Tornadoes · United States · Alabama

Tornadoes in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

93 tornadoes have crossed Tuscaloosa County since 1950, 5th of the 67 counties in Alabama with a tornado on record, an average of 1.2 a year. They have killed 185 people and injured 2,774. 7 were rated F4 or EF4 and above, 2 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
93
Deaths
185
Injuries
2,774
F4 and above
7
Worst on record
F5, March 3, 1966

The deadliest in Tuscaloosa County

  1. EF4, Greene, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties, AlabamaApril 27, 201164 killed, 1,500 injured
  2. F5, Hinds, Rankin, Scott, Leake, Pickens and Tuscaloosa counties, Mississippi and AlabamaMarch 3, 196658 killed, 518 injured
  3. F5, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties, AlabamaApril 8, 199832 killed, 259 injured
  4. EF4, Pickens, Tuscaloosa and Fayette counties, AlabamaApril 27, 201113 killed, 54 injured
  5. F4, Tuscaloosa County, AlabamaDecember 16, 200011 killed, 144 injured
  6. F4, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Fayette and Walker counties, AlabamaApril 3, 19743 killed, 178 injured
  7. F4, Tuscaloosa County, AlabamaFebruary 23, 19751 killed, 49 injured
  8. F3, Fayette and Tuscaloosa counties, AlabamaFebruary 13, 19521 killed, 14 injured
  9. F2, Tuscaloosa County, AlabamaJanuary 24, 19971 killed, 10 injured
  10. EF2, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties, AlabamaJanuary 23, 20121 killed, 1 injured

The strongest

  1. F5, Hinds, Rankin, Scott, Leake, Pickens and Tuscaloosa counties, Mississippi and AlabamaMarch 3, 1966F5, 202.5 mi (326 km)
  2. F5, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties, AlabamaApril 8, 1998F5, 30.3 mi (49 km)
  3. EF4, Pickens, Tuscaloosa and Fayette counties, AlabamaApril 27, 2011EF4, 127.8 mi (206 km)
  4. F4, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Fayette and Walker counties, AlabamaApril 3, 1974F4, 110.6 mi (178 km)
  5. EF4, Greene, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties, AlabamaApril 27, 2011EF4, 80.7 mi (130 km)
  6. F4, Tuscaloosa County, AlabamaDecember 16, 2000F4, 18.0 mi (29 km)
  7. F4, Tuscaloosa County, AlabamaFebruary 23, 1975F4, 14.4 mi (23 km)
  8. EF3, Pickens and Tuscaloosa counties, AlabamaApril 27, 2011EF3, 22.5 mi (36 km)
  9. EF3, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties, AlabamaApril 27, 2011EF3, 20.3 mi (33 km)
  10. F3, Pickens and Tuscaloosa counties, AlabamaApril 8, 1998F3, 19.5 mi (31 km)

Every year with a tornado

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

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20253EF2
20227EF2
20216EF3
20201EF1
20192EF1
20171EF0
20152EF0
2014213EF1
2012311EF2
20115771554EF4
20093EF1
200844EF3
20072EF1
20062F0
2005112F1
200312F1
200213F2
20012F1
2000411144F4
1998332260F5
19972111F2
19952F0
19941F1
199313F2
199023F1
198818F3
19841F2
19833F2
19782F1
19772F2
19754149F4
197433184F4
1966158518F5
19611F2
195711F1
19521114F3

