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Talladega County, Alabama severe weather history spans 514 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 55.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #825 nationally and #26 in Alabama.
514
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
109
Direct injuries
$34.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Talladega County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Talladega County, Alabama severe weather history averages 7.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 214 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 60 events fall before 1990 and 454 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Talladega County, Alabama record is tornado, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $31.5M 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 Talladega County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 285 | 1 | $1.9M | 87 | 1962–2026 |
| Hail | 144 | 0 | $233K | 3.75 | 1975–2025 |
| Tornado | 35 | 6 | $31.5M | F4 | 1953–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 30 | 0 | $547K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $117K | 0 | 2002–2009 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2007 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $530K | 0 | 2009–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2009 |
Decade by decade
Talladega County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
36 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-05-27 | EF4 | 7 | 199 | 139.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1983-12-03 | EF3 | 2 | 51 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-01-10 | EF3 | 1 | 60 | 18.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1964-04-28 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-03-15 | EF2 | 1 | 1 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-11-24 | EF2 | 1 | 0 | 15.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2001-11-24 | EF2 | 0 | 15 | 3.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-11-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-03-05 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Talladega County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 29, 1991 | Tornado | 5 | 13 | $250K | |
| Mar 16, 2025 | Tornado | WINTERBORO | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 15, 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lincoln | 1 | 0 | $500K |
| Feb 10, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 26 | $0 | |
| May 28, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 17 | $25.0M | |
| Nov 24, 2001 | Tornado | SYLACAUGA | 0 | 15 | $800K |
| May 3, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 12 | $0 | |
| Mar 21, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous large trees were downed by thunderstorm wind in the northern section of the county near Lincoln. One tree fell on a truck resulting in one fatality. Large hail was also reported with the storm which came up rapidly and lasted only a brief time according to EMA officials.
A tornado initially touched down in far eastern Shelby County, south of Vincent, and tracked north northeast into western Talladega County. The tornado crossed the Coosa River, west of Laniers. The tornado moved northeast and caused tree damage on the east side of Logan Martin Dam and through residential neighborhoods along the southeastern edge of Logan Martin Lake. Several homes were damaged due to fallen trees. Damage was consistent with an EF1 rating and winds of 105 mph. The tornado lifted near the lake edge, along Lakeview Circle.
The F2 tornado began at 3:42 pm near the intersection of Forest Glen Rd. and Odens Mill Rd., in the Oak Grove Community. It traveled northeast crossing US 280 and ended at 3:45 pm near Shirtee Creek in the Odena Community. The Red Cross and the local Emergency Management Agency estimate that 15 people were injured, two critically. Forty to 50 homes were damaged with 7 of the homes sustaining significant damage. Ten mobile homes were totally destroyed. Several outbuildings and sheds were destroyed and numerous trees were blown down or uprooted along the entire path. The tornado path was 3.1 miles long and 400 yards wide at its widest point. Beg: 33 10.930/86 18.818 End: 33 12.502/86 16.176
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
81,021
Population (ACS)
$149K
Median home value
25
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Dec 10, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ZETA | DR |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 8, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE NATE | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Talladega County, Alabama?
514 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths and $34.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Talladega County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 285 recorded events — 55.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Talladega County?
36 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 29 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Talladega County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Talladega County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Talladega County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Talladega County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 85 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Talladega 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
- Sumter County 333
- Tallapoosa County 421
- Shelby County 739
- Tuscaloosa County 852
- St. Clair County 469
- Walker County 637
Cite this page
“Talladega County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/talladega-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.