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Winston County, Alabama severe weather history spans 432 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,127 nationally and #33 in Alabama.
432
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
117
Direct injuries
$19.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Winston County, Alabama severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Winston County, Alabama severe weather history averages 6.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 134 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 35 events fall before 1990 and 397 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Winston County, Alabama record is tornado, responsible for 7 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $17.0M 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 Winston County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 226 | 0 | $1.9M | 87 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 119 | 0 | $229K | 2.75 | 1967–2025 |
| Tornado | 42 | 7 | $17.0M | F5 | 1963–2023 |
| Lightning | 23 | 0 | $298K | 0 | 1996–2011 |
| Flash Flood | 18 | 0 | $138K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2003 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2006–2006 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2008 |
Decade by decade
Winston County, Alabama severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
43 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 33 touched down inside it and 10 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 28 | 272 | 79.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 3 | 178 | 110.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-11-10 | EF3 | 4 | 38 | 44.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-02-04 | EF3 | 1 | 13 | 34.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 0 | 25 | 31.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1964-03-25 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 5.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-04-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 51.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1987-05-21 | EF2 | 1 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-01-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-06-22 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Winston County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 5 | 22 | $0 | |
| Nov 11, 2002 | Tornado | POPLAR SPGS | 1 | 15 | $200K |
| May 21, 1987 | Tornado | 1 | 0 | $25K | |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | HALEYVILLE | 0 | 25 | $11.5M |
| Apr 21, 1995 | Tornado | Haleyville | 0 | 17 | $450K |
| Nov 24, 2001 | Tornado | HALEYVILLE | 0 | 13 | $800K |
| Mar 25, 1964 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $250K | |
| Mar 21, 1976 | 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
A tornado initially touched down in southwest Marion County, near the community of Pikeville and tracked northeast where it moved across southern portions of Haleyville and into Winston County, south of AL Route 129. The tornado lifted in the William B. Bankhead National Forest, north of Rabbittown. The tornado moved into western Winston County and caused extensive damage to businesses near the intersection of CR 75 and Dolphin Rd. As the tornado crossed southern portions of Haleyville, many homes were significantly damaged and several were destroyed. This damage was consistent with an EF3 rating and winds of 150 mph. The tornado continued to produce tree damage as it entered the Bankhead National Forest area in northern Winston County, lifting along CR 3434.
A tornado touched down about five miles southwest of Haleyville in Marion County along State Highway 129 and moved on a northeast track that took it into the northern section of Haleyville. The tornado path covered about five miles in Marion County and one mile in Winston County. The most significant damage occurred along State Highway 129 in Marion County and most of the injuries occurred in that area. Most of those injured were in mobile homes at the time the storm hit. Three mobile homes were destroyed along with three businesses. Large hail, around one inch, was also reported in Haleyville with the storm.
Numerous trees were knocked down countywide. One large storage building was destroyed. Southern Homes in Double Springs sustained significant damage to its plant. Many buildings were damaged or destroyed at the plant. One chicken house was damaged and one mobile home was destroyed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
23,682
Population (ACS)
$119K
Median home value
25
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Apr 17, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 11, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Haleyville 118
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Winston County, Alabama?
432 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths and $19.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Winston County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 226 recorded events — 52.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Winston County?
43 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 33 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Winston County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Winston County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Winston County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Winston County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 59 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Winston 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
- Wilcox County 146
- Washington County 314
- Walker County 637
- Tuscaloosa County 852
- Tallapoosa County 421
- Talladega County 514
Cite this page
“Winston County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/winston-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.