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Lawrence County, Alabama severe weather history spans 670 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 53.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #446 nationally and #16 in Alabama.
670
Recorded events
35
Direct deaths
100
Direct injuries
$46.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Lawrence County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lawrence County, Alabama severe weather history averages 9.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 191 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 63 events fall before 1990 and 607 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lawrence County, Alabama record is tornado, responsible for 34 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $42.1M 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 Lawrence County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 361 | 0 | $4.0M | 100 | 1965–2025 |
| Hail | 179 | 0 | $192K | 3.5 | 1976–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 51 | 0 | $194K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 45 | 34 | $42.1M | F5 | 1957–2025 |
| Flood | 13 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2024 |
| Lightning | 11 | 1 | $237K | 0 | 1997–2016 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2017 |
Decade by decade
Lawrence County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
47 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 34 touched down inside it and 13 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 | 72 | 145 | 132.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 28 | 272 | 79.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 28 | 267 | 52.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-06 | EF4 | 4 | 23 | 16.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-02-04 | EF3 | 1 | 13 | 34.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1988-11-04 | EF3 | 0 | 16 | 60.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1967-10-24 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 15.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1957-04-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 51.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-12-16 | EF2 | 2 | 0 | 18.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lawrence County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 14 | 60 | $0 | |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | MT HOPE | 14 | 0 | $40.0M |
| Feb 6, 2008 | Tornado | LEOLA | 4 | 23 | $0 |
| Dec 16, 2019 | Tornado | RIGDOM | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 20, 2016 | Lightning | HATTON | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 1991 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $0 | |
| Oct 25, 1967 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Nov 24, 2001 | Tornado | FIVE PTS | 0 | 2 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 20 year old male was struck by lightning at his residence near the Hatton area in Lawrence County. At the time of strike, he was outside viewing the parent storm which was estimated to be approx. 5-10 miles away. As he headed back inside the house, lightning bounced off a few trees and struck him. He was transported to UAB where he later died from his injuries.
A tornado continued its track from Fosters Mill in Colbert County into the far northern tip of Lawrence County. The tornado struck the Doublehead Resort and Lodge producing significant structural damage. A 2-story house was completely lifted off its foundation and moved nearly 20 feet. The entire west-facing side of this house was ripped off along with significant roof damage.
The tornado touched down in the backyard of a mobile home along CR 327. At this location, a large oak tree fell onto the mobile home splitting it in two where a woman and her young daughter were taking shelter. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped surrounding the home. The tornado path continued northeast along CR 328 producing significant damage to another mobile home. More than half of the structure was moved off its well secured foundation and the majority of the roof was blown off. A few outbuildings were completely destroyed and vehicles were moved from their original locations in the driveway. Numerous large trees were snapped and uprooted at this location. Peak wind speed was estimated at 105 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
33,276
Population (ACS)
$172K
Median home value
22
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 11, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | EM |
| Jan 21, 2016 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Moulton 198
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lawrence County, Alabama?
670 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 35 direct deaths and $46.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lawrence County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 361 recorded events — 53.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lawrence County?
47 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 34 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lawrence County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lawrence County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lawrence County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lawrence County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 69 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lawrence 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
- Lauderdale County 1,849
- Lee County 434
- Lamar County 502
- Limestone County 909
- Jefferson County 1,606
- Lowndes County 199
Cite this page
“Lawrence County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/lawrence-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.