado path began about 2.5 miles south-southeast of Grant just off County Road 503 and extended in a northeastward direction for 2.5 miles. The damage path ended 3 miles east of Grant and just south of County Road 34. Total path length was 2.5 miles. Marshall County Emergency Management Agency reported that four houses were destroyed and five homes and four house trailers sustained damage. Six greenhouses were also totally wrecked. Fortunately, many of the destroyed houses were unoccupied at the time of the tornado with occupants away for the weekend. | |||||||||||
44.2 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 35°00'N / 86°26'W | 35°07'N / 86°19'W | 10.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Lincoln |
44.4 | 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 |
45.4 | 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 |
45.8 | 1976-03-20 | 2 | 34°01'N / 87°10'W | 0.50 Mile | 77 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Winston | |
45.8 | 1973-11-27 | 2 | 34°00'N / 87°02'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cullman | |||
46.1 | 1952-02-13 | 3 | 35°13'N / 86°36'W | 35°13'N / 86°28'W | 7.40 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Lincoln |
46.3 | 1985-08-16 | 3 | 35°14'N / 87°01'W | 35°26'N / 87°01'W | 12.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Giles |
46.4 | 1972-04-21 | 3 | 35°17'N / 87°13'W | 35°22'N / 87°02'W | 11.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 4 | 0K | 0 | Giles |
46.5 | 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 |
46.6 | 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 |
46.8 | 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 | |||||||||||
46.8 | 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 | |||||||||||
47.0 | 2008-04-11 | 3 | 35°16'N / 87°24'W | 35°19'N / 87°13'W | 10.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3.0M | 0K | Lawrence |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Many homes had roof damage especially on Coffee McGee Rd. An outbuilding was damaged on Crawfish Rd. Trees and utility poles were down along U.S. Highway 64 or Waynesboro Highway. Trees were down in Mt. Ararat Cemetery. The worst damage was a downed TVA electrical transmission tower east of U.S. Highway 43 on Hagan Rd. Metal debris was flung up and got stuck about a hundred feet above the ground in an electrical transmission tower. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. Newspaper article stated 56 homes had damage, with 12 homes being complete losses, and there were mainly mobile homes having comp;lete; There was one minor injury. EPISODE NARRATIVE: There were six confirmed tornadoes on April 11, 2008. Large hail and straight line winds were also reported. | |||||||||||
47.3 | 2008-04-11 | 3 | 35°19'N / 87°12'W | 35°21'N / 87°07'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0K | Giles |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A low end EF3 tornado hit northwest Giles County near Liberty Hill. This was part of the same storm complex that hit Lawrence County. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. Many homes had roof damage. The hardest hit area was along Rhea Branch Rd. One residential home was completely leveled. Major damage occurred to the back of the Liberty Hill Baptist Church. A newspaper article stated that 8 homes were completely destroyed, and 30 other homes had serious damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: There were six confirmed tornadoes on April 11, 2008. Large hail and straight line winds were also reported. | |||||||||||
47.5 | 1951-11-15 | 2 | 34°50'N / 87°48'W | 1.50 Miles | 177 Yards | 0 | 6 | 3K | 0 | Lauderdale | |
47.7 | 2009-04-10 | 3 | 34°29'N / 86°15'W | 34°30'N / 86°06'W | 9.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 5 | 0K | 0K | Marshall |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down approximately 2.5 miles south southeast of Grant along Campbell Mill Road. A few houses sustained minor roof damage on the southeast side of Grant. At least two mobile homes sustained major damage from falling trees. The tornado continued east crossing Old Union Road, Columbus City Road, and Cardessa Lane before descending into the Tennessee River Valley. The tornado crossed Highway 79 at approximately 307 PM CDT at the Baker Mountain Road intersection. At this point the damage path width was just below a half of a mile wide. One woman was injured when a tree fell on her car near the Waterfront Grocery store. Several houses sustained substantial damage on the east side of Highway 79 and many trees were snapped and uprooted. The roof was blown off of one home and a brick wall collapsed. The tornado crossed a small inlet onto the south side of Preston Island, wiping out several boat docks and boat houses. Several homes sustained significant damage on the island from falling trees. At least two wood homes had complete roof collapse and partial wall collapse. The tornado crossed Lake Guntersville into the South Sauty community. At least one person was injured in this area when he was caught outside during the tornado. At this point, the damage path width increased to at least a half a mile wide. Several well built homes were damaged by falling trees along Memonminee Road. At least 20 boat houses were destroyed in the community. Along Chilcotin Road a well constructed two story brick house lost its roof. Also falling trees damaged several camper trailers. One trailer was blown into Lake Guntersville. Thousands of trees were uprooted or snapped along the path of the tornado in Marshall county. The tornado crossed the CR 67 causeway and very shortly after moved into Jackson county. On CR 67, tornadic winds damaged the shoulder of the roadway as it crossed. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong upper level storm moving across the Mississipi Valley brought a dry line and cold front into north Alabama during the afternoon and early evening hours. Several classic supercell thunderstorms developed by early afternoon in northwest Alabama, sweeping across the remainder of north Alabama during mid to late afternoon hours. Many of the storms produced very large hail, up to baseball and softball sized, producing significant damage, especially from Decatur through Madison and northwest Huntsville. One of the supercells produced a long track tornado producing damage of up to EF-3 intensity which struck northeastern Marshall County, crossed Lake Guntersville, and moved into southern DeKalb County. | |||||||||||
47.7 | 1997-05-02 | 2 | 35°01'N / 86°16'W | 35°00'N / 86°15'W | 0.90 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 60K | 100K | Franklin |
Brief Description: A half dozen farm related buildings sustained damage. About 100 big trees were blown down in an apple orchard on White Gap Road. The trees were lying in different directions. | |||||||||||
47.8 | 2003-05-05 | 3 | 35°16'N / 86°35'W | 35°16'N / 86°34'W | 1.60 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 2 | 50K | 0 | Lincoln |
Brief Description: The Oak Hill Baptist Church on Wiley Hollow Road was heavily damaged. The church was established in 1883. The nearby residence of the pastor had major roof damage. One of the parishioners was going to take shelter at the church. The tornado carried his truck over the roof of the church and crashed it on top of a nearby tree and utility pole. Also, a frame home on U.S Highway 231 was completely leveled in Belleville and the debris was burned on the spot. There were 2 injuries. One was due to a tree falling on a truck. | |||||||||||
47.8 | 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 |
47.9 | 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 | |||||||||||
48.2 | 1963-03-11 | 2 | 35°15'N / 87°26'W | 35°20'N / 87°17'W | 10.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Lawrence |
48.2 | 1951-11-16 | 2 | 34°05'N / 86°31'W | 1.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Blount | |
48.3 | 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 | |||||||||||
49.0 | 1996-04-20 | 2 | 35°23'N / 86°55'W | 35°21'N / 86°51'W | 1.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Marshall |
49.2 | 1963-03-11 | 2 | 35°06'N / 87°44'W | 35°07'N / 87°36'W | 7.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Wayne |
49.3 | 1985-08-16 | 2 | 35°20'N / 87°03'W | 35°25'N / 87°03'W | 5.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Giles |
50.0 | 1996-04-20 | 2 | 35°23'N / 87°14'W | 35°23'N / 86°55'W | 1.00 Mile | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Giles |
* 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.