110
Recorded events
110
Direct deaths
1,647
Direct injuries
$1.0B
Property damage
Tornado in Jefferson County, Alabama: 110 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #30 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Jefferson County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Jefferson County is the 2000s, when 20 of the county's 110 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 Jefferson County archive, tornado makes up 6.8% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #30 for this hazard and #3 within Alabama, putting it in the 99.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Jefferson County with 35 recorded events, while Sep 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-04-08 | EF5 | 30.3 mi | 1,320 yd | Crossed in |
| 1977-04-04 | EF5 | 14.7 mi | 550 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 80.7 mi | 2,600 yd | Crossed in |
| 1956-04-15 | EF4 | 21.3 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 97.3 mi | 1,760 yd | Touched down here |
| 1967-03-06 | EF4 | 20.9 mi | 440 yd | Crossed in |
| 1963-03-05 | EF4 | 14.9 mi | 667 yd | Touched down here |
| 2021-01-25 | EF3 | 10.4 mi | 900 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-01-23 | EF3 | 15.7 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-27 | EF3 | 41.6 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 1998 | OAK GROVE | F5 | 32 | 258 | $200.0M |
| Apr 15, 1956 | F4 | 25 | 200 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F5 | 22 | 130 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 27, 2011 | WELLER | EF4 | 20 | 700 | $700.0M |
| Feb 26, 1971 | F1 | 3 | 0 | $25K | |
| Jan 23, 2012 | KETONA | EF3 | 1 | 75 | $0 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 1 | 44 | $25.0M | |
| Nov 18, 1957 | F2 | 1 | 35 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 9, 2026 | OAK GROVE | EF0 | $0 |
| Feb 26, 2026 | TRUSSVILLE | EF0 | $0 |
| Nov 25, 2025 | MAJESTIC | EF0 | $0 |
| Nov 25, 2025 | PARCO | EF1 | $0 |
| Dec 10, 2023 | HOMEWOOD | EF1 | $0 |
| Dec 10, 2023 | MAGELLA | EF1 | $5.0M |
| Feb 18, 2022 | COOLEY | EF1 | $0 |
| Feb 17, 2022 | BESSIE | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | ARPT HIGHLANDS | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 17, 2021 | MT OLIVE | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Jefferson County
- Thunderstorm Wind 791
- Hail 490
- Flash Flood 145
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado initially touched down in northeast Tuscaloosa County, and traveled to the northeast, crossing into Jefferson County northeast of Groundhog Rd. As the tornado tracked toward, across, and then parallel to Lock 17 Rd, numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado continued northeastward crossing Camp Oliver Road and took a turn to the north at Blue Sky Rd. Tree damage continued as the tornado tracked parallel to Toadvine Rd and winds increased to a maximum of 130 MPH. Approximately 50 homes were damaged or destroyed along Toadvine Rd, including a manufactured home that was destroyed resulting in one fatality. Several more homes were damaged along Taylors Ferry Rd. The tornado lifted along Toadvine Road just southwest of Short Creek. Merchantable timber losses estimated by the Alabama Forestry Commission for this track are approximately $75K.
A tornado developed along a Quasi-Linear Convective System. It touched down in far northern Jefferson County, northeast of Warrior, and tracked northeastward into Blount County and across the western bank of Mountain Woods Lake before it lifted northeast of Sagefield Rd. The damage along the Jefferson County portion of the track was consistent with an EF1 rating with winds of 95 mph. The tornado touched down east of Old Hayden Rd, and tracked northeast where it downed dozens of trees along Mabel Dr. This resulted in damage to several homes. The tornado moved into Blount County near Sibleyville Rd.
The tornado path began on Shades Crest just west of US 31. The tornado paralleled Shades Crest before moving down a hill and across the Birmingham Water Works and US 280. The tornado continued to travel northeasterly just north of Overton Road through a heavily wooded residential area and continued along Overton Road to I-459. The tornado ended just east of I-459 in the Cahaba River area in the vicinity of Liberty Park.Damage was primarily to trees with generally minor roof damage to structures. Several structures sustained major damage at the Birmingham Water Works on US 280. Some structures sustained heavy damage when trees fell on them. Beginning: 33 27.310/86 47.330 End: 33 29.243/86 41.825
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Jefferson County, Alabama?
110 tornado events are recorded in Jefferson County between 1952 and 2026, causing 110 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Jefferson County?
The strongest tornado on record in Jefferson County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/jefferson-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.