Tornadoes · United States · Alabama

Tornadoes in Walker County, Alabama

58 tornadoes have crossed Walker County since 1950, 13th of the 67 counties in Alabama with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.3 years. They have killed 23 people and injured 347. 3 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
58
Deaths
23
Injuries
347
F4 and above
3
Worst on record
F4, November 17, 1957

The deadliest in Walker County

  1. F3, Fayette, Walker, Winston and Cullman counties, AlabamaNovember 10, 20027 killed, 53 injured
  2. F3, Fayette, Walker and Winston counties, AlabamaNovember 10, 20024 killed, 38 injured
  3. F4, Walker County, AlabamaNovember 17, 19574 killed, 15 injured
  4. F4 Jasper tornado, AlabamaApril 3, 19743 killed, 178 injured
  5. F4, Walker County, AlabamaMarch 6, 19672 killed, 25 injured
  6. F3, Pickens, Lamar, Fayette and Walker counties, AlabamaNovember 24, 20012 killed, 1 injured
  7. F2, Walker County, AlabamaAugust 16, 19851 killed, 1 injured

The strongest

  1. F4 Jasper tornado, AlabamaApril 3, 1974F4, 110.6 mi (178 km)
  2. F4, Walker County, AlabamaMarch 6, 1967F4, 20.9 mi (34 km)
  3. F4, Walker County, AlabamaNovember 17, 1957F4, 7.2 mi (12 km)
  4. F3, Fayette, Walker, Winston and Cullman counties, AlabamaNovember 10, 2002F3, 72.6 mi (117 km)
  5. F3, Fayette, Walker and Winston counties, AlabamaNovember 10, 2002F3, 44.3 mi (71 km)
  6. F3, Pickens, Lamar, Fayette and Walker counties, AlabamaNovember 24, 2001F3, 38.9 mi (63 km)
  7. EF3, Walker, Jefferson and Blount counties, AlabamaApril 24, 2010EF3, 29.6 mi (48 km)
  8. F3, Fayette and Walker counties, AlabamaMarch 7, 1961F3, 25.9 mi (42 km)
  9. EF3, Walker County, AlabamaApril 27, 2011EF3, 18.9 mi (30 km)
  10. F3, Walker County, AlabamaJanuary 20, 1953F3, 1.5 mi (2 km)

Every year with a tornado

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

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF2
20221EF0
202043EF2
20191EF0
20141EF1
20132EF1
2011120EF3
20102EF3
20093EF1
200894EF2
20061F1
20051F1
20032F1
200231191F3
2001121F3
19983F1
19951F1
19932F1
19921F1
19881F0
1985416F2
19832F2
197811F1
19751F2
197413178F4
19731F2
19672226F4
19631F1
196111F3
19571415F4
195321F3

Every tornado that crossed Walker County

58 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 15, 20254:12 PM CDTEF2Tuscaloosa39.51,000
November 30, 202212:28 AM CSTEF0Walker2.050
April 12, 20208:12 PM CDTEF1Walker2.91,0003
April 12, 20205:14 PM CDTEF2Jefferson6.9940
April 12, 20205:04 PM CDTEF1Walker9.0950
April 12, 20204:41 PM CDTEF1Fayette6.1600
February 23, 20196:38 PM CSTEF0Fayette5.0350
April 28, 20148:40 PM CDTEF1Walker2.4150
April 11, 20132:45 PM CDTEF1Walker5.5500
January 30, 20135:42 AM CSTEF0Walker4.9200
April 27, 20115:18 AM CDTEF3Walker18.937520$13 million
April 24, 201010:01 PM CDTEF3Walker29.6400$658,000
April 24, 20108:21 PM CDTEF1Fayette4.6400$75,000
May 6, 20099:24 AM CDTEF0Walker0.275$25,000
May 6, 20099:20 AM CDTEF1Walker1.0300$260,000
May 6, 20099:11 AM CDTEF0Walker3.4200$850,000
December 24, 20084:32 PM CSTEF0Walker0.1100$5,000
December 10, 20081:01 AM CSTEF2Walker4.7400$100,000
December 10, 200812:43 AM CSTEF1Walker0.8400$215,000
October 8, 20085:30 AM CDTEF0Walker0.540$15,000
May 10, 200812:37 AM CDTEF2Walker13.5330$155,000
May 10, 200812:27 AM CDTEF1Walker9.3400$20,000
May 8, 20082:00 PM CDTEF1Walker3.3600$120,000
May 8, 20081:06 PM CDTEF1Fayette11.0100$45,000
February 6, 20082:51 AM CSTEF2Fayette26.22,0004$335,000
March 13, 20065:39 PM CSTF1Walker1.325$30,000
April 30, 20053:05 AM CDTF1Walker0.650$120,000
November 18, 200312:07 PM CSTF1Walker6.3100$100,000
May 7, 200312:11 PM CDTF1Walker2.440$20,000
November 10, 20029:38 PM CSTF1Walker4.3300$400,000
November 10, 20028:15 PM CSTF3Fayette72.61,175753$4.3 million
November 10, 20026:52 PM CSTF3Fayette44.31,175438$3.2 million
November 24, 200110:55 AM CSTF3Pickens38.930021$1.4 million
April 16, 19988:46 PM CDTF1Walker5.5110$150,000
April 16, 19988:36 PM CDTF0Walker4.6100$30,000
April 16, 19988:29 PM CDTF0Walker1.850$10,000
April 22, 19957:45 AM CDTF1Walker1.560$50,000 to $500,000
May 3, 19935:35 PM CDTF1Walker1.020
May 3, 19935:35 PM CDTF0Walker0.510
November 22, 19925:18 AM CSTF1Walker10.043$500,000 to $5 million
November 26, 19885:55 PM CSTF0Walker0.313
August 16, 19851:30 PM CDTF1Walker0.130$5,000 to $50,000
August 16, 19851:18 PM CDTF1Jefferson3.050$5,000 to $50,000
August 16, 198511:10 AM CDTF2Walker1.51305$500,000 to $5 million
August 16, 198511:00 AM CDTF2Walker1.312011$500,000 to $5 million
November 23, 198312:00 PM CSTF2Walker0.5150$5,000 to $50,000
February 22, 19831:15 PM CSTF2Walker8.090$50,000 to $500,000
December 8, 19784:40 PM CSTF1Walker1.01001$50,000 to $500,000
February 23, 19751:30 PM CDTF2Walker1.0100$50,000 to $500,000
April 3, 19746:35 PM CDTF4Jasper tornado110.65003178$5 million to $50 million
May 8, 19734:05 AM CDTF2Winston2.0500$50,000 to $500,000
March 6, 19673:30 PM GMT-6F4Walker20.9440225$50,000 to $500,000
March 6, 19673:10 PM GMT-6F1Walker0.1101$5,000 to $50,000
March 11, 19632:00 PM GMT-6F1Walker0.110$5,000 to $50,000
March 7, 19619:30 PM GMT-6F3Fayette25.9101$50,000 to $500,000
November 17, 19573:12 PM GMT-6F4Walker7.2200415$5,000 to $50,000
February 20, 19534:45 PM GMT-6F2Walker0.71001$5,000 to $50,000
January 20, 19533:00 PM GMT-6F3Walker1.550$500 to $5,000

Nearby

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