62
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
39
Direct injuries
$16.3M
Property damage
Tornado in Houston County, Alabama: 62 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F2. That places the county #221 nationally and #11 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Houston County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Houston County is the 2020s, when 17 of the county's 62 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 Houston County archive, tornado makes up 8.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #221 for this hazard and #11 within Alabama, putting it in the 92.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Feb is the peak month for tornado in Houston County with 10 recorded events, while Sep 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-09 | EF2 | 34.8 mi | 1,000 yd | Crossed in |
| 2017-01-02 | EF2 | 7.8 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
| 2005-03-22 | EF2 | 3.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2000-12-16 | EF2 | 29.0 mi | 170 yd | Touched down here |
| 1997-12-24 | EF2 | 3.0 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1988-04-18 | EF2 | 15.0 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 1980-03-08 | EF2 | 16.0 mi | 40 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-01-28 | EF2 | 0.3 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-03-01 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1961-06-20 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 9, 2024 | MADRID | EF2 | 1 | 10 | $6.0M |
| Mar 31, 2025 | DOTHAN | EF1 | 0 | 5 | $500K |
| Dec 24, 1997 | WICKSBURG | F2 | 0 | 5 | $500K |
| Feb 10, 1981 | F1 | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 8, 1980 | F2 | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| Mar 22, 2005 | PANSEY | F2 | 0 | 4 | $750K |
| Oct 25, 1997 | WICKSBURG | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250K |
| Oct 27, 1995 | Dothan | F1 | 0 | 2 | $90K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 2026 | KINSEY | EF1 | $75K |
| Jan 25, 2026 | MADRID | EF0 | $10K |
| Jan 25, 2026 | PLEASANT PLAINS | EF1 | $5K |
| Mar 31, 2025 | DOTHAN | EF1 | $500K |
| May 10, 2024 | MEMPHIS | EF0 | $75K |
| Jan 9, 2024 | MADRID | EF2 | $6.0M |
| Jan 9, 2024 | MEMPHIS | EF1 | $100K |
| Apr 3, 2023 | KELLY SPRINGS | EF1 | $5K |
| Mar 25, 2023 | BARBER | EF0 | $100K |
| Apr 5, 2022 | COWARTS | EF0 | $50K |
Other hazards here
More from Houston County
- Thunderstorm Wind 510
- Hail 93
- Flash Flood 66
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado touched down about a half mile west of Firetower Road. As it traveled northeast, it destroyed three barns on County Road 81, and destroyed two large homes just north of Turnpike Road. Four people were injured and transported to a hospital in Dothan. Several mobile homes were damaged, with numerous trees and power lines down. The storm survey was conducted by the NWS Tallahassee WCM and SOO.
A tornado touched down in Geneva County near the Houston County border along Rehobeth Road before lifting after crossing US 231 just east of the National Peanut Festival Grounds in Houston county. In Geneva County, the tornado debarked and denuded several large trees and removed the roof from a home under construction. In addition, numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. In Houston County, the most significant damage occurred at the National Peanut Festival grounds. Multiple buildings were damaged or destroyed and several utility poles were snapped. This tornado was rated EF1 in Geneva county and EF2 in Houston county. Max winds in Houston county were estimated at 115 mph. Damage cost was estimated.
Tornado skipped through a mobile home park along County Road 9 and Market Street. Two mobile homes destroyed with more than a dozen damaged. Large power poles and trees toppled. Winds overturned small airplane off County Road 81 near Harmon School. A large tree blown onto a house on County Road 75. Residence destroyed on Alabama Highway 84 West in Wicksburg.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Houston County, Alabama?
62 tornado events are recorded in Houston County between 1957 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Houston County?
The strongest tornado on record in Houston County measured F2.
Where does the tornado data for Houston 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 Houston County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/houston-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.