98
Recorded events
11
Direct deaths
273
Direct injuries
$97.6M
Property damage
Tornado in Cullman County, Alabama: 98 recorded events between 1951 and 2021. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #53 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Cullman County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Cullman County is the 2010s, when 23 of the county's 98 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 Cullman County archive, tornado makes up 9.1% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #53 for this hazard and #4 within Alabama, putting it in the 98.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Cullman County with 30 recorded events, while Dec 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 | EF4 | 127.8 mi | 1,408 yd | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 46.9 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 110.6 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
| 1963-03-11 | EF4 | 28.0 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 2002-11-10 | EF3 | 72.6 mi | 1,175 yd | Crossed in |
| 1995-02-16 | EF3 | 14.0 mi | 703 yd | Touched down here |
| 2014-04-28 | EF3 | 8.9 mi | 350 yd | Touched down here |
| 1988-01-19 | EF3 | 10.0 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1985-08-16 | EF3 | 32.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1985-04-05 | EF3 | 3.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 1995 | Joppa | F3 | 6 | 130 | $5.0M |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F4 | 2 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F4 | 1 | 36 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 27, 2011 | CRANE HILL | EF4 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | WILBURN | EF2 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 19, 1988 | F3 | 0 | 35 | $25.0M | |
| Nov 15, 1983 | F3 | 0 | 19 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 21, 1976 | F3 | 0 | 17 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2021 | JONES CHAPEL | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 28, 2021 | BERLIN | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 18, 2021 | BERLIN | EF1 | $0 |
| Aug 28, 2020 | COUNTY LINE | EF0 | $0 |
| Aug 28, 2020 | JONES CHAPEL | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | WALTER | EF2 | $0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | WELTI | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | GOOD HOPE | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | COLD SPGS | EF1 | $0 |
| Jan 11, 2020 | JOPPA | EF1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Cullman County
- Thunderstorm Wind 592
- Hail 265
- Flash Flood 78
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.
A tornado moved across far southern Cullman County. Several debris paths were found during this storm survey. The most significant damage with peak wind speeds of 120 mph occurred along Highway 91 in the vicinity of the town of Colony. Four chicken houses were either severely damaged or destroyed and numerous large trees were snapped or uprooted. Significant tree damage was found in the vicinity of Arkadelphia along County Roads 8 and 35. Spotty lighter damage was found near the end of the tornado's path just east of Interstate 65 near Black Bottom.
A short lived F1 tornado struck a chicken farm near the Pleasant grove community. Two well built chicken houses were collapsed with most of the metal roofing flung into nearby trees and twisted around their branches approximately 40 to 50 yards away. A third chicken house was also moderately damaged. A small wooden shed was completely demolished and a feed bin attached to one of the chicken houses was completely toppled over.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Cullman County, Alabama?
98 tornado events are recorded in Cullman County between 1951 and 2021, causing 11 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Cullman County?
The strongest tornado on record in Cullman County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Cullman 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 Cullman County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/cullman-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.