Tornadoes · United States · Alabama

Tornadoes in Marshall County, Alabama

74 tornadoes have crossed Marshall County since 1950, 9th of the 67 counties in Alabama with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.0 years. They have killed 20 people and injured 415. 2 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
74
Deaths
20
Injuries
415
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
EF4, April 27, 2011

The deadliest in Marshall County

  1. F3, Marshall and Cullman counties, AlabamaFebruary 16, 19956 killed, 130 injured
  2. EF4 Cullman–Arab tornado, AlabamaApril 27, 20116 killed, 48 injured
  3. F4, Blount and Marshall counties, AlabamaNovember 18, 19573 killed, 12 injured
  4. F3, Morgan and Marshall counties, AlabamaApril 8, 19572 killed, 90 injured
  5. F2, Marshall and DeKalb counties, AlabamaMay 8, 19732 killed, 12 injured
  6. EF1, Marshall County, AlabamaApril 19, 20091 killed, 1 injured

The strongest

  1. EF4 Cullman–Arab tornado, AlabamaApril 27, 2011EF4, 46.9 mi (75 km)
  2. F4, Blount and Marshall counties, AlabamaNovember 18, 1957F4, 26.1 mi (42 km)
  3. F3, Morgan and Marshall counties, AlabamaApril 8, 1957F3, 38.8 mi (62 km)
  4. EF3, Marshall, Jackson and DeKalb counties, AlabamaApril 10, 2009EF3, 32.5 mi (52 km)
  5. F3, Marshall and Jackson counties, AlabamaApril 6, 1958F3, 25.7 mi (41 km)
  6. F3, Cullman, Morgan and Marshall counties, AlabamaMarch 7, 1961F3, 19.3 mi (31 km)
  7. EF3, Marshall County, AlabamaApril 24, 2010EF3, 17.7 mi (28 km)
  8. F3, Marshall, Morgan and Cullman counties, AlabamaApril 8, 1957F3, 16.3 mi (26 km)
  9. F3, Marshall and Cullman counties, AlabamaFebruary 16, 1995F3, 14.0 mi (23 km)
  10. F3, Marshall County, AlabamaApril 5, 1985F3, 8.0 mi (13 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 36 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Marshall County. Each year links to every tornado in Alabama that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20253EF1
202043EF2
201921EF1
20181EF2
20171EF2
20161EF1
20141EF0
2013210EF2
201114648EF4
2010335EF3
2009516EF3
20083EF1
20063F1
20021F1
200117F2
19961F2
199526133F3
1994130F2
198615F2
198515F3
19841F1
198322F2
198211F2
19811F1
19781F1
19762F1
19751F1
197421F2
19733215F2
197212F2
19681F2
19641F1
19621F1
196118F3
195811F3
195735102F4

