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Alabama · County tornado history

Covington County, Alabama tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 50 tornadoes in Covington County, Alabama from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.5 years. That ranks it 21 of 67 counties in Alabama with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on January 12, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
50
Since 2000
22
Strongest
F3, May 3, 1956
Most recent
EF-U, January 12, 2023
Peak month
May (8)
Per 1,000 sq mi
48
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Covington County

May has brought the most, 8 of 50. About 40% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 18% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 23
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 16
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 9
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Covington County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 3, 1956 F3 3.8 mi 83 yd 2
July 11, 1979 F2 7.1 mi 100 yd 4
June 28, 1957 F2 11.5 mi 200 yd 2
December 28, 1983 F2 15 mi 80 yd 1
January 5, 1962 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
March 31, 1976 F2 3.8 mi 40 yd
November 15, 2006 F2 15.8 mi 300 yd
February 17, 2008 EF2 14.4 mi 500 yd
April 15, 2011 EF2 22.9 mi 300 yd
April 19, 2020 EF2 1.2 mi 300 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Covington County was an F1 on March 12, 2001. It killed 2 people and injured 1 along its 3.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 12, 2023 EF-U 4.6 mi 200 yd
June 19, 2021 EF0 0.6 mi 25 yd
April 23, 2020 EF0 0 mi 25 yd
April 23, 2020 EF0 0.4 mi 50 yd
April 19, 2020 EF2 1.2 mi 300 yd
June 21, 2017 EF1 4.8 mi 75 yd
February 7, 2017 EF0 0.5 mi 150 yd 1
February 15, 2016 EF1 4.5 mi 50 yd 1

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Covington County as relatively moderate, with a score of 84 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.94 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $3,290,760 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Covington County had?

50 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 22 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Covington County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on January 12, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Covington County?

An F3 on May 3, 1956, with a 3.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Covington County?

May has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.