387
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
38
Direct injuries
$3.7M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama: 387 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #238 nationally and #16 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Tuscaloosa County is the 2000s, when 123 of the county's 387 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 Tuscaloosa County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 45.4% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #238 for this hazard and #16 within Alabama, putting it in the 92.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Tuscaloosa County with 76 recorded events, while Sep 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 2021 | COTTONDALE | 30 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 11, 2000 | TUSCALOOSA | 75 | 1 | 0 | $900K |
| Feb 10, 1990 | 67 | 0 | 11 | $0 | |
| Apr 4, 1989 | 87 | 0 | 8 | $0 | |
| Jul 2, 1990 | 0 | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Apr 5, 1985 | 0 | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Feb 16, 2001 | COUNTYWIDE | 65 | 0 | 2 | $250K |
| Jun 5, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 60 | 0 | 2 | $45K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | HOWTON | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | FOSTERS | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2026 | SAMANTHA | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 9, 2026 | NEW LEXINGTON | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | GREELEY | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | SAMANTHA | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | VANCE | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | DUNCANVILLE | 50 | $0 |
| May 26, 2025 | SAMANTHA | 50 | $0 |
| May 18, 2025 | GREELEY | 56 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Tuscaloosa County
- Hail 262
- Tornado 95
- Flash Flood 57
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A large bow echo, accompanied by downburst wind of 70 to 100 miles per hour moved along Interstate 20/59 through the city of Tuscaloosa and ended near the city of Cottondale. The storm damage path was about 10 miles long and 4 miles wide. The most concentrated damage ran parallel to both Interstate 20 and US 11 in the city of Tuscaloosa. A 52 year old woman was killed when an advertising sign board was blown down onto her as she was approaching a hotel lobby. Numerous sign boards and trees were either blown down or snapped off. Numerous homes received varying degrees of damage, and area businesses also sustained major damage. One motor home was overturned on Interstate 20/59. Several automobiles were damaged or destroyed by falling trees. The Mimosa Park Country Club reported damage to several structures. Dime to golfball size hail was also reported with these storms. Thousands of customers were left without power for many hours.
Tuscaloosa County reported numerous trees and power lines blown down countywide. Many of the fallen trees caused roads to be closed temporarily. Numerous homes were damaged. Wind gusts of 80 mph were measured in Northport and the Tuscaloosa Airport had 60 mph winds. Numerous funnel cloud reports were received throughout the county. One man was injured when a tree fell on his automobile on Highway 43. One 18-wheel truck was overturned on a bridge over the Black Warrior River. Several businesses reported broken windows. One firefighter was injured in Northport when a tree fell on him. This event occurred as the firefighter was cleaning up debris. Quarter size hail was also reported with these storms.
Trees and power lines were knocked down on US 11 in Tuscaloosa. Several automobiles were pushed to the side of the road by the wind. Numerous trees and power lines were also blown down in many locations throughout the county. There were isolated reports of minor building damage including portions of roofs being torn off. Thousands of customers were left without power for several hours. The most heavily damaged area was from Romulus to Brookwood.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama?
387 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Tuscaloosa County between 1955 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Tuscaloosa County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Tuscaloosa County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Tuscaloosa 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/tuscaloosa-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.