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Coosa County, Alabama severe weather history spans 171 recorded events between 1961 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 44.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,602 nationally and #63 in Alabama.
171
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
12
Direct injuries
$4.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Coosa County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Coosa County, Alabama severe weather history averages 2.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 54 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 14 events fall before 1990 and 157 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $3.9M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Coosa County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 76 | 0 | $658K | 70 | 1968–2026 |
| Hail | 61 | 0 | $45K | 2 | 1988–2024 |
| Tornado | 28 | 0 | $3.9M | F3 | 1961–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 4 | 0 | $105K | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2013 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Coosa County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
30 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 19 touched down inside it and 11 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-12 | EF3 | 7 | 16 | 82.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1968-11-17 | EF3 | 1 | 24 | 32.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-03-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2012-03-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 28.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-15 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 20.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-02-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-11-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 49.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-01-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1978-04-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-12-26 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Coosa County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 4 | $0 | |
| Jun 16, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | ROCKFORD | 0 | 3 | $40K |
| Apr 16, 2011 | Tornado | EQUALITY | 0 | 2 | $14K |
| Nov 8, 1996 | Tornado | STEWARTSVILLE | 0 | 2 | $650K |
| Aug 12, 2013 | Lightning | GOODWATER | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado touched down in the Hidden Valley community along Lay Lake, about 2 miles northeast of Lay Dam. It then tracked northeastward, before producing its most significant damage just east of Marble Valley along County Road 56. Four large wooden power poles were snapped off. Two mobile homes were knocked off their foundations and rolled over. Hundreds of hardwood and softwood trees were either snapped off or uprooted along the path. The tornado then continued northeastward, eventually crossing into Talladega County.
The tornado touched down along US Highway 280 near the Bradford Community. The tornado moved northeastward and crossed AL-9, before crossing into Tallapoosa County east of Goodwater. The most significant damage occurred in Coosa County, near the intersection of CR-77 and AL-9. At least 6 homes suffered varying degrees of damage, and at least three automobiles were heavily damaged by fallen trees.
A tornado initially touched down along Grey Ferry Road in Elmore County, where it caused tree damage. It then crossed into Coosa County, approximately one quarter of a mile east of County Road 31. The tornado continued on an northeastward path snapping and uprooting hundreds of trees. The most extensive damage occurred on County Road 89 near Highway 280, where a large metal building was destroyed. The tornado moved into Tallapoosa County and lifted along Hix Road.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
10,300
Population (ACS)
$116K
Median home value
23
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| May 5, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Jan 15, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Dec 10, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ZETA | DR |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY | EM |
| Jul 10, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Coosa County, Alabama?
171 events are on record between 1961 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $4.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Coosa County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 76 recorded events — 44.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Coosa County?
30 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 19 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Coosa County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Coosa County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Coosa County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Coosa County as very low risk, placing it in the 15 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Coosa County, Alabama severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Conecuh County 206
- Covington County 431
- Colbert County 1,364
- Crenshaw County 248
- Coffee County 594
- Cullman County 1,074
Cite this page
“Coosa County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/coosa-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.