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Walker County, Alabama severe weather history spans 637 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 54.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #501 nationally and #17 in Alabama.
637
Recorded events
28
Direct deaths
292
Direct injuries
$176.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Walker County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Walker County, Alabama severe weather history averages 8.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 203 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 102 events fall before 1990 and 535 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Walker County, Alabama record is tornado, responsible for 26 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $171.2M 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 Walker County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 347 | 2 | $1.4M | 78 | 1959–2026 |
| Hail | 181 | 0 | $1.7M | 4.25 | 1956–2026 |
| Tornado | 59 | 26 | $171.2M | F4 | 1953–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 33 | 0 | $869K | 0 | 1997–2022 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $935K | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2007 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Walker County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
60 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 46 touched down inside it and 14 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 | EF4 | 13 | 54 | 127.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1957-11-17 | EF4 | 4 | 15 | 7.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 3 | 178 | 110.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1967-03-06 | EF4 | 2 | 25 | 20.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-11-10 | EF3 | 7 | 53 | 72.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-11-10 | EF3 | 4 | 38 | 44.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2001-11-24 | EF3 | 2 | 1 | 38.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 0 | 20 | 18.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-04-24 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 29.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-03-07 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 25.9 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Walker County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | MARIETTA | 9 | 40 | $115.0M |
| Nov 11, 2002 | Tornado | TOWNLEY | 7 | 40 | $2.5M |
| Nov 17, 1957 | Tornado | 4 | 15 | $25K | |
| Nov 11, 2002 | Tornado | CARBON HILL | 3 | 20 | $2.5M |
| Mar 6, 1967 | Tornado | 2 | 25 | $250K | |
| Oct 13, 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | BURNWELL | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 16, 1985 | Tornado | 1 | 1 | $2.5M | |
| Nov 15, 1983 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado touched down near the eastern city limits of Jasper, tracked eastward across Highway 78, and lifted near Golf Course Road. Five structures were damaged. A bank drive through structure was detached from the main building and rotated 90 degrees. Two car dealerships sustained damage. Forty cars were totaled, mostly due to broken windows resulting in water damage. Three air handlers atop the dealerships were rolled. Numerous trees were uprooted. A billboard was also impaled by a fiberglass missile.
The second of two hail storms moved across Jasper at 9:20pm CST, producing hail stones up to 2.00 inches wide and causing extensive damage to vehicles and homes. Hundreds of cars in the city were damaged. Many car dealerships had damage to every car on the lot. Hundreds of homes sustained roof damage. Property damage amounts are estimated.
The first of two significant hail storms, with hailstones up to 1.50 inches wide, crossed the city of Jasper around 8:00pm CST, causing extensive damage to vehicles and homes. Hundreds of cars in the city were damaged. Many car dealerships had damage to every car on the lot. Hundreds of homes sustained roof damage. Property damage amounts are estimated.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
64,841
Population (ACS)
$136K
Median home value
25
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY | EM |
| Jul 10, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 11, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Walker County, Alabama?
637 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 28 direct deaths and $176.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Walker County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 347 recorded events — 54.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Walker County?
60 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 46 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Walker County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Walker County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Walker County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Walker County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 83 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Walker 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
- Tuscaloosa County 852
- Washington County 314
- Tallapoosa County 421
- Wilcox County 146
- Talladega County 514
- Winston County 432
Cite this page
“Walker County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/walker-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.