Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, May 18, 1995

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, May 18, 1995
Start: 1995-05-18T15:14
End: 1995-05-18T20:40
Location: Alabama

May 18, 1995 · 25 events in 8 counties and zones

20 hail, 3 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 24 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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: 1
Injuries: 55
Property damage: $5.3 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 25

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.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

20 hail, 3 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Colbert

When: May 18, 3:14 PM CST
Where: Colbert County, Cherokee
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.700, -87.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A supercell thunderstorm moved out of Mississippi into Colbert County producing numerous reports of large hail. A small tornado touched down about two miles east of the Muscle Shoals airport (MSL) and moved on a path about six and one-half miles in length. Several buildings sustained some damage along with power lines and trees down. Emergency Medical Association reported that five houses and three mobile homes were damaged.

Hail, Colbert

When: May 18, 3:18 PM CST
Where: Colbert County, Cherokee
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.700, -87.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Colbert

When: May 18, 3:20 PM CST
Where: Colbert County, Cherokee
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 34.700, -87.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Colbert

When: May 18, 3:25 PM CST
Where: Colbert County, Cherokee
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.700, -87.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Colbert

When: May 18, 3:32 PM CST to 3:45 PM CST
Where: Colbert County, S Cherokee to Muscle Shoals
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.700, -87.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Lauderdale

When: May 18, 3:40 PM CST
Where: Lauderdale County, Florence
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.901, -87.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball-size hail was reported in downtown Florence, at Killen, and three miles northwest of Rogersville. The ground was white with hail at Killen.

Tornado, Colbert

When: May 18, 3:51 PM CST
Where: Colbert County
Rating: F1
Path length: 6.5 mi
Path width: 150 yd
Property damage: $80,000
Coordinates: 34.700, -87.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Lauderdale

When: May 18, 3:55 PM CST
Where: Lauderdale County, Killen
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.901, -87.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball-size hail was reported in downtown Florence, at Killen, and three miles northwest of Rogersville. The ground was white with hail at Killen.

Hail, Lauderdale

When: May 18, 4:20 PM CST
Where: Lauderdale County, Rogersville
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.901, -87.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball-size hail was reported in downtown Florence, at Killen, and three miles northwest of Rogersville. The ground was white with hail at Killen.

Hail, Limestone

When: May 18, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Limestone County, Athens
Measured: 3.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.810, -86.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Softball-size hail was reported just south of Salem in western Limestone County. Trees were also reported down in Cairo, also in western Limestone County. Golf ball-size hail was reported in northwest Limestone County not far from the Madison/Limestone county line.

Thunderstorm Wind, Limestone

When: May 18, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Limestone County, Athens
Coordinates: 34.810, -86.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tornado, Limestone

When: May 18, 4:33 PM CST to 5:28 PM CST
Where: Limestone County, Limestone to Scottsboro
Rating: F4
Path length: 39 mi
Path width: 1,300 yd
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 55 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $5.0 million
Coordinates: 34.830, -87.030

A supercell thunderstorm produced a violent tornado that began 3 miles northwest of Athens in Limestone County and moved on a path just slightly north of east completely across Madison County before ending in northwestern Jackson County about 15 miles northwest of Scottsboro. The tornado path varied from very narrow at the beginning and end to about three-quarters of a mile wide at the widest location in Madison County. Intensity varied from F0 intensity near both ends of the track to F4 at the strongest in several locations in Madison County. Damage along the track was primarily in the F2 and F3 category. Evidence in the damage as seen through an aerial survey indicated that the tornado was probably a multiple vortex with indications of at least two vortices within the main tornado funnel. The tornado began at 1633 CST in Limestone County crossing Interstate 65 and Highway 251 where the mobile home park was destroyed. It reached the Limestone/Madison county line at 1650 CST. The trek across Madison County saw the tornado move near the communities of Harvest, Meridianville, Buckhorn, and Fannings Crossing before moving into the rugged terrain of eastern Madison County. The tornado crossed the Madison/Jackson county line at 1721 CST. The tornado track was much weaker in Jackson County as it moved through rugged terrain affecting very few structures. The track ended about 15 miles northwest of Scottsboro or a few miles west of the community of Hytop. Damage was the heaviest at a mobile home park about three miles northeast of Athens along Highway 251. The only fatality that occurred in this tornado occurred at this mobile home park, and the person died later from injuries received in the tornado. Twenty-six mobile homes were destroyed in Limestone County, 13 in the Oakdale Mobile Home Park. Another 35 buildings were damaged or destroyed in Limestone County where damage was estimated to be $1.5 million. About 9,500 electric customers were without electricity. A cow was also killed when a large tree fell on and crushed it. Another especially hard hit area was Anderson Hills subdivision in Madison County with houses ranging in price from $175,000 to $400,000. This area of well-constructed dwellings was one of the locations where F4 damage was evident as well as indications of a multiple vortex structure. In Anderson Hills, 21 houses were destroyed and 39 sustained major damage. Damage across the rest of Madison County was less concentrated than in this one subdivision. Over 10,000 Huntsville Utility Company customers were without power. M30M

