330
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
36
Direct injuries
$2.5M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Etowah County, Alabama: 330 recorded events between 1962 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #359 nationally and #20 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Etowah County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Etowah County is the 2010s, when 112 of the county's 330 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 Etowah County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 60.3% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #359 for this hazard and #20 within Alabama, putting it in the 88.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Etowah County with 71 recorded events, while Oct 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 3, 2023 | NOCCALULA FALLS | 70 | 0 | 20 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 2001 | GADSDEN | 50 | 0 | 9 | $15K |
| Apr 27, 2011 | GLENCOE | 60 | 0 | 2 | $25K |
| Jul 6, 2016 | EAST GASDEN | 40 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 13, 2011 | ALABAMA CITY | 55 | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Jun 4, 2002 | GADSDEN | 55 | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Feb 16, 2001 | COUNTYWIDE | 60 | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| Feb 28, 1999 | GALLANT | 60 | 0 | 1 | $800K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | HOKES BLUFF | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | RAINBOW CITY | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | REECE CITY | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | BOAZ | 50 | $0 |
| Nov 25, 2025 | ALTOONA | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 6, 2025 | RAINBOW CITY | 50 | $0 |
| May 2, 2025 | GADSDEN | 50 | $0 |
| May 2, 2025 | PANA | 50 | $0 |
| Apr 11, 2025 | ALABAMA CITY | 50 | $0 |
| Apr 11, 2025 | HOKES BLUFF | 50 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Etowah County
- Hail 133
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down or uprooted in southern Etowah County sporadically along this path. Many trees blocked roadways. 10 single family homes were totally destroyed. 20 homes sustained major damage. Minor damage was reported to another 29 homes. Two mobile homes were demolished and four additional mobile homes received minor damage. One man in North Gadsden was injured when his home crumbled. He had several bruises and a concussion. In Walnut Park, one woman died, apparently of natural causes, but it occurred in the middle of the storm. Stowers Manufacturing Plant in Gadsden had a large portion of its roof torn off. The damage was heavily concentrated in Gadsden and Walnut Park.
A thunderstorm downburst produced an extensive area of damage in southern Etowah County, just south of the Southside Community. The damage swath extended from the southern end of Babe Jackson Drive, northeastward for about 3 miles, to AL-77. The heaviest concentration of damage was in the Grant Drive, Routon Circle, Meadow Circle, Nabors Drive, Broughton Springs Road, and Mountain Top Road areas. At least 27 homes and other structures, and 2 vehicles, received minor to moderate damage due to the wind and from fallen trees. Around 100 trees were either uprooted or snapped off. Peak wind gusts were estimated around 100 mph.
Sporadic uprooted and snapped trees were found along a 4.5 mile distance in the city of Gadsden. Some of the downed trees fell on houses and out buildings causing structural damage. Other damage included lost shingles and siding. One older brick building in the downtown area lost a portion of a wall. The Etowah County EOC measured a wind gust to 86 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Etowah County, Alabama?
330 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Etowah County between 1962 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Etowah County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Etowah County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Etowah 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Etowah County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/etowah-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.