Every tornado that crossed Marshall County

74 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 20, 20258:46 PM CDTEF1Marshall3.4150
April 6, 20251:33 AM CDTEF1Marshall1.0175$120,000
February 16, 20251:05 AM CSTEF1Marshall0.830
April 12, 20209:27 PM CDTEF1Marshall5.0200
April 12, 20206:10 PM CDTEF2Blount21.74403
January 11, 20201:19 PM CSTEF2Marshall0.2150
January 11, 20201:13 PM CSTEF1Marshall1.860
May 9, 20191:30 PM CDTEF1Marshall0.525
April 8, 20197:10 AM CDTEF1Marshall6.12191
March 19, 20187:26 PM CDTEF2Marshall3.8690
August 31, 20178:58 PM CDTEF2Cullman13.6300
November 29, 201611:05 PM CSTEF1Marshall1.250
October 3, 20144:02 AM CDTEF0Marshall0.575
March 18, 20133:41 PM CDTEF1Etowah8.03003
March 18, 20133:41 PM CDTEF2Marshall4.22207
April 27, 20112:40 PM CDTEF4Cullman–Arab tornado46.9880648
April 27, 20116:49 AM CDTEF1Marshall1.6100
April 27, 20116:45 AM CDTEF1Marshall4.8200
April 27, 20116:45 AM CDTEF1Marshall6.9300
April 27, 20116:43 AM CDTEF0Marshall2.875
April 27, 20116:35 AM CDTEF1Marshall4.9100
April 27, 20116:35 AM CDTEF1Marshall0.350$10,000
April 27, 20116:30 AM CDTEF2Marshall20.0880
April 27, 20116:30 AM CDTEF1Marshall4.650
April 27, 20116:30 AM CDTEF1Marshall3.4100
April 27, 20116:30 AM CDTEF1Marshall5.750
April 27, 20116:24 AM CDTEF1Marshall6.4100
April 27, 20116:20 AM CDTEF1Marshall11.075
April 27, 20116:12 AM CDTEF1Blount14.8200$42,000
October 26, 20106:13 PM CDTEF0Marshall0.950$5,000
October 25, 20103:23 AM CDTEF0Marshall0.9100$35,000
April 24, 201010:05 PM CDTEF3Marshall17.71,32035$14 million
June 28, 20094:50 PM CDTEF0Marshall1.350$18,000
May 3, 20093:40 PM CDTEF1Marshall0.350$20,000
April 19, 20098:35 PM CDTEF1Marshall3.06011
April 10, 20093:02 PM CDTEF3Marshall32.54405
April 10, 20095:38 AM CDTEF0Marshall2.0200$16,000
April 11, 20082:33 PM CDTEF0Marshall2.1100$10,000
April 11, 20082:16 PM CDTEF0Marshall1.630$2,000
February 6, 20084:45 AM CSTEF1Marshall0.235
September 22, 20066:06 PM CDTF1Marshall3.2500$90,000
September 22, 20064:38 PM CDTF0Marshall0.110
April 7, 200611:15 PM CDTF0Marshall0.1150$20,000
March 29, 200211:20 PM CSTF1Marshall8.7500$1.4 million
November 24, 20011:41 PM CSTF2Marshall2.03007$400,000
September 28, 19961:50 AM CDTF2Marshall2.580$300,000
February 16, 19955:28 AM CSTF2Marshall12.07003$50,000 to $500,000
February 16, 19954:59 AM CSTF3Marshall14.07036130$500,000 to $5 million
March 27, 199411:02 AM CSTF2Marshall6.040030$500,000 to $5 million
March 12, 19868:20 PM CSTF2Marshall7.02005$500,000 to $5 million
April 5, 19854:45 PM CSTF3Marshall8.02775$500,000 to $5 million
July 5, 19842:30 AM CDTF1Marshall2.540$5,000 to $50,000
May 19, 19833:35 PM CDTF1Marshall1.5802$5,000 to $50,000
February 22, 19833:28 PM CSTF2Marshall2.2440$500,000 to $5 million
January 3, 198210:45 PM CSTF2Marshall2.51001$5,000 to $50,000
May 18, 19817:10 PM CDTF1Marshall0.117$5,000 to $50,000
May 12, 197812:35 AM CDTF1Marshall8.0200
July 31, 19761:00 PM CDTF1Marshall0.150$50,000 to $500,000
May 6, 19766:50 PM CDTF1Marshall2.010$5,000 to $50,000
May 8, 197510:48 PM CDTF1Marshall0.110$5,000 to $50,000
October 15, 19744:30 PM CDTF1Blount28.8101$500 to $5,000
May 2, 19742:30 PM CDTF2Marshall2.0400$5,000 to $50,000
May 27, 19732:30 PM CDTF2Marshall31.55003$50,000 to $500,000
May 8, 19735:10 AM CDTF2Marshall29.1900212$500,000 to $5 million
January 26, 19733:45 PM CSTF2Marshall0.110$5,000 to $50,000
June 27, 19729:45 AM CDTF2Marshall0.3402$5,000 to $50,000
April 4, 19681:00 PM GMT-6F2Marshall4.110$50,000 to $500,000
April 7, 196410:00 AM GMT-6F1Marshall0.110$5,000 to $50,000
March 25, 19625:15 PM GMT-6F1Marshall0.5100$5,000 to $50,000
March 7, 196111:40 PM GMT-6F3Cullman19.32008$50,000 to $500,000
April 6, 195812:03 AM GMT-6F3Marshall25.71001$50,000 to $500,000
November 18, 19575:30 PM GMT-6F4Blount26.1100312$50,000 to $500,000
April 8, 195710:30 AM GMT-6F3Marshall16.310$50,000 to $500,000
April 8, 195710:15 AM GMT-6F3Morgan38.8200290$50 to $500

Nearby

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