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Madison County, Alabama severe weather history spans 1,981 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 53.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #13 nationally and #1 in Alabama.
1,981
Recorded events
68
Direct deaths
830
Direct injuries
$550.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Madison County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Madison County, Alabama severe weather history averages 26.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 615 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 153 events fall before 1990 and 1,828 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Madison County, Alabama record is tornado, responsible for 48 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $525.0M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Madison County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,055 | 13 | $18.8M | 87 | 1956–2025 |
| Hail | 471 | 0 | $432K | 3 | 1961–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 203 | 2 | $3.5M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 96 | 48 | $525.0M | F5 | 1951–2025 |
| Lightning | 69 | 4 | $3.1M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 42 | 1 | $10K | 0 | 2008–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 26 | 0 | $30K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 17 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Dust Devil | 2 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2015–2016 |
Decade by decade
Madison County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
97 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 76 touched down inside it and 21 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF5 | 72 | 145 | 132.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 28 | 267 | 52.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 16 | 190 | 83.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1989-11-15 | EF4 | 21 | 463 | 18.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-03-22 | EF4 | 4 | 50 | 21.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-05-18 | EF4 | 1 | 55 | 39.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 2 | 7 | 46.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-04-01 | EF3 | 1 | 5 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-01 | EF3 | 1 | 6 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-02 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 34.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Madison County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 1989 | Tornado | 21 | 463 | $250.0M | |
| Jul 7, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 11 | 2 | $0 | |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 9 | 110 | $0 | |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | CLUTTSVILLE | 9 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 5 | 110 | $0 | |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 2 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 29, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | (HSV)HUNTSVILLE JONE | 1 | 12 | $1.0M |
| Apr 2, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 6 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rainfall of four to seven inches, most of which occurred in just less than two hours, flooded the Huntsville area. According to newspaper reports, one woman was killed when her car stalled on a flooded bridge on Vermont Road. As she exited the car, she was swept away in the water. A television cameraman was injured when he was swept away by high water while filming. He was rescued by the Huntsville Fire Department. Several other motorists were stranded in high water and were rescued by the fire department. Numerous roads in the area were flooded and subsequently closed. Many local streams and creeks were out of their banks, sending several feet of water into approximately 300 homes and businesses. Several residents were rescued from their homes. Several thousand area customers were without power through the early morning hours due to lightning strikes. A mudslide occurred in Monte Sano State Park covering part of the park road.
A non-severe thunderstorm produced a microburst as it was dissipating at the Huntsville International Airport during an air show. Several tents were damaged and destroyed by the thunderstorm winds. A large and expensive army tent and equipment was extensively damaged.
Four fires were started almost simultaneously by lightning strikes. One man died in a fire caused by a lightning strike. This occurred when the Royal Pines apartment complex caught on fire and damaged eight units. One unit of the University Park Apartments was heavily damaged by a lightning induced fire. One house received attic damage from a fire and one person suffered smoke inhalation.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
405,718
Population (ACS)
$299K
Median home value
21
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Apr 17, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 11, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Huntsville 320
- Madison 169
- Huntsville Mills Arp 108
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Madison County, Alabama?
1,981 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 68 direct deaths and $550.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Madison County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 1,055 recorded events — 53.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Madison County?
97 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 76 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Madison County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Madison County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Madison County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Madison County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 95 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Madison County, Alabama severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Macon County 189
- Marengo County 252
- Lowndes County 199
- Marion County 518
- Limestone County 909
- Marshall County 902
Cite this page
“Madison County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/madison-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.