Alabama, 1983

Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Alabama, May 19, 1983

May 19, 1983 · NWS AT · 9 events in 8 counties and zones

5 tornado, 4 thunderstorm wind, 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
5
Property damage
$2.6 million
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

5 tornado, 4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Marion

When
May 19, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Marion County
Coordinates
34.130, -87.730

Tornado, Cullman

When
May 19, 2:30 AM CST
Where
Cullman County
Rating
F2
Path length
2 mi
Path width
150 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
34.270, -87.050

Tornado, Morgan

When
May 19, 2:35 AM CST
Where
Morgan County
Rating
F2
Path length
2 mi
Path width
150 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
34.300, -87.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Morgan

When
May 19, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Morgan County
Coordinates
34.370, -86.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When
May 19, 3:05 AM CST
Where
Madison County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
34.530, -86.600

Tornado, Clarke

When
May 19, 9:25 AM CST
Where
Clarke County
Rating
F2
Path length
22 mi
Path width
100 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
31.620, -88.020

Tornado, Marshall

When
May 19, 2:35 PM CST
Where
Marshall County
Rating
F1
Path length
1.5 mi
Path width
80 yd
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
34.200, -86.200

Tornado, Dekalb

When
May 19, 4:15 PM CST
Where
Dekalb County
Rating
F3
Path length
1.2 mi
Path width
473 yd
Injuries
3 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$2.5 million
Coordinates
34.480, -85.680

Thunderstorm Wind, Covington

When
May 19, 4:45 PM CST
Where
Covington County
Coordinates
31.270, -86.330

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 1983Every state in 1983This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Alabama, 1983

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: 9977512, 9977513, 9977514, 9977515, 9977516, 9977517, 9977518, 9977519, 9977520.