Tornadoes · United States · Alabama

Tornadoes in Lawrence County, Alabama

47 tornadoes have crossed Lawrence County since 1950, 28th of the 67 counties in Alabama with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.6 years. They have killed 136 people and injured 733. 4 were rated F4 or EF4 and above, 3 at the top of the scale.

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
47
Deaths
136
Injuries
733
F4 and above
4
Worst on record
EF5, April 27, 2011

The deadliest in Lawrence County

  1. EF5 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado, Alabama and TennesseeApril 27, 201172 killed, 145 injured
  2. F5 Guin tornado, AlabamaApril 3, 197428 killed, 272 injured
  3. F5 First Tanner tornado, AlabamaApril 3, 197428 killed, 267 injured
  4. EF4 Moulton–Decatur tornado, AlabamaFebruary 6, 20084 killed, 23 injured
  5. EF2, Lawrence and Limestone counties, AlabamaDecember 16, 20192 killed
  6. F2, Colbert, Lawrence and Lauderdale counties, AlabamaApril 5, 19581 killed, 1 injured
  7. EF2, Lawrence and Morgan counties, AlabamaMarch 24, 20231 killed

The strongest

  1. EF5 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado, Alabama and TennesseeApril 27, 2011EF5, 132.0 mi (212 km)
  2. F5 Guin tornado, AlabamaApril 3, 1974F5, 79.5 mi (128 km)
  3. F5 First Tanner tornado, AlabamaApril 3, 1974F5, 52.0 mi (84 km)
  4. EF4 Moulton–Decatur tornado, AlabamaFebruary 6, 2008EF4, 16.7 mi (27 km)
  5. F3, Franklin, Colbert and Lawrence counties, AlabamaNovember 4, 1988F3, 60.0 mi (97 km)
  6. F3, Marion, Winston and Lawrence counties, AlabamaApril 8, 1957F3, 51.4 mi (83 km)
  7. F3, Colbert and Lawrence counties, AlabamaOctober 24, 1967F3, 15.0 mi (24 km)
  8. EF3, Limestone and Lawrence counties, AlabamaMay 8, 2024EF3, 3.8 mi (6 km)
  9. F2, Lawrence and Limestone counties, AlabamaApril 5, 1958F2, 25.6 mi (41 km)
  10. F2, Colbert, Lawrence and Lauderdale counties, AlabamaApril 5, 1958F2, 19.2 mi (31 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 27 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Lawrence County. Each year links to every tornado in Alabama that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20253EF1
20241EF3
202331EF2
201912EF2
20182EF1
20171EF1
20152EF1
20142EF1
2011372145EF5
20101EF1
20095EF1
20082423EF4
20071EF1
20064F1
200112F2
20001F1
19971F1
199114F1
1988116F3
19851F1
19821F1
19781F2
1974256539F5
19681F2
196713F3
1958211F2
19572F3

Every tornado that crossed Lawrence County

47 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 20, 20255:51 PM CDTUnratedLimestone2.225
May 20, 20255:10 PM CDTEF1Lauderdale17.1575$688,000
February 15, 202511:33 PM CSTEF1Lawrence1.5150
May 8, 20248:23 PM CDTEF3Limestone3.8228
March 24, 202312:23 AM CDTEF2Lawrence13.51751
March 24, 202312:00 AM CDTEF1Lawrence2.8130
January 12, 20238:09 AM CSTEF1Lawrence30.3325
December 16, 20195:08 PM CSTEF2Lawrence18.53702
March 19, 20186:18 PM CDTEF1Lawrence6.8100
March 19, 20185:54 PM CDTEF0Lawrence1.2250
November 18, 20175:18 PM CSTEF1Lawrence4.3300
July 14, 20156:18 PM CDTEF0Lawrence2.750
July 14, 20156:14 PM CDTEF1Lawrence11.4250
June 9, 20148:30 PM CDTEF1Lawrence5.9150
February 20, 20148:45 PM CSTEF1Lawrence10.7450
May 25, 201111:17 PM CDTEF2Lawrence2.2100
April 27, 20113:05 PM CDTEF5Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado132.02,20072145$1.3 billion
April 20, 20114:58 AM CDTEF1Lawrence2.6100
October 26, 20101:23 PM CDTEF1Lawrence1.050$10,000
October 7, 20091:30 AM CDTEF0Lawrence0.825$30,000
June 14, 200910:25 AM CDTEF1Lawrence0.8150
May 6, 20098:25 AM CDTEF1Lawrence3.275$250,000
April 19, 20096:18 PM CDTEF1Lawrence4.467$30,000
April 19, 20096:03 PM CDTEF0Lawrence1.325$18,000
May 8, 200812:39 PM CDTEF2Lauderdale12.6250$555,000
February 6, 20083:02 AM CSTEF4Moulton–Decatur tornado16.7880423
October 18, 20073:05 PM CDTEF1Lawrence0.2100
April 7, 200610:35 PM CDTF1Morgan9.0150$110,000
April 7, 200610:00 PM CDTF0Lawrence0.160$10,000
April 7, 20069:30 PM CDTF0Lawrence0.150
April 7, 20068:45 PM CDTF0Lawrence0.130
November 24, 200112:10 PM CSTF2Morgan4.93002$500,000
December 16, 200012:25 PM CSTF1Lawrence5.130$100,000
January 24, 19972:50 PM CSTF1Lawrence3.073$40,000
April 14, 19918:05 PM CDTF1Lawrence1.0704
November 4, 19884:20 PM CSTF3Franklin60.020016
August 16, 198512:20 PM CDTF1Lawrence0.130$500 to $5,000
April 17, 19824:00 AM CSTF1Lawrence0.240under $50
April 18, 19782:00 AM CSTF2Lawrence6.833$50,000 to $500,000
April 3, 19748:50 PM CDTF5Guin tornado79.550028272
April 3, 19746:15 PM CDTF5First Tanner tornado52.050028267
May 29, 19686:30 PM GMT-5F2Lawrence2.010$50,000 to $500,000
October 24, 19678:00 PM GMT-5F3Colbert15.0103$50,000 to $500,000
April 5, 195810:00 PM GMT-6F2Lawrence25.6100$5,000 to $50,000
April 5, 19589:00 PM GMT-6F2Colbert19.210011$50,000 to $500,000
November 18, 19575:00 PM GMT-6F1Lawrence0.110$500 to $5,000
April 8, 19579:46 AM GMT-6F3Marion51.4100$50,000 to $500,000

Nearby

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