The U.S. state of Alabama has seen numerous destructive and devastating tornadoes since 1819, the year with the first recorded tornado within state boundaries. Alabama, located in the "Dixie Alley" region of the Southern United States, experiences an average of 64 tornadoes annually. 297 tornadoes have been classified as "intense" in Alabama, being rated F3+ on the Fujita scale or EF3+ on the Enhanced Fujita scale. Alabama has seen nine F5 or EF5 tornadoes since 1966, the most recent hitting Rainsville in April 2011. The deadliest moved across North Alabama, hitting numerous communities and killing 71 people.
Alabama saw numerous significant tornadoes prior to 1950, including an F4 tornado that killed 30 people in Calhoun and Cherokee counties. 1932 saw a devastating tornado outbreak that killed over 200 people in the state of Alabama; an F4-rated tornado impacted the cities of Tuscaloosa and Northport. 26 people were killed in 1935 when a strong tornado moved through the city of Montgomery. The 1950s saw several large and destructive tornadoes impact communities. The widest of the decade, rated F3, reached a maximum width of 1480 yd (1350 m) as it moved across Russell County. In 1954, a violent tornado took the lives of 25 people in the northern suburbs of Birmingham; another tornado just eight days earlier killed five people in Falkville.
Tornadoes in the 1960s were equally-as-destructive, with a total of 157 tornadoes touching down within state boundaries, killing 81 people. An extremely long-tracked F5 tornado that originated in Mississippi moved into Alabama on March 3, 1966; Tuscaloosa and other communities were affected. Earlier in the decade an F4 tornado killed 10 people and injured six others southeast of Harpersville.
The 1970s were a deadly decade for tornadoes in Alabama, with the "Super Outbreak" occurring in 1974. Alabama was affected by three F5 tornadoes that day, with at least 78 people dying in the state. The town of Tanner saw two destructive F5 tornadoes that each killed over 15 people. Later in the decade saw an F5 tornado impact the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama, killing 22. Only 36 people were killed by tornadoes through the 1980s, most of which were from a destructive tornado that moved through areas near Huntsville in November 1989.
The 1990s were a relatively significant decade for tornadoes in Alabama. On March 27, 1994, an F4 tornado killed 22 people in the Piedmont area; an F3 tornado near Fyffe on the same day injured 20 others. Six people were killed when a tornado moved south of Arab on February 15, 1995. The end of the decade saw an F5 tornado devastate portions of northern Birmingham, killing 32 and injuring over 200 others.
The 2000s were quiet in terms of tornado activity in Alabama, with the deadliest tornado killing 11 people on December 16, 2000. Several F4 tornadoes hit the state during this period, including one that moved through the city of Enterprise. The 2010s saw the most destructive tornado outbreak in recorded history on April 27, 2011; Alabama was impacted by 62 tornadoes. Several violent tornadoes affected communities across the state like Cordova, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Hackleburg, Phil Campbell, Oak Grove, Plainview, Cullman, Fackler, Flat Rock, Eoline and other communities in North and Central Alabama. The outbreak killed an estimated 247 persons in Alabama alone, making it the second-deadliest tornado outbreak in the state's history. Both the deadliest and widest tornadoes in Alabama history occurred on this day.
Alabama tornado climatology
Alabama is located in a region known informally as "Dixie Alley", a term used for areas of the southern United States which are particularly vulnerable to strong to violent tornadoes. Dixie Alley is part of a region of enhanced tornadic activity extending between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, but tornadoes and outbreaks in the Dixie Alley region exhibit some statistically distinguishable characteristics from the more well known Tornado Alley. Tornadic storms in Dixie Alley are most often high precipitation supercells due to an increase of moisture from proximity to the nearby Gulf of Mexico. The Dixie Alley tornadoes accompanying the HP supercells are often partially or fully wrapped in rain, impairing the visibility of the tornadoes to storm spotters and chasers, law enforcement, and the public. Increases of warmth and instability in conjunction with strong wind shear in the Dixie Alley region impacts the times when tornadoes form. In the traditional Tornado Alley, tornadoes most often form from the mid afternoon to early evening.
