43
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
19
Direct injuries
$118.5M
Property damage
Tornado in Tallapoosa County, Alabama: 43 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #537 nationally and #34 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Tallapoosa County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Tallapoosa County is the 2000s, when 13 of the county's 43 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 Tallapoosa County archive, tornado makes up 10.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #537 for this hazard and #34 within Alabama, putting it in the 81.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Tallapoosa County with 11 recorded events, while Jun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 44.2 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 2023-01-12 | EF3 | 82.3 mi | 1,500 yd | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-15 | EF3 | 20.5 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
| 1996-03-18 | EF3 | 24.0 mi | 440 yd | Crossed in |
| 2012-03-02 | EF2 | 34.0 mi | 1,000 yd | Touched down here |
| 2021-03-25 | EF2 | 31.3 mi | 1,000 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-15 | EF2 | 20.8 mi | 1,320 yd | Crossed in |
| 1979-11-25 | EF2 | 26.9 mi | 60 yd | Crossed in |
| 1956-12-23 | EF2 | 121.7 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 2025-02-16 | EF1 | 1.8 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2011 | BARNESVILLE | EF4 | 1 | 10 | $115.0M |
| Mar 3, 2012 | OUR TOWN | EF2 | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F1 | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Nov 25, 1979 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2025 | MARTIN LAKE NORTH | EF3 | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2025 | BARNESVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 27, 2023 | BARNESVILLE | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 12, 2023 | BEVELLE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | OUR TOWN | EF2 | $0 |
| Jan 4, 2023 | BEVELLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 5, 2022 | CHURCH HILL | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 26, 2021 | GOLDVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Feb 13, 2020 | HACKNEYVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| May 14, 2014 | BEVELLE | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Tallapoosa County
- Thunderstorm Wind 231
- Hail 115
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado touched down in central Elmore County, north of Wetumpka, and moved northeast through central Tallapoosa and western Chambers Counties, before it lifted west northwest of Lafayette. The tornado crossed into Tallapoosa County near Stoney Ridge Rd, south of CR 34, and intensified to EF4 strength with winds of 170 mph. Damage was widespread and severe with several well built multi-story homes destroyed with no walls remaining on floors above basement level. The tornado continued at this strength but became narrower to nearly 400 yards wide as it crossed AL Hwy 49 south of Dadeville where it destroyed 2 homes and rolled a pick-up truck 120 yards. The tornado continued northeast and weakened to EF3 strength with winds of 155 mph. It crossed U.S. Hwy 280 just east of Dadeville where it produced significant damage to several homes and businesses, and caused one fatality. The tornado crossed into Chambers County west of Lafayette, south of CR 48.
The tornado touched down south of the Walnut Hill Community, near the intersection of Prospect Road and State Highway 49. The tornado damaged a few homes and destroyed a mobile home on Butterfly Lane. The tornado tracked northeastward and damaged another home on Sandy Drive before lifting. Overall, at least three homes sustained damage, one trailer was totally destroyed and about 40 trees were snapped off. Maximum winds were estimated at 85 to 90 mph.
National Weather Service meteorologists conducted a storm survey in Tallapoosa County. It has been determined that an F1 tornado occurred with winds estimated around 80 miles an hour. The tornado touched down at approximately 155 PM CDT just east of State Highway 49 or about 1.7 miles southwest of Reeltown. The tornado traveled northwest and ended at approximately 158 PM CDT near the intersection of County Road 45 and Sulphur Springs Road. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped off along the path of the tornado. Several homes suffered varying degrees of damage. The tornado damage path was 3.25 miles long and 300 yards wide at its widest point. Begin: 32 34.92/85 49.30 End: 32 37.40/85 50.92
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Tallapoosa County, Alabama?
43 tornado events are recorded in Tallapoosa County between 1952 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Tallapoosa County?
The strongest tornado on record in Tallapoosa County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Tallapoosa 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 Tallapoosa County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/tallapoosa-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.