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DeKalb County, Alabama severe weather history spans 965 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #156 nationally and #8 in Alabama.
965
Recorded events
37
Direct deaths
168
Direct injuries
$32.1M
Property damage
The record
What the DeKalb County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, DeKalb County, Alabama severe weather history averages 13.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 348 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 68 events fall before 1990 and 897 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the DeKalb County, Alabama record is tornado, responsible for 34 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $25.2M 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 DeKalb County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 578 | 0 | $3.7M | 91 | 1959–2025 |
| Hail | 196 | 0 | $456K | 2.75 | 1956–2025 |
| Tornado | 74 | 34 | $25.2M | F4 | 1952–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 60 | 3 | $2.4M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 19 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Lightning | 17 | 0 | $436K | 0 | 1996–2015 |
| Heavy Rain | 17 | 0 | $15K | 0 | 2007–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2009 |
Decade by decade
DeKalb County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
81 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 57 touched down inside it and 24 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 | EF5 | 25 | 0 | 33.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 14 | 50 | 47.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2010-04-24 | EF4 | 0 | 5 | 16.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-19 | EF4 | 0 | 19 | 5.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-11-30 | EF3 | 4 | 9 | 13.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-08 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 12.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2014-04-28 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 11.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2010-04-24 | EF3 | 0 | 35 | 17.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2010-04-24 | EF3 | 0 | 10 | 21.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-04-24 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 14.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in DeKalb County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | TEN BROECK | 25 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | IDER | 6 | 0 | $0 |
| May 8, 1973 | Tornado | 2 | 12 | $2.5M | |
| Nov 30, 2016 | Tornado | IDER | 1 | 9 | $0 |
| Feb 23, 2019 | Flash Flood | GROVE OAK | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 20, 2021 | Flash Flood | FT PAYNE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 5, 2020 | Flash Flood | GROVE OAK | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | Tornado | Grove Oak to Rainsvil | 0 | 20 | $5.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A violent tornado continued its wide path of violent destruction across the northern tip of DeKalb County in the Shiloh community. The tornado killed 6 people in this area (12 total along its path across Jackson and DeKalb counties). Several cinder block foundation homes and mobile homes were completely destroyed or swept away. In addition, thousands of large trees were sheared off toward the base. An older two-story and fairly well-built log cabin home was destroyed. The top story of this home was lifted off, moved about 20 yards and twisted 180 degrees. The lower story collapsed and was shifted off its foundation. A senior citizen van was lofted and dropped into a field nearly 400 yards away. At least 3 chicken barns collapsed with a high loss of livestock noted. The tornado crossed into Dade County Georgia with a 1/4 to 1/2 mile wide path along County Road 155 north of Highway 75.
Airport Road and Highway 35 near the Interstate 59 interchange flooded with water rising rapidly. Water reported to be to the steps of tractor trailers at this time. Airport Road closed. One fatality occurred here when a womans car was swept off the roadway due to flooding from Dye Branch which feeds into Big Wills Creek.
A Jeep with 3 teenagers ventured across the spillway/bridge in Bucks Pocket State Park on February 22nd and was swept away by raging floodwaters following record rainfall across the area. The driver and passenger survived, found clinging to trees several hundred yards downstream, but the young man in the back of the vehicle perished. His body was found March 21 in Morgan Cove, after divers found the vehicle several days prior.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
72,269
Population (ACS)
$153K
Median home value
34
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 |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Apr 17, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Ft Payne 117
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in DeKalb County, Alabama?
965 events are on record between 1952 and 2025, causing 37 direct deaths and $32.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in DeKalb County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 578 recorded events — 59.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed DeKalb County?
81 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 57 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover DeKalb County?
34 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include DeKalb County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is DeKalb County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates DeKalb County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 80 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the DeKalb 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
- Dallas County 373
- Elmore County 550
- Dale County 601
- Escambia County 343
- Cullman County 1,074
- Etowah County 547
Cite this page
“DeKalb County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/dekalb-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.