Every tornado that crossed Tuscaloosa County

93 tornadoes, newest first. 1 of them touched down in a neighboring state and ran in, so the record files it under that state rather than Alabama.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 15, 20254:12 PM CDTEF2Tuscaloosa39.51,000
March 15, 20254:00 PM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa11.5600
March 15, 20253:08 PM CDTEF1Greene26.51,200
April 13, 202210:30 PM CDTEF0Tuscaloosa5.2300
March 30, 202210:10 PM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa3.9400
March 30, 20229:02 PM CDTEF1Pickens16.6450
March 22, 20226:38 PM CDTEF0Hale3.1430
March 22, 20226:21 PM CDTEF0Tuscaloosa1.0175
February 17, 20224:14 PM CSTEF1Fayette3.4475
February 3, 20222:30 PM CSTEF2Hale7.6725
May 2, 20215:25 PM CDTUnratedTuscaloosa0.325
March 25, 202112:16 PM CDTEF3Hale11.11,400
March 17, 20213:54 PM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa5.8650
March 17, 20213:25 PM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa3.5650
March 17, 20213:09 PM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa0.5150
March 17, 20212:12 PM CDTEF1Hale22.0550
April 12, 20208:33 PM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa9.9230
April 14, 20192:20 AM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa3.5475
March 14, 20195:25 PM CDTEF0Tuscaloosa1.250
January 22, 201712:36 PM CSTEF0Tuscaloosa0.3200
December 25, 20153:29 PM CSTEF0Tuscaloosa5.0185
January 3, 20155:19 PM CSTEF0Greene1.3100
April 28, 201410:55 PM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa4.5675
April 28, 20149:59 PM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa12.51,50013
January 23, 20123:09 AM CSTEF2Tuscaloosa13.188011
January 23, 20123:00 AM CSTEF2Tuscaloosa0.6300
January 23, 20122:42 AM CSTEF2Tuscaloosa0.5400
April 27, 20114:43 PM CDTEF4Greene80.72,600641500$2.2 billion
April 27, 20113:40 PM CDTEF4Pickens127.81,4081354$170 million
April 27, 20115:17 AM CDTEF3Tuscaloosa20.3200$9.3 million
April 27, 20114:41 AM CDTEF3Pickens22.5704$741,000
April 15, 20113:14 PM CDTEF3Greene18.4500$7.1 million
May 6, 20098:57 AM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa0.2100$100,000
May 6, 20098:48 AM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa0.5100$65,000
April 2, 20093:43 PM CDTEF1Tuscaloosa0.6150$5,000
March 4, 200812:50 AM CSTEF1Tuscaloosa0.8200$50,000
February 6, 20082:51 AM CSTEF2Fayette26.22,0004$335,000
January 10, 20084:11 PM CSTEF3Tuscaloosa5.6350$435,000
January 10, 20083:43 PM CSTEF1Pickens2.0100$55,000
March 1, 20073:00 PM CSTEF1Tuscaloosa3.7100$50,000
February 13, 20075:10 PM CSTEF1Bibb9.7400$105,000
March 13, 20065:54 PM CSTF0Tuscaloosa0.120
March 13, 20065:43 PM CSTF0Fayette3.430$3,000
September 25, 20056:14 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa0.110
September 25, 20055:59 PM CDTF1Tuscaloosa4.8125$200,000
September 25, 20055:52 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa1.260$60,000
September 25, 20054:24 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa5.060$10,000
September 25, 20054:19 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa5.8100$20,000
September 25, 20054:05 PM CDTF1Tuscaloosa6.71502$250,000
September 25, 20053:55 PM CDTF1Tuscaloosa13.8100$10,000
September 25, 20053:55 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa0.225
September 25, 20053:05 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa0.850$20,000
September 25, 20052:55 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa1.680$40,000
April 30, 20054:16 AM CDTF0Tuscaloosa6.9100$100,000
November 18, 200311:47 AM CSTF1Tuscaloosa6.31002$100,000
November 10, 200210:22 PM CSTF2Tuscaloosa15.24503$800,000
November 24, 200112:37 PM CSTF0Tuscaloosa0.230$1,000
November 24, 200111:39 AM CSTF1Tuscaloosa2.075$30,000
December 16, 200012:54 PM CSTF4Tuscaloosa18.075011144$13 million
April 3, 200012:20 PM CDTF2Tuscaloosa11.1300$90,000
March 10, 20008:28 PM CSTF0Tuscaloosa3.350$10,000
March 10, 20008:15 PM CSTF0Tuscaloosa1.860$50,000
May 9, 19987:20 PM CDTF0Pickens6.570$40,000
April 8, 19987:42 PM CDTF5Tuscaloosa30.31,32032259$200 million
April 8, 19987:01 PM CDTF3Pickens19.53001$820,000
January 28, 199712:08 AM CSTF2Tuscaloosa2.0731$90,000
January 24, 19975:00 PM CSTF2Tuscaloosa10.0200110$5.0 million
July 4, 19954:55 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa0.550
March 7, 19953:03 PM CSTF0Tuscaloosa2.080$50,000 to $500,000
March 27, 19944:02 PM CSTF1Tuscaloosa2.0100$5,000 to $50,000
May 3, 19937:35 PM CDTF2Tuscaloosa6.0503
February 3, 19906:50 PM CSTF1Tuscaloosa6.0403$500,000 to $5 million
February 3, 19906:45 PM CSTF0Tuscaloosa0.320$5,000 to $50,000
November 20, 198812:53 AM CSTF3Tuscaloosa0.54008$500,000 to $5 million
November 10, 19841:06 PM CSTF2Pickens14.0400$50,000 to $500,000
December 11, 19836:45 PM CSTF1Tuscaloosa0.5127$5,000 to $50,000
December 3, 19834:05 PM CSTF1Tuscaloosa0.130$500 to $5,000
November 15, 19831:30 AM CSTF2Tuscaloosa0.240$5,000 to $50,000
December 8, 19784:06 PM CSTF0Tuscaloosa0.320
December 8, 19783:55 PM CSTF1Tuscaloosa2.550$5,000 to $50,000
September 6, 19774:05 PM CDTF1Tuscaloosa0.277$5,000 to $50,000
September 6, 19773:00 PM CDTF2Tuscaloosa8.3100$5,000 to $50,000
March 18, 19756:20 PM CDTF1Tuscaloosa2.050$5,000 to $50,000
March 13, 19753:45 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa0.550$50 to $500
February 23, 19752:45 PM CDTF4Tuscaloosa14.4500149$5 million to $50 million
January 10, 19752:30 PM CSTF1Tuscaloosa0.110$5,000 to $50,000
April 3, 19746:35 PM CDTF4Pickens110.65003178$5 million to $50 million
April 1, 19746:05 PM CDTF2Tuscaloosa16.38006$50,000 to $500,000
March 29, 19741:13 AM CDTF0Tuscaloosa0.120
March 3, 19666:30 PM GMT-6F5Hinds to AL202.590058518$5 million to $50 million
February 22, 19615:30 AM GMT-6F2Tuscaloosa1.010$50,000 to $500,000
November 18, 19572:45 PM GMT-6F1Tuscaloosa3.3101$5,000 to $50,000
February 13, 19528:00 PM GMT-6F3Fayette5.6100114$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

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