45
Recorded events
34
Direct deaths
92
Direct injuries
$42.1M
Property damage
Tornado in Lawrence County, Alabama: 45 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #479 nationally and #28 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Lawrence County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Lawrence County is the 2000s, when 14 of the county's 45 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 Lawrence County archive, tornado makes up 6.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #479 for this hazard and #28 within Alabama, putting it in the 83.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Lawrence County with 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF5 | 132.0 mi | 2,200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 52.0 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 79.5 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
| 2008-02-06 | EF4 | 16.7 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-02-04 | EF3 | 34.1 mi | 750 yd | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-08 | EF3 | 3.8 mi | 228 yd | Touched down here |
| 1988-11-04 | EF3 | 60.0 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1967-10-24 | EF3 | 15.0 mi | 10 yd | Crossed in |
| 1957-04-08 | EF3 | 51.4 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 2019-12-16 | EF2 | 18.5 mi | 370 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 14 | 60 | $0 | |
| Apr 27, 2011 | MT HOPE | EF5 | 14 | 0 | $40.0M |
| Feb 6, 2008 | LEOLA | EF4 | 4 | 23 | $0 |
| Dec 16, 2019 | RIGDOM | EF2 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 1991 | F1 | 0 | 4 | $0 | |
| Oct 25, 1967 | F3 | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Nov 24, 2001 | FIVE PTS | F2 | 0 | 2 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2025 | FLOWER HILL | EFU | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2025 | MEHAMA | EF1 | $0 |
| May 9, 2024 | JERUSALEM | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 25, 2023 | SPEAKE | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 25, 2023 | MT HOPE | EF1 | $0 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | LANDERSVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Dec 16, 2019 | RIGDOM | EF2 | $0 |
| Mar 19, 2018 | WREN | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 19, 2018 | MT HOPE | EF0 | $0 |
| Nov 18, 2017 | WOLF SPGS | EF1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Lawrence County
- Thunderstorm Wind 361
- Hail 179
- Flash Flood 51
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado continued its track from Fosters Mill in Colbert County into the far northern tip of Lawrence County. The tornado struck the Doublehead Resort and Lodge producing significant structural damage. A 2-story house was completely lifted off its foundation and moved nearly 20 feet. The entire west-facing side of this house was ripped off along with significant roof damage.
The tornado touched down in the backyard of a mobile home along CR 327. At this location, a large oak tree fell onto the mobile home splitting it in two where a woman and her young daughter were taking shelter. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped surrounding the home. The tornado path continued northeast along CR 328 producing significant damage to another mobile home. More than half of the structure was moved off its well secured foundation and the majority of the roof was blown off. A few outbuildings were completely destroyed and vehicles were moved from their original locations in the driveway. Numerous large trees were snapped and uprooted at this location. Peak wind speed was estimated at 105 mph.
An EF-0 tornado tracked east along a 3/4 mile path in central Lawrence County. The tornado collapsed a chicken house which also sustained significant loss of the roof covering along County Road 59. The tornado also partially uplifted the metal roof of a mobile home along County Road 58. Several surrounding large trees were uprooted or snapped.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Lawrence County, Alabama?
45 tornado events are recorded in Lawrence County between 1957 and 2025, causing 34 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Lawrence County?
The strongest tornado on record in Lawrence County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/lawrence-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.