Live
Active alerts for this county
Heat Advisory
Marion; Lamar; Fayette; Winston; Walker; Blount; Etowah; Calhoun; Cherokee; Cleburne; Pickens; Tuscaloosa; Jefferson; Shelby; St. Clair; Talladega; Clay; Randolph; Sumter; Greene; Hale; Perry; Bibb; Chilton; Coosa; Tallapoosa; Chambers; Marengo; Dallas; Autauga; Lowndes; Elmore; Montgomery; Macon; Bullock; Lee; Russell; Pike; Barbour
Marion County, Alabama severe weather history spans 518 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #813 nationally and #25 in Alabama.
518
Recorded events
51
Direct deaths
501
Direct injuries
$182.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Marion County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Marion County, Alabama severe weather history averages 7.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 160 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 68 events fall before 1990 and 450 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Marion County, Alabama record is tornado, responsible for 48 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $179.9M 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 Marion County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 272 | 0 | $1.7M | 70 | 1965–2026 |
| Hail | 152 | 0 | $246K | 4.5 | 1963–2026 |
| Tornado | 47 | 48 | $179.9M | F5 | 1953–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 29 | 0 | $261K | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2007 |
| Lightning | 5 | 3 | $49K | 0 | 2002–2016 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2015 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2019–2019 |
Decade by decade
Marion County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
45 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 34 touched down inside it and 11 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 | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 28 | 272 | 79.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-27 | EF5 | 23 | 137 | 37.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-02-04 | EF3 | 1 | 13 | 34.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 0 | 25 | 31.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-03-12 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-04-26 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1957-04-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 51.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-02-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-03-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Marion County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 23 | 250 | $0 | |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | BARNESVILLE | 18 | 100 | $160.0M |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | BEXAR | 7 | 100 | $11.2M |
| Jun 26, 2002 | Lightning | HAMILTON | 3 | 4 | $40K |
| Apr 30, 1963 | Tornado | 0 | 17 | $250K | |
| Feb 5, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 12 | $25K | |
| Nov 27, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| Mar 12, 1963 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Lightning was believed to be responsible for a fire in a mobile home in the Shiloh community between Hamilton and Hackleburg of SR 187. Three children were killed and two adults and two other children were injured in the fire. The State Fire Marshall said that preliminary investigation indicated the fire started in the general area of the living room around the television. A burn at the base of the utility box outside the home indicated that lightning could have been involved in starting the fire. Time of the event was estimated.
A small tornado touched down about six miles east of Hamilton along U.S. Highway 278. The tornado travelled on a track just slightly north of east for about six miles running along and crossing U.S. Highway 278 twice. According to Emergency Management officials, five homes were damaged, three severely, and six chicken houses were destroyed.
Dime to quarter size hail was reported across Marion County with a line of thunderstorms that moved through. The hail completely covered the ground in many locations. These severe thunderstorms produced significant wind damage mainly across the southern part of the county near Guin, Winfield, and Hamilton. Wind speeds were estimated between 60 and 80 miles an hour. Numerous trees and power lines were snapped off or blown over in this area and many roads became impassible. Numerous homes and businesses received moderate to major damage which ranged from broken windows to partial roof removal. Several automobiles were damaged by falling trees. No injuries were reported.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
29,184
Population (ACS)
$107K
Median home value
26
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| May 5, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY | EM |
| May 21, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Hamilton 101
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Marion County, Alabama?
518 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 51 direct deaths and $182.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Marion County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 272 recorded events — 52.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Marion County?
45 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 Marion County?
26 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Marion County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Marion County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Marion County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 69 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Marion 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
- Marengo County 252
- Marshall County 902
- Madison County 1,981
- Mobile County 1,121
- Macon County 189
- Monroe County 295
Cite this page
“Marion County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/marion-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.