Alabama, 1979

Tornado and Damaging Winds in Alabama, April 9, 1979

April 9, 1979 · NWS MT · 9 events in 7 counties and zones

8 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

8 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dekalb

When
April 9, 12:05 AM CST
Where
Dekalb County
Measured
75 kt (86 mph)
Coordinates
34.300, -98.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When
April 9, 12:15 AM CST
Where
Jefferson County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
33.400, -86.750

Tornado, Dallas

When
April 9, 1:15 AM CST
Where
Dallas County
Rating
F0
Path length
0.3 mi
Path width
20 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
32.400, -87.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Chilton

When
April 9, 1:15 AM CST
Where
Chilton County
Coordinates
32.830, -86.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Dallas

When
April 9, 1:15 AM CST
Where
Dallas County
Coordinates
32.400, -87.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When
April 9, 1:30 AM CST
Where
Clay County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
33.280, -85.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Autauga

When
April 9, 1:40 AM CST
Where
Autauga County
Coordinates
32.470, -86.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Dallas

When
April 9, 1:50 AM CST
Where
Dallas County
Coordinates
32.400, -86.850

Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery

When
April 9, 2:10 AM CST
Where
Montgomery County
Coordinates
32.300, -86.400

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alabama in 1979Every state in 1979This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Alabama, 1979

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 9976564, 9976565, 9976566, 9976567, 9976568, 9976569, 9976570, 9976571, 9976572.