Tornadoes · United States · Alabama
Tornadoes in Elmore County, Alabama
54 tornadoes have crossed Elmore County since 1950, 20th of the 67 counties in Alabama with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.4 years. They have killed 21 people and injured 181. 1 was rated F4 or EF4 and above.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
Now
- Tornadoes
- 54
- Deaths
- 21
- Injuries
- 181
- F4 and above
- 1
- Worst on record
- EF4, April 27, 2011
The deadliest in Elmore County
The strongest
- EF4 Lake Martin tornado, AlabamaApril 27, 2011
- EF3, Autauga, Elmore, Coosa and Tallapoosa counties, AlabamaJanuary 12, 2023
- F3, Elmore and Tallapoosa counties, AlabamaMarch 18, 1996
- EF3, Autauga and Elmore counties, AlabamaFebruary 17, 2008
- F3, Montgomery and Elmore counties, AlabamaNovember 25, 1979
- F3, Montgomery and Elmore counties, AlabamaMay 3, 1984
- F3, Elmore County, AlabamaMarch 12, 1976
- F2, Tallapoosa and Elmore counties, AlabamaNovember 25, 1979
- EF2, Elmore, Coosa and Tallapoosa counties, AlabamaApril 15, 2011
- F2, Autauga and Elmore counties, AlabamaMarch 29, 1977
Every year with a tornado
The 27 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Elmore County. Each year links to every tornado in Alabama that year.
Every tornado that crossed Elmore County
54 tornadoes, newest first.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2023 | 10:22 PM CDT | EF1 | Elmore | 7.5 | 1,200 | |||
| January 12, 2023 | 12:40 PM CST | EF3 | Autauga | 82.3 | 1,500 | 7 | 16 | |
| January 3, 2023 | 1:42 PM CST | EF2 | Elmore | 9.1 | 800 | |||
| November 30, 2022 | 3:38 AM CST | EF2 | Elmore | 6.3 | 400 | |||
| November 30, 2022 | 3:14 AM CST | EF2 | Elmore | 9.8 | 700 | 2 | 2 | |
| April 5, 2022 | 11:06 AM CDT | EF0 | Elmore | 5.3 | 300 | |||
| April 5, 2022 | 10:54 AM CDT | EF2 | Elmore | 4.4 | 900 | |||
| February 3, 2022 | 5:33 PM CST | EF0 | Elmore | 0.2 | 100 | |||
| February 3, 2022 | 5:02 PM CST | EF0 | Elmore | 2.1 | 100 | |||
| December 10, 2021 | 4:12 PM CST | EF0 | Elmore | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| November 11, 2021 | 3:03 PM CST | EF0 | Elmore | 0.4 | 270 | |||
| May 4, 2021 | 6:17 PM CDT | EF1 | Autauga | 10.6 | 330 | |||
| March 14, 2019 | 9:32 PM CDT | EF2 | Elmore | 8.6 | 650 | |||
| January 19, 2019 | 2:52 PM CST | EF2 | Elmore | 18.1 | 700 | 4 | ||
| January 21, 2017 | 7:57 AM CST | EF0 | Elmore | 0.2 | 90 | |||
| January 21, 2017 | 7:55 AM CST | EF1 | Elmore | 0.7 | 200 | |||
| January 21, 2017 | 7:55 AM CST | EF1 | Elmore | 1.5 | 450 | |||
| January 23, 2012 | 7:48 AM CST | EF1 | Elmore | 4.0 | 200 | |||
| December 22, 2011 | 2:24 PM CST | EF1 | Elmore | 24.9 | 300 | $85,000 | ||
| December 22, 2011 | 2:02 PM CST | EF0 | Autauga | 10.2 | 100 | $65,000 | ||
| April 27, 2011 | 8:12 PM CDT | EF4 | Lake Martin tornado | 44.2 | 880 | 7 | 30 | $167 million |
| April 15, 2011 | 11:17 PM CDT | EF2 | Elmore | 20.8 | 1,320 | 2 | $1.4 million | |
| April 15, 2011 | 9:27 PM CDT | EF0 | Elmore | 0.3 | 50 | $13,000 | ||
| February 28, 2011 | 5:05 PM CST | EF0 | Autauga | 8.9 | 200 | $77,000 | ||
| November 30, 2010 | 10:23 AM CST | EF0 | Elmore | 6.7 | 100 | $35,000 | ||
| August 24, 2008 | 2:07 PM CDT | EF0 | Elmore | 0.0 | 20 | |||
| February 17, 2008 | 2:58 PM CST | EF3 | Autauga | 14.7 | 440 | 50 | $10 million | |
| April 11, 2007 | 5:05 PM CDT | EF0 | Elmore | 0.1 | 25 | $5,000 | ||
| November 15, 2006 | 11:02 AM CST | F1 | Elmore | 5.2 | 100 | $30,000 | ||
| November 15, 2006 | 10:40 AM CST | F1 | Elmore | 1.6 | 150 | $25,000 | ||
| November 28, 2005 | 7:30 PM CST | F0 | Elmore | 0.1 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| July 6, 2005 | 2:17 PM CDT | F0 | Elmore | 1.3 | 75 | $40,000 | ||
| July 6, 2005 | 1:55 PM CDT | F0 | Macon | 5.6 | 150 | $30,000 | ||
| November 24, 2004 | 6:48 AM CST | F0 | Elmore | 2.4 | 50 | $120,000 | ||
| April 25, 2003 | 4:24 PM CDT | F0 | Elmore | 0.6 | 50 | $40,000 | ||
| December 14, 2001 | 3:48 AM CST | F0 | Elmore | 0.1 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| May 7, 1999 | 3:30 PM CDT | F0 | Elmore | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| May 7, 1999 | 3:28 PM CDT | F0 | Elmore | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| September 28, 1998 | 5:19 PM CDT | F0 | Elmore | 3.0 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| January 24, 1997 | 7:37 AM CST | F1 | Elmore | 1.5 | 50 | $40,000 | ||
| March 18, 1996 | 8:23 PM CST | F3 | Elmore | 24.0 | 440 | $700,000 | ||
| March 18, 1996 | 8:05 PM CST | F1 | Elmore | 0.9 | 70 | $150,000 | ||
| March 18, 1996 | 6:52 PM CST | F1 | Coosa | 6.0 | 100 | $500,000 | ||
| April 11, 1995 | 11:15 AM CDT | F1 | Elmore | 4.0 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| August 27, 1992 | 2:02 PM CDT | F1 | Elmore | 5.0 | 50 | 1 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| May 3, 1984 | 7:00 AM CDT | F3 | Montgomery | 7.0 | 800 | 5 | 37 | $500,000 to $5 million |
| April 23, 1983 | 2:10 PM CST | F1 | Elmore | 0.1 | 40 | $50 to $500 | ||
| November 12, 1982 | 1:30 PM CST | F0 | Elmore | 0.1 | 30 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| April 26, 1982 | 4:10 PM CDT | F1 | Autauga | 12.0 | 200 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| November 25, 1979 | 1:50 PM CST | F2 | Tallapoosa | 26.9 | 60 | 2 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| November 25, 1979 | 12:50 PM CST | F3 | Montgomery | 10.2 | 150 | 20 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| May 4, 1979 | 2:51 PM CDT | F0 | Elmore | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| March 29, 1977 | 3:00 PM CST | F2 | Autauga | 20.5 | 50 | 2 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| March 12, 1976 | 9:20 PM CST | F3 | Elmore | 4.9 | 400 | 15 | $500,000 to $5 million |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Elmore CountyThe forecast for Elmore CountyThe live radar over Elmore CountyEvery county in Alabama
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.