Dixie Alley's instability can be maintained long after sunset due to being adjacent to the Gulf, increasing the frequency of intense nighttime and early morning tornadoes. There is also a less focused tornado season which tends to be most active in early spring and late autumn but can continue throughout the winter and into late spring, which can lead to complacency among residents of the region. The region often is subject to tornadoes much earlier than the general national peak from May and June, usually from February to Mid-April, and several notorious outbreaks have struck during the late winter and early spring and also in late fall.
Although tornadoes are less frequent in these states than they are in the southern Plains, the southeastern states have had more tornado-related deaths than any of the Plains states (excluding Texas). This is partly due to the fact that there are relatively high numbers of strong/violent long tracked tornadoes and higher population density of this region, as well as the Southern United States having the highest percentage of manufactured homes in the US, where 63% of the overall tornado-related fatalities occur. According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), for the period January 1, 1950 – October 31, 2006, Alabama and Kansas received the largest number of F5 tornadoes. Complicating matters is that tornadoes are rarely visible in this area, as they are more likely to be rain-wrapped, embedded in shafts of heavy rain, and that the hilly topography and heavily forested landscape makes them difficult to see.
Intense tornadoes
Pre–1925
F#DateDeathsInjuriesLocationCountiesPath lengthMax widthF4November 22, 18741430SW to E of Muscle ShoalsFranklinUnknownF3220MontevalloShelbyF3February 14, 1875315NW of ReformPickensUnknownF4March 20, 1875720N of Opelika to SE of ValleyLee, ChambersF4May 1, 18751550E of Rockford to LaFayetteCoosa, Tallapoosa, ChamberF32230N of LoachapokaLeeF3March 27, 188228SW to E of GeorgianaButlerF328W to N of LoachapokaLeeF3110SE of ClaytonBarbourF4February 19, 18841330N of Hoover to Leeds to E of MoodyJefferson, St. ClairF430100N of Jacksonville to NW of PiedmontCalhoun, CherokeeF3April 1, 1884310E of IderDeKalbUnknownF3January 11, 1885125W of Vernon to W of Carbon HillLamar, Fayette, WalkerF4220SW of Eutaw to Brent to S of CaleraGreene, Hale, Bibb, ChiltonF3220S of Sylacauga to E of WedoweeCoosa, Clay, RandolphF4November 6, 188513400SW to N of SelmaDallasF3March 3, 1893415S of CubaSumterF3March 13, 189502E of Louisville to NE of ClaytonBarbourF4March 18, 18991230E of Anniston to S of FruithurstCalhoun, CleburneF3November 20, 1900011E of HamiltonMarionUnknownF3March 25, 190117100BirminghamJeffersonF4April 7, 190319100Holly PondCullman, BlountF4January 21, 190436150Moundville to SE of TuscaloosaHale, TuscaloosaF3March 20, 1905930SW to E of RoanokeChambers, RandolphF3January 3, 1906220NE of BanksPikeUnknownF3April 5, 1907315N of LuverneCrenshawUnknownF4April 24, 190835188Dora to Warrior to Nectar to Cleveland to Albertville to PowellWalker, Jefferson, Blount, MarshallF41150NE of PiedmontCherokeeF3April 29, 1908010S to E of BrundidgeCoffee, PikeUnknownF3February 5, 1909325E of Dodge City to SW of BlountsvilleCullman, BlountF3February 23, 190911S of TuscumbiaColbertUnknownF4April 29, 19092970W of ArdmoreLimestoneF3March 26, 1911350Frisco CityClarke, MonroeF3March 14, 1912850W of Hartford to HeadlandGeneva, Dale, HenryUnknownF3March 13, 1913410NE of Ohatchee to E of Hokes BluffCalhoun, EtowahF3425Hokes