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Jefferson County, Alabama severe weather history spans 1,606 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #26 nationally and #3 in Alabama.
1,606
Recorded events
117
Direct deaths
1,705
Direct injuries
$2.0B
Property damage
The record
What the Jefferson County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Jefferson County, Alabama severe weather history averages 21.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 396 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 387 events fall before 1990 and 1,219 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Jefferson County, Alabama record is tornado, responsible for 110 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $1.0B in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Jefferson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 791 | 4 | $5.3M | 90 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 490 | 0 | $1.7M | 3 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 145 | 2 | $1.0B | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Tornado | 110 | 110 | $1.0B | F5 | 1952–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 26 | 1 | $23K | 0 | 1999–2019 |
| Lightning | 22 | 0 | $636K | 0 | 1996–2017 |
| Funnel Cloud | 13 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2007 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2007 |
Decade by decade
Jefferson County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
110 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 96 touched down inside it and 14 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-04-08 | EF5 | 32 | 259 | 30.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1977-04-04 | EF5 | 22 | 130 | 14.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 64 | 1,500 | 80.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1956-04-15 | EF4 | 25 | 200 | 21.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 22 | 85 | 97.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-03-06 | EF4 | 2 | 25 | 20.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1963-03-05 | EF4 | 0 | 35 | 14.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-01-25 | EF3 | 1 | 30 | 10.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-01-23 | EF3 | 1 | 75 | 15.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-27 | EF3 | 1 | 44 | 41.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Jefferson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 1998 | Tornado | OAK GROVE | 32 | 258 | $200.0M |
| Apr 15, 1956 | Tornado | 25 | 200 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 4, 1977 | Tornado | 22 | 130 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | WELLER | 20 | 700 | $700.0M |
| Feb 26, 1971 | Tornado | 3 | 0 | $25K | |
| Jul 21, 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | THOMAS JCT | 2 | 3 | $0 |
| Jan 23, 2012 | Tornado | KETONA | 1 | 75 | $0 |
| May 27, 1973 | Tornado | 1 | 44 | $25.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain weakened the root system of a large oak tree that toppled onto a passing truck killing a 15-year old male passenger and injuring the driver. Three to five inches of rain fell in the area, and the Sheriffs Department investigator believed that standing water surrouding the tree weakened the root system allowing the tree to fall.
A cluster of slow moving thunderstorms developed over the Birmingham metro area and produced flash flooding. Numerous roads were impassible and vehicles were flooded in the downtown area and near the University of Alabama-Birmingham campus. Flash flooding was also reported in the city of Homewood along Shades Creek and Oxmoor Road. One injury and one fatality due to flooding. Radar estimated rainfall amounts were in the 2-4 inch range.
Heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Depression Claudette produced widespread flooding across Jefferson County during the evening hours on June 19th and the early morning hours on June 20th. Many roads in the Birmingham metro area were flooded and impassable and several water rescues were performed from flooded vehicles. Storm total rainfall amounts were in the 3-5 inch range. Village Creek in Birmingham recorded its 4th highest stage on record at 14.22 feet. One fatality occurred when a man was washed away in flood waters near Pebble Creek Parkway and Highway 78.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
667,755
Population (ACS)
$240K
Median home value
39
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Dec 21, 2021 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 26, 2021 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Jefferson County, Alabama?
1,606 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 117 direct deaths and $2.0B in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Jefferson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 791 recorded events — 49.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Jefferson County?
110 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 96 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Jefferson County?
39 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Jefferson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Jefferson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jefferson County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 98 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Jefferson 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
- Jackson County 945
- Lamar County 502
- Houston County 758
- Lauderdale County 1,849
- Henry County 327
- Lawrence County 670
Cite this page
“Jefferson County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/jefferson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.