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Russell County, Alabama severe weather history spans 275 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,933 nationally and #50 in Alabama.
275
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
63
Direct injuries
$29.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Russell County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Russell County, Alabama severe weather history averages 3.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 84 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 40 events fall before 1990 and 235 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Russell County, Alabama record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $28.7M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Russell County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 128 | 0 | $425K | 78 | 1971–2026 |
| Hail | 88 | 0 | $310K | 4 | 1967–2025 |
| Tornado | 32 | 2 | $28.7M | F3 | 1954–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 21 | 0 | $218K | 4 | 1998–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2007 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 2008–2008 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2008–2008 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2024–2024 |
Decade by decade
Russell County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
37 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 34 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-04-18 | EF3 | 8 | 495 | 39.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1981-04-01 | EF3 | 2 | 23 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-03-13 | EF3 | 2 | 20 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-04-29 | EF3 | 0 | 13 | 11.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-03-31 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 8.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-17 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 17.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-03-01 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 11.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-03-29 | EF2 | 0 | 16 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-05-01 | EF2 | 0 | 7 | 13.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Russell County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 1981 | Tornado | 2 | 23 | $25.0M | |
| Mar 29, 1991 | Tornado | 0 | 16 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 31, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $25K | |
| Feb 17, 2008 | Tornado | GLENVILLE | 0 | 4 | $120K |
| May 1, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Feb 24, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $25K | |
| Apr 11, 2009 | Tornado | LADONIA | 0 | 2 | $120K |
| Jun 5, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | HURTSBORO | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado touched down near the intersection of 22nd Avenue and 17th Street in Phenix City. It then traveled northeast through the south end of Phenix City, and crossed the Chattahoochee River and moved into Muscogee County Georgia. Five businesses sustained major damage, and seven homes received varying degrees of roof damage. At least 100 and as many as 200 trees were snapped or uprooted.
The tornado touched down near the Phenix City Drag Strip, along CR-28. Most of the damage from the tornado was at a mobile home park, where two minor injuries occurred. A couple dozen trees were snapped and uprooted in the area.
The tornado touched down near the intersection of US Highway 431 and CR-51 in the southern portion of the county. It then tracked northeastward to the Chattahoochee River near the Cottonton community, before crossing the river into Georgia. The most significant damage was located near CR-12. At least two mobile homes were destroyed and two frame houses received significant damage. Numerous trees were either snapped off or were uprooted along the path. At least one vehicle was flipped over. Four injuries were reported.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
58,811
Population (ACS)
$166K
Median home value
24
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 |
| Oct 12, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MICHAEL | EM |
| Sep 11, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Russell County, Alabama?
275 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $29.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Russell County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 128 recorded events — 46.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Russell County?
37 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 34 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Russell County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Russell County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Russell County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Russell County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 55 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Russell 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
- Randolph County 310
- St. Clair County 469
- Pike County 244
- Shelby County 739
- Pickens County 315
- Sumter County 333
Cite this page
“Russell County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/russell-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.