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Randolph County, Alabama severe weather history spans 310 recorded events between 1970 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,723 nationally and #47 in Alabama.
310
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
16
Direct injuries
$9.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Randolph County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Randolph County, Alabama severe weather history averages 5.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 128 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 22 events fall before 1990 and 288 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Randolph County, Alabama record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $6.2M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Randolph County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 156 | 2 | $2.2M | 75 | 1974–2026 |
| Hail | 99 | 0 | $136K | 4 | 1982–2025 |
| Tornado | 22 | 1 | $6.2M | F3 | 1970–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 21 | 0 | $1.2M | 5 | 1998–2023 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $238K | 0 | 2000–2011 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2014–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2009–2009 |
Decade by decade
Randolph County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
22 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 15 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-01-26 | EF3 | 1 | 7 | 21.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-03-05 | EF2 | 1 | 6 | 45.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-03-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 31.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1984-05-03 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1970-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-02-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 14.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-04-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2005-04-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 17.3 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Randolph County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 6, 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 2 | 0 | $0 | |
| Jan 26, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 7 | $250K | |
| Nov 22, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 26, 1970 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Feb 6, 2020 | Flood | MALONE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | ROANOKE MUNI ARPT | 0 | 1 | $5K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Randolph County Emergency Management Agency estimated winds of at least 80 mph swept through Roanoke. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. Two or three homes were destroyed by falling trees while 16 other homes sustained major to moderate damage. A light pole at the high school stadium was toppled. The high school, a nursing home, the grammar school, and the recreation center reported minor damage. Six businesses sustained damage including an outbuilding business which suffered major damage. Two chicken houses sustained roof damage. Several trees were reported downed by the wind across the county.
A 75 ton, 40 foot tall, gantry crane on the top of R. L. Harris Dam was moved along its tracks by an apparent microburst. The crane subsequently rolled through its end stops, eventually coming to a stop partially resting over the edge of the dam. The crane itself, and several portions of the dam that it impacted, sustained considerable damage as a result.
Damaging thunderstorm wind moved across the county around midnight. As the storm entered the county, a barn roof was damaged, and a chicken house lost its roof near the intersection of US 431 and CR 82. A barn was totally destroyed, several homes sustained roof damage, and trees and power lines were blown down along CR 82 across northern Randolph County. In northeast Randolph County on CR 422, chicken houses and homes sustained roof and some structural damage.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
22,510
Population (ACS)
$182K
Median home value
25
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 |
| Apr 26, 2021 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Dec 10, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ZETA | DR |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY | EM |
| May 21, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Randolph County, Alabama?
310 events are on record between 1970 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $9.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Randolph County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 156 recorded events — 50.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Randolph County?
22 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 15 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Randolph County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Randolph County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Randolph County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Randolph County as very low risk, placing it in the 31 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Randolph 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
- Pike County 244
- Russell County 275
- Pickens County 315
- St. Clair County 469
- Perry County 161
- Shelby County 739
Cite this page
“Randolph County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/randolph-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.