Hail, Limestone

When: May 18, 4:48 PM CST
Where: Limestone County, Athens
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.810, -86.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball-size hail was reported in northern Limestone County along with the tornado.

Hail, Limestone

When: May 18, 4:59 PM CST
Where: Limestone County, Ardmore
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.810, -86.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Madison

When: May 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Madison County to Toney
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.763, -86.550 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball-size hail covered the ground at Toney.

Hail, Sumter

When: May 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Sumter County, York
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 32.591, -88.199 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball-size hail was reported at York and dime-size hail was reported 11 miles south of Livingston.

Hail, Sumter

When: May 18, 5:05 PM CST
Where: Sumter County, Livingston
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 32.591, -88.199 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball-size hail was reported at York and dime-size hail was reported 11 miles south of Livingston.

Hail, Franklin

When: May 18, 5:26 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, Red Bay
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 34.442, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One-inch hail was reported in at Red Bay. A funnel cloud was reported over downtown Russellville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Marengo

When: May 18, 5:44 PM CST
Where: Marengo County, Demopolis
Property damage: $200
Coordinates: 32.248, -87.789 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees were reported down in the city of Demopolis.

Hail, Colbert

When: May 18, 5:58 PM CST
Where: Colbert County, Littleville
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.700, -87.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three-quarter inch hail was reported at Littleville in southeast Colbert County.

Tornado, Lauderdale

When: May 18, 6:03 PM CST
Where: Lauderdale County, Florence
Rating: F1
Path length: 1.5 mi
Path width: 120 yd
Property damage: $200,000
Coordinates: 34.901, -87.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Funnel clouds were reported with a storm that moved from the northern portion of Florence northeastward to the area of the Green Hill community about 14 miles northeast of Florence. Just south of the Green Hill community, a small tornado damaged about 10 houses in the vicinity of County Road 47 and United States 43. Ten houses were damaged including several homes that lost roofs or portions of roofs and several barns were destroyed. Numerous trees and power lines were down.

Hail, Lauderdale

When: May 18, 6:10 PM CST
Where: Lauderdale County, Florence
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 34.901, -87.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Lauderdale

When: May 18, 6:27 PM CST
Where: Lauderdale County, Killen
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.901, -87.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Randolph

When: May 18, 8:40 PM CST
Where: Randolph County, Roanoke
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 33.294, -85.459 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Quarter-size hail was reported seven miles northeast of Roanoke at the Springfield community and along Highway 87 in Roanoke.

Hail, Randolph

When: May 18, 8:40 PM CST
Where: Randolph County, Roanoke
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 33.294, -85.459 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Quarter-size hail was reported seven miles northeast of Roanoke at the Springfield community and along Highway 87 in Roanoke.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Tornado, Limestone	1995-05-18				Direct

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alabama in 1995 Every state in 1995 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Alabama, 1995 Warnings in Alabama, May 1995

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: 10314522, 10314545, 10314546, 10314547, 10314548, 10314288, 10314549, 10314289, 10314290, 10314627, 10314628, 10314318, 10314319, 10314320, 10313921, 10313937, 10313938, 10314699, 10314000, 10314550, 10314306, 10314307, 10314308, 10313813, 10313814.