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Cullman County, Alabama severe weather history spans 1,074 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 55.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #116 nationally and #7 in Alabama.
1,074
Recorded events
13
Direct deaths
308
Direct injuries
$104.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Cullman County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Cullman County, Alabama severe weather history averages 14.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 287 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 133 events fall before 1990 and 941 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Cullman County, Alabama record is tornado, responsible for 11 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $97.6M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Cullman County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 592 | 2 | $5.2M | 96 | 1957–2025 |
| Hail | 265 | 0 | $1.0M | 5.38 | 1963–2026 |
| Tornado | 98 | 11 | $97.6M | F4 | 1951–2021 |
| Flash Flood | 78 | 0 | $245K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Lightning | 15 | 0 | $209K | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Flood | 12 | 0 | $310K | 0 | 2009–2026 |
| Funnel Cloud | 9 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2015 |
Decade by decade
Cullman County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
98 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 83 touched down inside it and 15 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 13 | 54 | 127.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 6 | 48 | 46.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 3 | 178 | 110.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1963-03-11 | EF4 | 2 | 6 | 28.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-11-10 | EF3 | 7 | 53 | 72.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-02-16 | EF3 | 6 | 130 | 14.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-04-28 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 8.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1988-01-19 | EF3 | 0 | 35 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-08-16 | EF3 | 0 | 6 | 32.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-04-05 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Cullman County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 1995 | Tornado | Joppa | 6 | 130 | $5.0M |
| Mar 11, 1963 | Tornado | 2 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 36 | $25.0M | |
| Jul 5, 1992 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 1 | $0 | |
| Jul 15, 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | BETHEL | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | CRANE HILL | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | WILBURN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 19, 1988 | Tornado | 0 | 35 | $25.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A violent long track tornado developed on the north side of Lewis Smith Lake along County Road 310 where some light damage was found. The tornado tracked northeast snapping numerous large trees and causing significant structural damage to residences along County Roads 222 and 436 near Grandview. The tornado tracked northeast into the city of Cullman. Some of the worst damage occurred just northeast of U.S. Highways 31 and 278. Several small retail buildings were completely destroyed. along with the near total destruction of a large church. The tornado tracked across State Highway 157, then caused additional damage north of State Highway 69 between Simcoe and Pleasant View. Just north of Fairview along County Roads 1559 and 1564, 2 homes were destroyed with significant portions of the homes not found. Further northeast along County Road 1589, the tornado caused major structural damage to several old (early 1900s) homes. Numerous hardwood trees were debarked. A 1/4 to 1/2 mile wide corridor of significant damage persisted between Fairview and the Morgan County line.
Heavy rainfall caused area creeks and streams to flood numerous roads. Some bridges and road were damaged or destroyed by flood waters including: A wooden bridge on County Road 1651, a bridge on County Road 1427, and County Road 310. Particularly hard hit areas were Baileyton, Holly Pond, and Fairview.
Significant building and roof damage occurred in downtown Cullman. Windows and some walls were blown out. Power lines were knocked down and numerous power outages resulted. At Sports Center on highway 31N, Seadoos and Four-Wheelers were flipped over. Big trees were also blown down near the Catholic Church.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
90,566
Population (ACS)
$199K
Median home value
32
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY | EM |
| Jul 10, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS | DR |
| May 21, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Cullman 146
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Cullman County, Alabama?
1,074 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 13 direct deaths and $104.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Cullman County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 592 recorded events — 55.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Cullman County?
98 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 83 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Cullman County?
32 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Cullman County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Cullman County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cullman County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 82 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Cullman 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
- Crenshaw County 248
- Dale County 601
- Covington County 431
- Dallas County 373
- Coosa County 171
- DeKalb County 965
Cite this page
“Cullman County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/cullman-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.