95
Recorded events
59
Direct deaths
1,070
Direct injuries
$1.6B
Property damage
Tornado in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama: 95 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #64 nationally and #6 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Tuscaloosa County is the 2000s, when 30 of the county's 95 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 Tuscaloosa County archive, tornado makes up 11.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #64 for this hazard and #6 within Alabama, putting it in the 97.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Mar is the peak month for tornado in Tuscaloosa County with 25 recorded events, while Jun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-03-03 | EF5 | 202.5 mi | 900 yd | Crossed in |
| 1998-04-08 | EF5 | 30.3 mi | 1,320 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 80.7 mi | 2,600 yd | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 127.8 mi | 1,408 yd | Crossed in |
| 2000-12-16 | EF4 | 18.0 mi | 750 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 110.6 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
| 1975-02-23 | EF4 | 14.4 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 1952-02-13 | EF3 | 5.6 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 2021-03-25 | EF3 | 11.1 mi | 1,400 yd | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 22.5 mi | 704 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | RALPH | EF4 | 44 | 800 | $1.5B |
| Dec 16, 2000 | HULL | F4 | 11 | 144 | $12.5M |
| Feb 23, 1975 | F4 | 1 | 49 | $25.0M | |
| Feb 14, 1952 | F3 | 1 | 14 | $25K | |
| Jan 24, 1997 | TUSCALOOSA | F2 | 1 | 10 | $5.0M |
| Mar 4, 1966 | F5 | 1 | 3 | $250K | |
| Apr 29, 2014 | HULL | EF1 | 0 | 13 | $0 |
| Nov 20, 1988 | F3 | 0 | 8 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 2025 | SAMANTHA | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | SAMANTHA | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | HOLMAN | EF0 | $0 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | DUNCANVILLE | EF2 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2022 | STERLING | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2022 | FOX | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2022 | HOLMAN | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 22, 2022 | HULL | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 22, 2022 | STERLING | EF0 | $0 |
| Feb 17, 2022 | STERLING | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Tuscaloosa County
- Thunderstorm Wind 387
- Hail 262
- Flash Flood 57
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado developed along a Quasi-Linear Convective System in southeast Tuscaloosa County, near Coaling and moved northeastward for approximately 18 miles. It crossed into Jefferson County between Interstate 20 and Bucksville, then continued for nearly 2 miles into Jefferson County. The tornado touched down in the southwestern extent of Coaling, north of CR 14, along Staghorne Dr where it damaged many trees. The tornado quickly strengthened as it moved through Coaling to an EF3 rating with winds of 155 mph, remaining south of US Hwy 11. At least a dozen homes sustained damage. Several homes were completely destroyed. The tornado weakened as it moved east of Coaling and crossed US Hwy 11. The tornado moved across the Mercedes Plant where it caused minor roof damage to one building, knocked down several light poles along Interstate 20 near the plant, and snapped numerous trees. This damage was consistent with an EF1 rating and winds of 100 mph. The tornado continued to cause tree damage as it moved northeast and approached the Jefferson County line.
The second segment of this tornado crossed into Tuscaloosa County, approximately one half mile west of Lock 9 Road. The tornado touched down in Greene County, 3 miles southeast of Ralph. The tornado strengthened to an EF-3 rating, with maximum winds of 140 mph. Hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted and a power transmission tower was severely damaged. As the tornado moved northeast into Taylorville, several homes and businesses received structural damage. The tornado lifted near Mayfair Drive, south of Veterans Memorial Parkway. The damage path in Tuscaloosa County had a maximum width of 500 yards.
The second segment of this long track tornado crossed into Tuscaloosa County south of Pleasant Ridge Church Rd. This tornado began in Pickens County, 5 miles northeast of Pickensville, and tracked northeastward into Tuscaloosa County. It continued through portions of Fayette, Walker, Cullman (See Storm Data for Huntsville), and Blount Counties, before it dissipated in Marshall (See Storm Data for Huntsville) County. While the average path width of this tornado in this portion of Tuscaloosa County was around 0.5 mile (880 yds), the maximum path width maximum was 0.8 mile (1408 yds), which occurred along AL Hwy 171. The tornado strengthened as it entered west Tuscaloosa County to an EF3 rating with winds of 140 mph. It produced significant tree damage along AL Hwy 171. Trees were debarked with only bare large limbs left. Other trees at this location were snapped. The tornado moved northeast weakening to an EF0 rating, but continued to produce tree damage across northwest Tuscaloosa County. The tornado moved into southeast Fayette county 0.5 mile east of Fayette Rd.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama?
95 tornado events are recorded in Tuscaloosa County between 1952 and 2025, causing 59 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Tuscaloosa County?
The strongest tornado on record in Tuscaloosa County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/tuscaloosa-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.