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Alabama · County tornado history

Lawrence County, Alabama tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 44 tornadoes in Lawrence County, Alabama from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.7 years. That ranks it 28 of 67 counties in Alabama with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF3 on May 8, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
44
Since 2000
30
Strongest
EF5, April 27, 2011
Most recent
EF3, May 8, 2024
Peak month
April (16)
Per 1,000 sq mi
62
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

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 Lawrence County

April has brought the most, 16 of 44. About 52% touched down between 4 pm and 10 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

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) 7
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 20
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 9
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 3

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 Lawrence County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 27, 2011 EF5 132 mi 2,200 yd 72 145
April 3, 1974 F5 79.5 mi 500 yd 28 272
April 3, 1974 F5 52 mi 500 yd 28 267
February 6, 2008 EF4 16.7 mi 880 yd 4 23
November 4, 1988 F3 60 mi 200 yd 16
October 24, 1967 F3 15 mi 10 yd 3
April 8, 1957 F3 51.4 mi 100 yd
May 8, 2024 EF3 3.8 mi 228 yd
December 16, 2019 EF2 18.5 mi 370 yd 2
April 5, 1958 F2 19.2 mi 100 yd 1 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Lawrence County was an EF5 on April 27, 2011. It killed 72 people and injured 145 along its 132-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 8, 2024 EF3 3.8 mi 228 yd
March 24, 2023 EF2 13.5 mi 175 yd 1
March 24, 2023 EF1 2.8 mi 130 yd
January 12, 2023 EF1 30.3 mi 325 yd
December 16, 2019 EF2 18.5 mi 370 yd 2
March 19, 2018 EF1 6.8 mi 100 yd
March 19, 2018 EF0 1.2 mi 250 yd
November 18, 2017 EF1 4.3 mi 300 yd

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 Lawrence County as relatively high, with a score of 90 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.78 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $5,395,797 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 Lawrence County had?

44 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 30 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Lawrence County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF3 on May 8, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Lawrence County?

An EF5 on April 27, 2011, with a 132-mile path.

When is tornado season in Lawrence County?

April 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.