74
Recorded events
34
Direct deaths
151
Direct injuries
$25.2M
Property damage
Tornado in DeKalb County, Alabama: 74 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #143 nationally and #9 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in DeKalb County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in DeKalb County is the 2010s, when 28 of the county's 74 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the DeKalb County archive, tornado makes up 7.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #143 for this hazard and #9 within Alabama, putting it in the 95.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in DeKalb County with 34 recorded events, while Jul is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF5 | 33.7 mi | 1,320 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 47.0 mi | 1,260 yd | Crossed in |
| 2010-04-24 | EF4 | 16.6 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-19 | EF4 | 5.4 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 2016-11-30 | EF3 | 13.5 mi | 206 yd | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-08 | EF3 | 12.3 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 2014-04-28 | EF3 | 11.7 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 2010-04-24 | EF3 | 21.3 mi | 1,320 yd | Touched down here |
| 2010-04-24 | EF3 | 14.4 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 2010-04-24 | EF3 | 17.7 mi | 1,320 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | TEN BROECK | EF5 | 25 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | IDER | EF4 | 6 | 0 | $0 |
| May 8, 1973 | F2 | 2 | 12 | $2.5M | |
| Nov 30, 2016 | IDER | EF3 | 1 | 9 | $0 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | Grove Oak to Rainsvil | F4 | 0 | 20 | $5.0M |
| May 20, 1973 | F4 | 0 | 19 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 20, 2009 | STAMP | EF1 | 0 | 13 | $0 |
| Feb 29, 1952 | F3 | 0 | 12 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | LOVELESS | EF1 | $0 |
| May 21, 2025 | CROSSVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| May 9, 2024 | ELLIOT XRDS | EF1 | $0 |
| May 9, 2024 | ELLIOT XRDS | EF2 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2024 | TEN BROECK | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 25, 2023 | IDER | EF0 | $0 |
| May 25, 2022 | OAK HILL | EF0 | $0 |
| Dec 31, 2021 | LOVELESS | EF1 | $0 |
| Dec 30, 2021 | RAINSVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2021 | ALLEN | EF1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from DeKalb County
- Thunderstorm Wind 578
- Hail 196
- Flash Flood 60
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A violent tornado continued its wide path of violent destruction across the northern tip of DeKalb County in the Shiloh community. The tornado killed 6 people in this area (12 total along its path across Jackson and DeKalb counties). Several cinder block foundation homes and mobile homes were completely destroyed or swept away. In addition, thousands of large trees were sheared off toward the base. An older two-story and fairly well-built log cabin home was destroyed. The top story of this home was lifted off, moved about 20 yards and twisted 180 degrees. The lower story collapsed and was shifted off its foundation. A senior citizen van was lofted and dropped into a field nearly 400 yards away. At least 3 chicken barns collapsed with a high loss of livestock noted. The tornado crossed into Dade County Georgia with a 1/4 to 1/2 mile wide path along County Road 155 north of Highway 75.
A tornado struck near the Grove Oak area in the western sections of Dekalb County moving northeast through the towns of Rainsville, Sylvania, and Henager. In the path of the tornado, Emergency Management personnel reported 16 homes and 13 mobile homes completely destroyed, 45 homes and two mobile homes with major damage, and 21 homes and nine mobile home with minor damage. Two businesses and 12 poultry houses were destroyed.
A long track EF-3 tornado crossed into DeKalb County about 6.5 miles west-southwest of Geraldine, about one mile north of Highway 75. The tornado continued into the town of Geraldine, snapping or uprooting numerous large trees which also led to some structural damage to residences. This was also noted along County Roads 227 and 52, just southeast of State Highway 75.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in DeKalb County, Alabama?
74 tornado events are recorded in DeKalb County between 1952 and 2025, causing 34 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in DeKalb County?
The strongest tornado on record in DeKalb County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for DeKalb County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in DeKalb County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/dekalb-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.