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Alabama · County tornado history

Perry County, Alabama tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 38 tornadoes in Perry County, Alabama from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.0 years. That ranks it 42 of 67 counties in Alabama with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on January 12, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
38
Since 2000
31
Strongest
EF4, April 27, 2011
Most recent
EF1, January 12, 2023
Peak month
March (11)
Per 1,000 sq mi
53
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 Perry County

March has brought the most, 11 of 38. About 61% touched down between 4 pm and 10 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 32% 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) 12
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 13
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 8
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
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 Perry County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 27, 1973 F4 139.1 mi 800 yd 7 199
April 27, 2011 EF4 122 mi 1,050 yd 7 17
March 25, 2021 EF3 79.7 mi 2,300 yd 13
December 11, 1961 F3 9.4 mi 100 yd 2
March 30, 2022 EF3 29.2 mi 1,200 yd 2
September 20, 1979 F2 3 mi 27 yd 2
December 17, 1961 F2 5.4 mi 100 yd 1
March 6, 1967 F2 2.3 mi 200 yd
April 22, 1974 F2 2 mi 800 yd
April 15, 2011 EF2 0.8 mi 500 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Perry County was an F4 on May 27, 1973. It killed 7 people and injured 199 along its 139.1-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 12, 2023 EF1 17.3 mi 500 yd
January 12, 2023 EF2 21.9 mi 500 yd
January 3, 2023 EF1 0.1 mi 100 yd
March 30, 2022 EF3 29.2 mi 1,200 yd 2
March 30, 2022 EF2 6 mi 620 yd
May 4, 2021 EF0 24.8 mi 620 yd
March 25, 2021 EF3 79.7 mi 2,300 yd 13
April 12, 2020 EF1 2.4 mi 350 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 Perry County as relatively low, with a score of 54 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.58 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $829,207 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 Perry County had?

38 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 31 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Perry County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on January 12, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Perry County?

An EF4 on April 27, 2011, with a 122-mile path.

When is tornado season in Perry County?

March 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.