BluffEtowahUnknownF4March 20, 19132760NE of Grove Hill to S of Yellow BluffClarke, WilcoxF3February 23, 1917615S to NE of GreensboroHale, PerryUnknownF3950Stewartville to MidwayCoosa, BullockF3March 26, 1917950NW to NE of TroyCrenshaw, PikeF3May 27, 19179100Carbon Hill to N of JasperWalkerF3510Windham SpringsTuscaloosaF427100E of Dora to Morris to W of SpringvilleJefferson, BlountF3635New Hope to E of WoodvilleCullman, Marshall, JacksonF3January 11, 191810120S of Dothan to WebbHoustonF4March 28, 192026125Lake Martin Reservoir to E of LaFayetteElmore, Tallapoosa, ChambersF3110SW of PiedmontCalhounF4April 20, 192088700W of Hamilton to W of Hackleburg to W of Phil Campbell to Town CreekMarion, Franklin, Colbert, LawrenceF42150Carbon Hill to Arley to West PointFayette, Walker, Winston, Cullman, MorganF427100S to NE of HuntsvilleMadisonF3April 15, 1921550N of Russellville to Littleville to NW of LeightonFranklin, ColbertUnknownF3February 4, 192435NE of HooverJeffersonF3April 29, 1924110GreenvilleButlerUnknownF3620W to NE of Union SpringsBullock, MaconF3May 26, 1924117NE of SipseyWalkerF380E of ElkmontLimestoneUnknownUnknownF3May 27, 1924320W of HamiltonMarionUnknownF3December 7, 192400S to E of ChildersburgTalladega
1925–1949
+Intense (F3+) tornadoes in Alabama, 1925–1949F#DateDeathsInjuriesLocationCountiesPath lengthMax widthF4October 24, 19251860N of Levurne to N of EufaulaCrenshaw, Pike, Bullock, BarbourF3November 25, 1926415SW to NE of MarionFayette, MarionF3March 22, 1929525JacksonvilleCalhounF3January 12, 1932929MoundvilleHale, TuscaloosaF3February 21, 193205E of DothanHoustonF3March 21, 193239DemopolisMarengo, HaleF437200E of Ralph to Tuscaloosa to NorthportTuscaloosaF31030W of Uniontown to E of NewbernMarengo, Hale, PerryF431200S of Newbern to S of Marion S of Maplesville to N of ClantonHale, Perry, Dallas, Chilton, CoosaF449150E of Newbern to N of Marion to N of Maplesville to JemisonPerry, Chilton, Bibb, CoosaF3825N of Addison to SW of FalkvilleWinston, Cullman, MorganF418100S of Cullman to Fairview to E of ArabCullman, Morgan, MarshallF41475Columbiana to E of WilsonvilleShelby, TalladegaF438500Owens Cross Roads to Paint Rock to NW of BridgeportMorgan, Madison, JacksonF441325Sylacauga to E of WaldoTalladega, ClayF413160NE of Sylacauga to Lineville to N of WoodlandTalladega, Clay, RandolphF3March 27, 1932520NW of Maplesville to NE of ClantonBibb, Chilton, CoosaF3May 4, 1933427Demopolis areaChoctaw, Sumter, Marengo, Greene, HaleF421200S of Brent to N of AlabasterBibb, ShelbyF4February 25, 1934440SW to SE of AshlandClayF3January 17, 193648SW of RainsvilleDeKalbF3April 5, 1936855N of Red Bay to W of LittlevilleFranklin, ColbertUnknownF3513E of Rogersville to N of Hazel GreenLauderdale, Limestone, MadisonF3December 6, 1936025N of NorthportTuscaloosaF3April 7, 1938951S of Aliceville to SW of GordoPickensF3April 16, 193912BoligeeGreeneF3January 13, 1940310E of MontgomeryMontgomeryF3January 1, 194200SW to N of McIntoshWashingtonUnknownF3March 16, 1942230WaterlooLauderdaleF4April 11, 1943460Hackleburg to Bear CreekMarion, FranklinF3214N of CullmanCullmanF3March 6, 1944112Luverne to SW of TroyCrenshaw, PikeF3April 11, 1944220S of Childersburg to SW of TalladegaTalladegaF4February 12, 19451163York to LivingstonSumterF318S of MaplesvilleChiltonF326293MontgomeryMontgomeryF302TuskegeeMaconF3January 30, 1947330W to N of GeorgianaConecuh, ButlerF3330SE of EclecticElmoreF3March 26, 1948340AlicevillePickensF4November 24, 1949444SW of Nectar to NE of OneontaBlount
1950–1974