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Alabama · County tornado history

Marshall County, Alabama tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 72 tornadoes in Marshall County, Alabama from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.0 years. That ranks it 9 of 67 counties in Alabama with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on April 12, 2020.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
72
Since 2000
43
Strongest
EF4, April 27, 2011
Most recent
EF1, April 12, 2020
Peak month
April (31)
Per 1,000 sq mi
115
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 Marshall County

April has brought the most, 31 of 72. About 40% touched down between 12 pm and 6 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) 10
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 32
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 19
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 8
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 3
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

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 Marshall County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 27, 2011 EF4 127.8 mi 1,408 yd 13 54
April 27, 2011 EF4 46.9 mi 880 yd 6 48
November 18, 1957 F4 26.1 mi 100 yd 3 12
February 16, 1995 F3 14 mi 703 yd 6 130
April 8, 1957 F3 38.8 mi 200 yd 2 90
April 24, 2010 EF3 18.6 mi 1,320 yd 35
March 7, 1961 F3 19.3 mi 200 yd 8
April 5, 1985 F3 8 mi 277 yd 5
April 10, 2009 EF3 32.5 mi 440 yd 5
April 6, 1958 F3 25.7 mi 100 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Marshall County was an EF4 on April 27, 2011. It killed 13 people and injured 54 along its 127.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 12, 2020 EF1 5 mi 200 yd
April 12, 2020 EF2 21.7 mi 440 yd 3
January 11, 2020 EF2 0.2 mi 150 yd
January 11, 2020 EF1 1.8 mi 60 yd
May 9, 2019 EF1 0.5 mi 25 yd
April 8, 2019 EF1 6.1 mi 219 yd 1
March 19, 2018 EF2 3.8 mi 690 yd
August 31, 2017 EF2 13.6 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 Marshall County as relatively high, with a score of 98 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.66 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $17,261,959 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 Marshall County had?

72 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 43 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Marshall County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on April 12, 2020. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Marshall County?

An EF4 on April 27, 2011, with a 46.9-mile path.

When is tornado season in Marshall 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.