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Tornado in Cleburne County, Alabama
21 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Cleburne County, Alabama, has 21 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 17 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 6 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 7 events against 5 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.7% of the 3,206 tornado events recorded in Alabama; its 3.7 per 100 square miles compares with 6.3 statewide.
By rating: 4 at (E)F0, 11 at (E)F1, 5 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Alabama
| Measure | Cleburne County | Alabama | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 21 | 3,206 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 3.7 | 6.3 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 13.9 | 6.4 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 692 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
3Feb
0Mar
2Apr
4May
6Jun
1Jul
0Aug
1Sep
1Oct
0Nov
2Dec
1
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 21 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan 2026 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2025 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2017 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Aug 2008 | Tornado | EF2 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $1.8M | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Mar 2003 | Tornado | F1 | — | $12K | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2000 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 1996 | Tornado | F0 | $45K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 1992 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 1987 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 1984 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 1984 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jan 1975 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 3 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jan 1971 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 1964 | Tornado | F3 | $25K | — | — | 8 | County |
| 12 Dec 1961 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Nov 1957 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Cleburne County had?
21 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Cleburne County?
10 Jan 2026 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Cleburne County?
The tornado of 11 May 2008, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $1.8M.
How does Cleburne County compare with Alabama for tornado?
3.7 events per 100 square miles against 6.3 statewide; the county holds 21 of the state's 3,206 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.