42
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
111
Direct injuries
$17.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Winston County, Alabama: 42 recorded events between 1963 and 2023. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #567 nationally and #36 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Winston County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Winston County is the 2010s, when 12 of the county's 42 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 Winston County archive, tornado makes up 9.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #567 for this hazard and #36 within Alabama, putting it in the 80.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Winston County with 9 recorded events, while Jul 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 79.5 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 110.6 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
| 2002-11-10 | EF3 | 44.3 mi | 1,175 yd | Crossed in |
| 1971-02-04 | EF3 | 34.1 mi | 750 yd | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 31.8 mi | 1,320 yd | Crossed in |
| 1964-03-25 | EF3 | 5.4 mi | 267 yd | Touched down here |
| 1957-04-08 | EF3 | 51.4 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1987-05-21 | EF2 | 0.3 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-01-12 | EF2 | 9.2 mi | 425 yd | Touched down here |
| 2018-06-22 | EF2 | 7.0 mi | 260 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | F5 | 5 | 22 | $0 | |
| Nov 11, 2002 | POPLAR SPGS | F3 | 1 | 15 | $200K |
| May 21, 1987 | F2 | 1 | 0 | $25K | |
| Apr 27, 2011 | HALEYVILLE | EF3 | 0 | 25 | $11.5M |
| Apr 21, 1995 | Haleyville | F1 | 0 | 17 | $450K |
| Nov 24, 2001 | HALEYVILLE | F2 | 0 | 13 | $800K |
| Mar 25, 1964 | F3 | 0 | 7 | $250K | |
| Mar 21, 1976 | F2 | 0 | 6 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2023 | HALEYVILLE POSEY ARP | EF1 | $0 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | DELMAR | EF2 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2021 | NESMITH | EF1 | $0 |
| Aug 28, 2020 | DOUBLE SPGS | EF1 | $0 |
| Aug 28, 2020 | PLEASANT HILL | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2018 | INMANFIELD | EF0 | $0 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | NESMITH | EF1 | $0 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | NATHAN | EF2 | $0 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | PLEASANT HILL | EF2 | $0 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | FORKVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Winston County
- Thunderstorm Wind 226
- Hail 119
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.
A small tornado began on the south side of US 278 a little more than 3.5 miles west-northwest of Double Springs and moved on a north-northeast track for about a mile and a half. The tornado began in an open field and immediately damaged two buildings and a mobile home at the Mount Carmel Church. The tornado crossed US 278 downing trees and damaging a home on the north side of the highway. The tornado continued across CR 55 damaging two more homes. A large satellite dish was turned inside-out like an umbrella. The tornado continued through a wooded section before ending just after crossing CR 32.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Winston County, Alabama?
42 tornado events are recorded in Winston County between 1963 and 2023, causing 7 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Winston County?
The strongest tornado on record in Winston County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Winston 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 Winston County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/winston-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.