Tornadoes · United States · Alabama

Tornadoes in Jackson County, Alabama

63 tornadoes have crossed Jackson County since 1950, 10th of the 67 counties in Alabama with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.2 years. They have killed 24 people and injured 167. 4 were 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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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
63
Deaths
24
Injuries
167
F4 and above
4
Worst on record
EF4, April 27, 2011

The deadliest in Jackson County

  1. EF4, Jackson, DeKalb, Dade and Walker counties, Alabama and GeorgiaApril 27, 201114 killed, 50 injured
  2. EF3, Jackson and DeKalb counties, AlabamaNovember 30, 20164 killed, 9 injured
  3. F3, Morgan, Limestone, Madison and Jackson counties, AlabamaApril 3, 19742 killed, 7 injured
  4. F4, Limestone, Madison and Jackson counties, AlabamaMay 18, 19951 killed, 55 injured
  5. EF4, Jackson County, AlabamaFebruary 6, 20081 killed, 12 injured
  6. EF4, Jackson County, AlabamaApril 27, 20111 killed
  7. EF1, DeKalb and Jackson counties, AlabamaApril 27, 20111 killed

The strongest

  1. EF4, Jackson, DeKalb, Dade and Walker counties, Alabama and GeorgiaApril 27, 2011EF4, 47.0 mi (76 km)
  2. F4, Limestone, Madison and Jackson counties, AlabamaMay 18, 1995F4, 39.0 mi (63 km)
  3. EF4, Jackson County, AlabamaApril 27, 2011EF4, 20.2 mi (33 km)
  4. EF4, Jackson County, AlabamaFebruary 6, 2008EF4, 10.9 mi (18 km)
  5. F3, Morgan, Limestone, Madison and Jackson counties, AlabamaApril 3, 1974F3, 46.5 mi (75 km)
  6. EF3, Marshall, Jackson and DeKalb counties, AlabamaApril 10, 2009EF3, 32.5 mi (52 km)
  7. F3, Marshall and Jackson counties, AlabamaApril 6, 1958F3, 25.7 mi (41 km)
  8. EF3, Jackson and DeKalb counties, AlabamaNovember 30, 2016EF3, 13.5 mi (22 km)
  9. EF3, Jackson and DeKalb counties, AlabamaMay 8, 2024EF3, 12.3 mi (20 km)
  10. F3, Jackson and DeKalb counties, AlabamaApril 15, 1965F3, 9.6 mi (15 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 31 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Jackson County. Each year links to every tornado in Alabama that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20256EF2
202467EF3
20234EF1
20211EF0
20183EF1
20171EF0
2016549EF3
20142EF1
20121EF1
201141650EF4
20103EF2
200925EF3
20082112EF4
20071EF1
20041F0
200353F1
20011F1
19971F0
199612F1
19951155F4
19891F1
19881F2
19851F0
19841F3
19821F0
197711F2
1974127F3
1973213F2
196512F3
19601F1
195811F3

