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Tornado in Hale County, Alabama
58 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.
Hale County, Alabama, has 58 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 29 different years.
March is the busiest month, with 11 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 37 events against 9 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.8% of the 3,206 tornado events recorded in Alabama; its 9.0 per 100 square miles compares with 6.3 statewide.
NCEI attributes 10 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 22 at (E)F0, 19 at (E)F1, 11 at (E)F2, 4 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 1 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Alabama
| Measure | Hale County | Alabama | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 58 | 3,206 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 9.0 | 6.3 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 39.3 | 6.4 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 10 | 692 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | March | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
5Feb
8Mar
11Apr
11May
3Jun
1Jul
0Aug
1Sep
2Oct
1Nov
11Dec
4
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 58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 May 2026 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Mar 2025 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Mar 2025 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Feb 2025 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 16 Feb 2025 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 28 Dec 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jan 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jan 2023 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jan 2023 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jan 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Nov 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Nov 2022 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Mar 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Feb 2022 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | 1 | 8 | County |
| 3 Feb 2022 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Mar 2021 | Tornado | EF3 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Mar 2021 | Tornado | EF3 | — | — | — | 6 | County |
| 17 Mar 2021 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Mar 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Dec 2019 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 2019 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Feb 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Nov 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | $12K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $350K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF3 | $17M | — | 6 | 40 | County |
| 15 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF2 | $3.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF2 | $374K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 2010 | Tornado | EF1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | $60K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 2009 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Feb 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Oct 2007 | Tornado | EF1 | $92K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 13 Feb 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Nov 2006 | Tornado | F1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Nov 2006 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Nov 2006 | Tornado | F1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jan 2005 | Tornado | F0 | $27K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 2003 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Nov 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $7K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Nov 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Nov 2000 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Mar 1992 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | 2 | 7 | County |
| 12 Feb 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Dec 1983 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Aug 1983 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1982 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 1979 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1973 | Tornado | F4 | $25M | — | 1 | 72 | County |
| 16 Mar 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Mar 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 1970 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Nov 1966 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Dec 1961 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Nov 1957 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 5 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Hale County had?
58 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 Hale County?
22 May 2026 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Hale County?
The tornado of 27 May 1973, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $25M; 1 death recorded.
How does Hale County compare with Alabama for tornado?
9.0 events per 100 square miles against 6.3 statewide; the county holds 58 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.