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Alabama · County tornado history

Talladega County, Alabama tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 34 tornadoes in Talladega County, Alabama from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.2 years. That ranks it 44 of 67 counties in Alabama with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on March 1, 2016.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
34
Since 2000
15
Strongest
F4, May 27, 1973
Most recent
EF0, March 1, 2016
Peak month
April (8)
Per 1,000 sq mi
45
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 Talladega County

April has brought the most, 8 of 34. About 53% touched down between 1 pm and 7 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 10
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 15
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
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 Talladega County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 27, 1973 F4 139.1 mi 800 yd 7 199
April 28, 1964 F3 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
November 24, 2004 F2 15.2 mi 500 yd 1
November 24, 2001 F2 3.1 mi 400 yd 15
March 20, 1980 F2 3.8 mi 50 yd 6
April 5, 1985 F2 3 mi 200 yd 5
April 29, 1963 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 4
September 16, 1960 F2 0.3 mi 33 yd 2
March 5, 1989 F2 20 mi 100 yd 2
December 26, 1973 F2 0.1 mi 27 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Talladega 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
March 1, 2016 EF0 3 mi 80 yd
January 23, 2012 EF0 5.4 mi 50 yd
April 27, 2011 EF1 8.6 mi 200 yd
February 28, 2011 EF0 0.3 mi 50 yd
February 6, 2008 EF2 15.9 mi 2,000 yd
April 8, 2006 F0 0.6 mi 100 yd
November 24, 2004 F2 15.2 mi 500 yd 1
November 24, 2004 F0 3.3 mi 100 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 Talladega County as relatively high, with a score of 94 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.70 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $6,953,193 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 Talladega County had?

34 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 15 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Talladega County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on March 1, 2016. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Talladega County?

An F4 on May 27, 1973, with a 139.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in Talladega 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.