Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Alabama, January 19, 1988

Name: Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Alabama, January 19, 1988
Start: 1988-01-19T14:10
End: 1988-01-19T23:35
Location: Alabama

January 19, 1988 · NWS BHM · 21 events in 17 counties and zones

17 thunderstorm wind, 4 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: 35
Property damage: $26 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 21

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

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

Thunderstorm Wind, Fayette

When: January 19, 2:10 PM CST
Where: Fayette County
Coordinates: 33.680, -87.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Morgan

When: January 19, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Morgan County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 34.620, -86.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: January 19, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Madison County
Coordinates: 34.730, -86.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Greene

When: January 19, 4:50 PM CST
Where: Greene County
Coordinates: 32.750, -88.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: January 19, 4:57 PM CST
Where: Madison County
Coordinates: 34.730, -86.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Tuscaloosa

When: January 19, 5:20 PM CST
Where: Tuscaloosa County
Coordinates: 33.350, -87.800

Tornado, Cullman

When: January 19, 5:25 PM CST
Where: Cullman County
Rating: F3
Path length: 10 mi
Path width: 440 yd
Injuries: 35 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 34.120, -86.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Hale

When: January 19, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Hale County
Coordinates: 32.770, -87.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Bibb

When: January 19, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Bibb County
Coordinates: 32.950, -87.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: January 19, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 33.570, -86.750

Tornado, Bibb

When: January 19, 6:15 PM CST
Where: Bibb County
Rating: F1
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 440 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 33.020, -86.920

Tornado, Shelby

When: January 19, 6:18 PM CST
Where: Shelby County
Rating: F1
Path length: 4 mi
Path width: 440 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 33.050, -86.920

Thunderstorm Wind, Marshall

When: January 19, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Marshall County
Coordinates: 34.270, -86.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Shelby

When: January 19, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Shelby County
Coordinates: 33.180, -86.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Shelby

When: January 19, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Shelby County
Coordinates: 33.330, -86.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Dekalb

When: January 19, 6:35 PM CST
Where: Dekalb County
Coordinates: 34.320, -86.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Blount

When: January 19, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Blount County
Coordinates: 34.100, -86.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Calhoun

When: January 19, 8:20 PM CST
Where: Calhoun County
Coordinates: 33.650, -85.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Cleburne

When: January 19, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Cleburne County
Coordinates: 33.720, -85.570

Tornado, Clay

When: January 19, 9:20 PM CST
Where: Clay County
Rating: F1
Path length: 5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 33.180, -85.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Lee

When: January 19, 11:35 PM CST
Where: Lee County
Coordinates: 32.650, -85.370

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

Every storm in Alabama in 1988 Every state in 1988 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Alabama, 1988 Warnings in Alabama, January 1988

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: 9978966, 9978967, 9978968, 9978969, 9978970, 9978971, 9978972, 9978973, 9978974, 9978975, 9978976, 9978977, 9978978, 9978979, 9978980, 9978981, 9978982, 9978983, 9978984, 9978985, 9978986.