Tornado History

Madison Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Madison, Alabama. The records below identify 95 tornadoes from 1951 through 2025, including a highest listed rating of F5 (Incredible damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $520.0M, with 48 deaths and 797 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes95
Total Deaths48
Total Injuries797
Property Damage$520.0M
Avg Length5.5 mi
Avg Width159 yd

Key Tornado Facts for Madison, Alabama

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 1.3 tornadoes per year (2.3/yr in last decade)
May is the peak tornado month with 27 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F4 in Madison, Alabama with 21 deaths
2011 was the most active year with 10 tornadoes
The 2010s had the most tornado activity (23 events)
Longest tornado: 29.9 miles in Madison, Alabama
Widest tornado: 880.0 yards in Madison, Alabama
Most tornadoes in one day: 7 on Apr 27, 2011

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Madison, Alabama, May is the most active month with 27 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

10740

Summary: 2011 was the most active year with 10 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F3
EF3
F4
EF4
F5
EFU

Summary: EF1 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 20 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$500.0M$50.0M$5.0M$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1989 with at least $500.0M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F5 April 3, 19741974F5 April 3, 19741974F4 November 15, 19891989F4 November 15, 19891989EF4 April 27, 20112011F3 November 27, 19731973F3 April 1, 19741974F3 April 3, 19741974EF3 March 2, 20122012EF3 April 1, 20232023F2 March 11, 19631963F2 December 18, 19671967F2 November 22, 19921992F2 May 2, 19971997F2 November 24, 2001F2 November 24, 1967F2 May 19, 1973F2 March 20, 1976F2 July 17, 1977F2 August 16, 1985F2 June 8, 1951F2 April 24, 1970EF2 January 21, 2010EF2 March 2, 2012EF2 November 29, 2016EF2 May 8, 2024EF2 May 20, 2025EF2 May 20, 2025EF1 May 6, 2009F1 December 21, 1967F1 March 20, 1976F1 April 17, 1982F1 May 7, 1998F1 May 7, 1998F1 May 6, 2003F1 May 30, 2004EF1 May 3, 2009EF1 February 28, 2011F1 April 5, 1958F1 April 26, 1970F1 March 20, 1976F1 April 14, 1985F1 August 16, 1985EF1 May 8, 2008F1 June 6, 1961EF1 April 27, 2011EF1 April 27, 2011EF1 April 27, 2011EF1 April 27, 2011EF1 April 27, 2011EF1 April 11, 2013EF1 April 11, 2013EF1 April 28, 2014EF1 March 19, 2018EF1 December 16, 2019EF1 March 1, 2023EF1 July 21, 2023EF1 May 8, 2024EF1 May 9, 2024EF1 May 9, 2024EF1 May 20, 2025F0 May 2, 1997F0 May 2, 1997F0 February 16, 2001F0 March 20, 1976F0 May 25, 1997F0 July 14, 2004EF0 April 11, 2008F0 April 7, 2006EF0 April 2, 2009F0 October 12, 2002F0 July 28, 1986F0 May 3, 1993F0 September 18, 2002F0 May 6, 2003F0 March 19, 2003F0 July 6, 2004F0 April 7, 2006EF0 April 3, 2007EF0 June 3, 2009© OpenStreetMap contributors
This map covers the wider location—not your exact property.Measure the closest recorded track to a street address in or near Madison, Alabama.
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Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
April 3, 1974F5Madison, Alabama4.7 mi500 yd9110N/A
April 3, 1974F5Madison, Alabama22.9 mi33 yd5110N/A
November 15, 1989F4Madison, Alabama12.5 mi880 yd21463$250.0M
November 15, 1989F4Madison, Alabama6 mi880 yd00$250.0M
April 27, 2011EF4Madison, Alabama27.2 mi880 yd90N/A
April 3, 1974F3Madison, Alabama29.9 mi700 yd23$2.5M
April 1, 1974F3Madison, Alabama8.4 mi800 yd16$2.5M
November 27, 1973F3Madison, Alabama14.1 mi200 yd042$2.5M
April 1, 2023EF3Madison, Alabama4.49 mi215 yd15N/A
March 2, 2012EF3Madison, Alabama23.7 mi250 yd00N/A
March 11, 1963F2Madison, Alabama25 mi33 yd00$2.5M
December 18, 1967F2Madison, Alabama20.2 mi300 yd027$2.5M
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Related Location Pages

Source And Limits

Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.

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