Tornadoes · United States · Alabama

Tornadoes in Montgomery County, Alabama

61 tornadoes have crossed Montgomery County since 1950, 1 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 12th of the 67 counties in Alabama with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.2 years. They have killed 11 people and injured 124. 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.

  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
61
Deaths
11
Injuries
124
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
F4, April 18, 1969

The deadliest in Montgomery County

  1. F3, Montgomery and Elmore counties, AlabamaMay 3, 19845 killed, 37 injured
  2. F2, Montgomery County, AlabamaMarch 6, 19962 killed, 17 injured
  3. F4, Butler, Crenshaw, Montgomery and Bullock counties, AlabamaApril 18, 19692 killed, 14 injured
  4. EF2, Elmore and Montgomery counties, AlabamaNovember 30, 20222 killed, 2 injured

The strongest

  1. F4, Butler, Crenshaw, Montgomery and Bullock counties, AlabamaApril 18, 1969F4, 52.4 mi (84 km)
  2. F3, Montgomery and Elmore counties, AlabamaNovember 25, 1979F3, 10.2 mi (16 km)
  3. F3, Montgomery and Elmore counties, AlabamaMay 3, 1984F3, 7.0 mi (11 km)
  4. EF2, Lowndes and Montgomery counties, AlabamaMarch 1, 2007EF2, 24.6 mi (40 km)
  5. F2, Lowndes and Montgomery counties, AlabamaMarch 18, 1996F2, 19.0 mi (31 km)
  6. F2, Lowndes and Montgomery counties, AlabamaJune 28, 1957F2, 12.8 mi (21 km)
  7. EF2, Pike and Montgomery counties, AlabamaApril 5, 2022EF2, 12.7 mi (20 km)
  8. EF2, Elmore and Montgomery counties, AlabamaNovember 30, 2022EF2, 9.8 mi (16 km)
  9. F2, Lowndes and Montgomery counties, AlabamaApril 29, 1963F2, 9.8 mi (16 km)
  10. F2, Lowndes and Montgomery counties, AlabamaNovember 10, 1966F2, 9.3 mi (15 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 32 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Montgomery County. Each year links to every tornado in Alabama that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20261EF1
20244EF1
202311EF1
2022322EF2
20212EF1
20201EF0
20181EF0
20172EF1
20163EF0
20121EF1
20111EF1
20093EF1
200716EF2
200626F2
20052F0
20042F0
20031F0
200124F1
200051F1
19965219F2
199221F1
198612F1
19842537F3
19811F1
1979220F3
197813F1
19751F2
19691214F4
19661F2
19631F2
19581F1
195748F2

Every tornado that crossed Montgomery County

61 tornadoes, newest first. The 1 at the top is this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and its rating is marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
January 25, 202611:16 AM CSTEF1Lowndes3.365
December 29, 20241:11 AM CSTEF0Montgomery2.5100
December 29, 202412:53 AM CSTEF1Montgomery10.0500
December 29, 202412:43 AM CSTEF1Montgomery3.9250
December 29, 202412:40 AM CSTEF0Montgomery0.3100
January 4, 20233:00 AM CSTEF1Montgomery1.91301
November 30, 20223:14 AM CSTEF2Elmore9.870022
April 5, 202211:34 AM CDTEF1Pike7.6550
April 5, 202211:03 AM CDTEF2Pike12.71,100
May 4, 20216:17 PM CDTEF1Autauga10.6330
March 17, 202110:43 PM CDTEF0Montgomery0.3140
March 31, 202010:23 AM CDTEF0Montgomery3.3190
April 22, 20182:25 PM CDTEF0Montgomery2.6250
April 27, 20179:03 AM CDTEF1Montgomery5.6250
February 7, 20171:42 PM CSTEF0Montgomery0.285
April 6, 201611:24 PM CDTEF0Montgomery0.850
April 6, 201610:55 PM CDTEF0Montgomery6.0250
February 15, 20164:00 PM CSTEF0Montgomery2.575
December 25, 201210:29 PM CSTEF1Montgomery0.7100
November 16, 201111:08 AM CSTEF1Montgomery0.975$500,000
April 19, 20098:20 PM CDTEF1Montgomery0.150$30,000
April 19, 20098:10 PM CDTEF0Montgomery0.1150$12,000
April 10, 20098:48 PM CDTEF1Montgomery26.1440$366,000
March 1, 20072:48 PM CSTEF2Lowndes24.66006$700,000
November 15, 200610:25 AM CSTF2Montgomery6.82506$500,000
November 15, 20069:55 AM CSTF1Montgomery5.9250$150,000
August 29, 20053:16 PM CDTF0Montgomery6.0300$190,000
July 6, 20051:42 PM CDTF0Montgomery7.630$20,000
November 24, 20047:24 AM CSTF0Montgomery4.875$40,000
September 16, 20043:49 AM CDTF0Montgomery0.135$3,000
July 1, 20035:29 AM CDTF0Montgomery4.760$40,000
March 2, 20016:29 PM CSTF1Montgomery2.2100$120,000
January 19, 20019:22 AM CSTF0Montgomery2.31004$450,000
March 19, 20005:38 PM CSTF0Montgomery0.420$30,000
March 19, 20005:25 PM CSTF1Montgomery3.360$20,000
February 13, 20003:30 PM CSTF0Montgomery3.0100$20,000
February 13, 20003:00 PM CSTF1Montgomery11.4300$100,000
January 9, 20003:56 PM CSTF0Montgomery0.1201$20,000
March 18, 19967:12 PM CSTF2Lowndes19.01002$100,000
March 6, 19965:20 AM CSTF2Montgomery4.0200217$1.5 million
March 6, 19965:16 AM CSTF1Montgomery1.580$800,000
March 6, 19965:14 AM CSTF1Montgomery1.580$700,000
March 6, 19965:12 AM CSTF1Montgomery1.080$1.3 million
August 27, 19922:02 PM CDTF1Elmore5.0501$50,000 to $500,000
August 27, 19921:40 PM CDTF1Montgomery0.250$5,000 to $50,000
November 26, 19861:00 AM CSTF1Montgomery5.01002$50,000 to $500,000
May 3, 19847:00 AM CDTF3Montgomery7.0800537$500,000 to $5 million
April 22, 19849:20 AM CSTF1Montgomery0.210$5,000 to $50,000
March 18, 198112:20 PM CSTF1Montgomery0.440$50 to $500
November 25, 197912:50 PM CSTF3Montgomery10.215020$500,000 to $5 million
July 11, 19797:30 PM CDTF0Montgomery0.110
April 18, 197811:38 PM CSTF1Montgomery0.74203$50,000 to $500,000
January 10, 19754:50 PM CSTF2Montgomery2.0100$500,000 to $5 million
April 18, 19692:30 AM GMT-6F4Butler52.4500214$50,000 to $500,000
November 10, 196612:30 PM GMT-6F2Lowndes9.350$5,000 to $50,000
April 29, 19637:15 PM GMT-5F2Lowndes9.8400$50,000 to $500,000
February 27, 19581:30 AM GMT-6F1Montgomery12.9200$5,000 to $50,000
June 28, 195711:30 AM GMT-5F0Montgomery8.9167$500 to $5,000
June 28, 195711:00 AM GMT-5F1Lowndes22.3508$50,000 to $500,000
June 28, 195710:35 AM GMT-5F2Lowndes12.8117$5,000 to $50,000
June 28, 195710:27 AM GMT-5F0Montgomery0.1100

Nearby

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