263
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$1.8M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Franklin County, Alabama: 263 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #617 nationally and #29 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Franklin County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Franklin County is the 2010s, when 98 of the county's 263 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 Franklin County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 53.8% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #617 for this hazard and #29 within Alabama, putting it in the 80.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Franklin County with 50 recorded events, while Oct 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 2023 | DEMPSEY | 52 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2026 | BELGREEN | 43 | $1K |
| Apr 29, 2026 | VINA | 43 | $1K |
| Sep 19, 2025 | GRAVEL HILL | 52 | $2K |
| Jun 14, 2025 | PHIL CAMPBELL | 52 | $3K |
| Jun 7, 2025 | REEDTOWN | 43 | $6K |
| May 21, 2025 | HODGES | 52 | $2K |
| May 17, 2025 | RED BAY MUNI ARPT | 52 | $25K |
| May 2, 2025 | PLEASANT GROVE | 39 | $1K |
| Feb 16, 2025 | ISBELL | 76 | $20K |
| Feb 16, 2025 | ISBELL | 70 | $20K |
Other hazards here
More from Franklin County
- Hail 144
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A bowing line of severe thunderstorms producing wind speeds between 60-70 MPH resulted in widespread wind damage across much of Franklin County AL. Numerous trees were blown down across the county as the sqall line pushed eastward. The hardest hit areas extended from Red Bay to Belgreen. The police in the Red Bay community reported that portable buildings were blown over at a school, numerous trees were down, and several cars were damaged. Some of these trees fell on houses. A tree was blown down onto a trailer on Highway 25, inflicting heavy damage. Fortunately, no one was in the mobile home when the tree fell.
A microburst from a collapsing severe thunderstorm produced significant damage within the town of Russellville. Most structures in downtown received damage of some magnitude, including windows being blown out, portions of roofs being torn off, and large trees being blown down. Eyewitnesses indicated the storm came up very suddenly and did not last long.
Strong thunderstorm wind downed trees in scattered areas across the southern portion of the county. A tree fell on a house in Vina, considered one of the oldest in that town, destroying it. Damage was heaviest in the south-central and southeast portion of the county.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Franklin County, Alabama?
263 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Franklin County between 1957 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Franklin County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Franklin County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Franklin 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Franklin County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/franklin-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.