96
Recorded events
48
Direct deaths
797
Direct injuries
$525.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Madison County, Alabama: 96 recorded events between 1951 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #60 nationally and #5 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Madison County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Madison County is the 2010s, when 23 of the county's 96 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 Madison County archive, tornado makes up 4.8% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #60 for this hazard and #5 within Alabama, putting it in the 98.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Madison County with 27 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 | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 83.3 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
| 1989-11-15 | EF4 | 18.5 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1952-03-22 | EF4 | 21.6 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1995-05-18 | EF4 | 39.0 mi | 1,300 yd | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 46.5 mi | 700 yd | Crossed in |
| 2023-04-01 | EF3 | 12.0 mi | 215 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-01 | EF3 | 8.4 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-02 | EF3 | 34.0 mi | 250 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 1989 | F4 | 21 | 463 | $250.0M | |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F5 | 9 | 110 | $0 | |
| Apr 27, 2011 | CLUTTSVILLE | EF4 | 9 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F5 | 5 | 110 | $0 | |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F3 | 2 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 2, 1974 | F3 | 1 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 1, 2023 | FISK | EF3 | 1 | 5 | $0 |
| Nov 28, 1973 | F3 | 0 | 42 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 2025 | REDSTONE AAF | EF0 | $0 |
| May 21, 2025 | MAYSVILLE | EF2 | $0 |
| May 20, 2025 | HUNTSVILLE MILLS ARP | EF1 | $0 |
| May 20, 2025 | MADISON | EF2 | $0 |
| May 9, 2024 | ROSEBORO | EF1 | $0 |
| May 9, 2024 | FISK | EF1 | $0 |
| May 9, 2024 | HUNTSVILLE MILLS ARP | EF1 | $0 |
| May 9, 2024 | OAKWOOD COLLEGE | EF0 | $0 |
| May 9, 2024 | HUNTSVILLE MILLS ARP | EF2 | $0 |
| May 9, 2024 | MONROVIA | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Madison County
- Thunderstorm Wind 1,055
- Hail 471
- Flash Flood 203
- Lightning 69
- Flood 42
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A short but powerful tornado struck the area northwest of Meridianville destroying four homes along with major damage to two otehrs and minor damage to twelve more. The tornado path began in an hope area just southwest of the Colonial Golf Course. The torndo moved through a small subdivision on the north and east sides of the golf course and moved into an open area again as it dissipated.
The same storm that spawned the Union Grove Tornado moved northeast across the Tennessee River and produced another tornado in southeastern Madison County. This tornado, rated an F2 on the Fujita scale, touched down around 1:50 pm about 3.6 miles west-southwest of the city of New Hope near the base of Lemley Mountain where it downed trees and produced light damage to some homes. The tornado then strengthened as it moved northeast through a mobile home community where several mobile homes were thrown and demolished. After crossing US 431 and damaging several businesses, the tornado lifted about three-quarters of a mile northeast of the US 431/Old US 431 intersection around 1:54 pm. Despite damage to at least 21 homes, including eight that were completely demolished, there were no known injuries. In the mobile home community where the greatest damage occurred, residents stated they heard the Tornado Warning on televison and through NOAA Weather Radio and took cover in underground storm shelters. Beg: 34 31.445/86 26.951 End: 34 33.250/86 25.254
A short tornado hit the Big Cove area of southeast Madison County damaging several houses and the wastewater treatment plant. A busienss with machinery outside and several tin-roofed buildings were also damaged. One older house that appeared abandoned was destroyed.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Madison County, Alabama?
96 tornado events are recorded in Madison County between 1951 and 2025, causing 48 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Madison County?
The strongest tornado on record in Madison County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Madison 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 Madison County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/madison-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.