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Alabama · County tornado history

Winston County, Alabama tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 43 tornadoes in Winston County, Alabama from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.7 years. That ranks it 32 of 67 counties in Alabama with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on April 1, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
43
Since 2000
28
Strongest
F5, April 3, 1974
Most recent
EF1, April 1, 2023
Peak month
April (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
68
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 Winston County

April has brought the most, 9 of 43. About 44% touched down between 1 pm and 7 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 16% 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) 7
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 17
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 13
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 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 Winston County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 3, 1974 F5 79.5 mi 500 yd 28 272
November 10, 2002 F3 72.6 mi 1,175 yd 7 53
November 10, 2002 F3 44.3 mi 1,175 yd 4 38
April 27, 2011 EF3 31.8 mi 1,320 yd 25
March 25, 1964 F3 5.4 mi 267 yd 7
April 8, 1957 F3 51.4 mi 100 yd
May 21, 1987 F2 0.3 mi 150 yd 1
November 24, 2001 F2 1.9 mi 70 yd 13
March 20, 1976 F2 0.5 mi 77 yd 6
March 11, 1963 F2 32.2 mi 333 yd 4

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Winston County was an F5 on April 3, 1974. It killed 28 people and injured 272 along its 79.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 1, 2023 EF1 17 mi 675 yd 1
January 12, 2023 EF2 9.2 mi 425 yd
March 31, 2021 EF1 1.2 mi 305 yd
August 28, 2020 EF1 2.6 mi 100 yd
August 28, 2020 EF1 8.8 mi 325 yd
June 22, 2018 EF2 7 mi 260 yd 3
November 29, 2016 EF1 3.1 mi 100 yd
November 29, 2016 EF2 9.5 mi 1,000 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 Winston County as relatively moderate, with a score of 79 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.73 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,258,870 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 Winston County had?

43 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 28 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Winston County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on April 1, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Winston County?

An F5 on April 3, 1974, with a 79.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Winston 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.