Every tornado that crossed Jackson County

63 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 25, 20254:34 PM CDTEF0Jackson8.1140
May 20, 20258:47 PM CDTEF0Jackson6.1105
May 20, 20257:14 PM CDTEF1Jackson10.5275
May 20, 20257:07 PM CDTEF2Madison7.3400
May 3, 20253:49 PM CDTEF1Jackson13.380
April 6, 20251:33 AM CDTEF1Marshall1.0175$120,000
May 9, 20245:08 AM CDTEF1Jackson6.1241$138,000
May 9, 20244:37 AM CDTEF1Jackson1.1170$165,000
May 9, 20244:31 AM CDTEF1Jackson0.3108$155,000
May 8, 202410:57 PM CDTEF3Jackson12.38807$4.5 million
May 8, 202410:34 PM CDTEF0Jackson2.1200$1.4 million
May 8, 202410:13 PM CDTEF0Jackson2.3106$53,000
March 25, 20231:28 AM CDTEF1Jackson8.5250$5.5 million
March 3, 202312:47 PM CSTEF1Jackson3.250
March 3, 202312:39 PM CSTEF1Jackson5.0105
January 12, 20233:38 PM CSTEF0Jackson2.370
May 4, 20219:44 AM CDTEF0Jackson0.650
November 6, 20182:35 AM CSTEF1Jackson3.9215
June 22, 20186:25 PM CDTEF1Jackson1.7250
March 19, 20186:30 PM CDTEF1Jackson0.5200
April 22, 20175:40 PM CDTEF0Jackson2.2200
November 30, 20162:11 AM CSTEF0Jackson3.430
November 30, 201612:02 AM CSTEF3Jackson13.520649
November 29, 201611:00 PM CSTEF1Jackson2.3150
November 29, 201610:02 PM CSTEF1Jackson0.940
November 29, 20169:29 PM CSTEF2Madison19.9150
June 10, 20141:44 PM CDTEF1Jackson8.4300
April 28, 20148:18 PM CDTEF1Jackson6.1100
March 2, 201210:08 AM CSTEF1Franklin to TN0.9100$10,000
April 27, 20115:05 PM CDTEF4Jackson20.21,3201
April 27, 20114:01 PM CDTEF4Jackson to GA47.01,2601450$25 million
April 27, 20117:10 AM CDTEF2DeKalb5.8200$30,000
April 27, 20116:58 AM CDTEF1DeKalb27.93001
October 25, 20104:05 AM CDTEF1Jackson15.7150$150,000
October 25, 20104:02 AM CDTEF2DeKalb to GA20.3300$1.7 million
October 25, 20103:52 AM CDTEF0Jackson2.2100$50,000
April 10, 20093:02 PM CDTEF3Marshall32.54405
March 28, 20098:11 PM CDTEF0Jackson1.640$15,000
December 10, 20081:02 AM CSTEF2Jackson4.5300$300,000
February 6, 20085:17 AM CSTEF4Jackson10.9660112
April 3, 200711:33 PM CDTEF1Jackson2.6100
August 20, 20043:23 PM CDTF0Jackson1.030
May 6, 20039:58 AM CDTF0Jackson1.020
May 6, 20039:45 AM CDTF0Jackson3.020$10,000
March 19, 20031:50 PM CSTF1Jackson10.0503$300,000
March 19, 200312:52 PM CSTF1Jackson1.040$1,000
March 19, 200312:49 PM CSTF1Jackson0.530
May 24, 20015:48 PM CDTF1Jackson0.580$20,000
January 5, 199712:30 AM CSTF0Jackson2.750$60,000
March 16, 19961:15 PM CSTF1Jackson2.0802$90,000
May 18, 19955:33 PM CDTF4Limestone39.01,300155$500,000 to $5 million
November 15, 19895:55 PM CSTF1Jackson1.020$50,000 to $500,000
May 9, 19887:25 PM CDTF2Jackson15.050$5,000 to $50,000
August 16, 19852:30 PM CDTF0Jackson0.120$50 to $500
March 24, 19847:38 PM CSTF3Jackson4.060$500,000 to $5 million
July 22, 19823:00 PM CDTF0Jackson0.117$50 to $500
April 4, 197712:20 PM CSTF2Jackson6.91001$50,000 to $500,000
April 3, 197410:24 PM CDTF3Morgan46.570027$500,000 to $5 million
May 27, 19733:15 PM CDTF2Jackson4.35004$50,000 to $500,000
May 19, 19735:15 PM CDTF2Jackson23.59009$500,000 to $5 million
April 15, 19655:15 PM GMT-6F3Jackson9.6502$50,000 to $500,000
May 26, 19602:00 PM GMT-5F1Jackson0.210$500 to $5,000
April 6, 195812:03 AM GMT-6F3Marshall25.71001$50,000 to $500,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Jackson CountyThe forecast for Jackson CountyThe live radar over Jackson 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.