Barbour County, Alabama
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 01005 · population 25,160 · 885 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 350 records for Barbour County, Alabama from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 274 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (129 records). The most damaging was the September 16, 2004 high wind ($781,000 in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1975, 26 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Helene” on September 26, 2024.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 350on 274 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 020 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $14Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 44strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 2024
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Barbour County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 129 since 1968. The rank column places the county among Alabama's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 129 | 109 | 1968-2026 | 0 | 3 | $497K | 56 of 67 |
| Hail | 72 | 55 | 1967-2023 | 0 | 0 | $222K | 50 of 67 |
| Drought | 60 | 59 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 44 | 35 | 1954-2026 | 0 | 11 | $10M | 46 of 67 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 6 | – | 29 of 67 |
| Floods | 9 | 8 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $314K | 66 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 6 | 2005-2018 | 0 | 0 | $147K | 40 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1998-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 5 | 5 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 1996-2014 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 49 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2004-2020 | 0 | 0 | $844K | 51 of 67 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | $135K | 62 of 67 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Barbour County had?
NOAA records 44 tornadoes in Barbour County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 11 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 45 tornadoes whose track touched Barbour County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 44: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Barbour County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954-12-05 13:45, as SPC files it | Webster CountyCrossed AL, GA | F2 | 71.5 mi | 1 |
| 1986-11-25 21:20, as SPC files it | New Brockton to Clio | F3 | 44 mi | 0 |
| 1972-01-13 02:15, as SPC files it | Bakerhill | F3 | 16.8 mi | 0 |
| 1971-03-02 10:00, as SPC files it | Brundidge to Clio | F3 | 23.8 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Alabama.
Every tornado record filed for Barbour County (44)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-12 | Clayton Municipal Airport, Barbour County | EF0 0.53 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-06 | Garmon Xrds, Barbour County | EF0 0.48 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-12-10 | Blue Spgs, Barbour County | EF0 1.65 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-06-14 | Eufaula, Barbour County | EF1 3.89 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-12 | Bethel, Barbour County | EF1 10.96 mi x 900 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-11-30 | Lindsey, Barbour County | EF0 6.6 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-04-05 | Eufaula, Barbour County | EF1 1.54 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-03-09 | Clayton Municipal Airport, Barbour County | EF1 9.14 mi x 280 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-03-31 | Cotton Hill, Barbour County | EF2 7.85 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-01-11 | Bakerhill, Barbour County | EF1 5.8 mi x 275 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-11-27 | Baxters, Barbour County | EF0 2.13 mi x 55 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-11-27 | Clio, Barbour County | EF0 1.15 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-03-03 | Eufaula Weedon Airport, Barbour County | EF2 4.2 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-03-03 | Batesville, Barbour County | EF2 6.68 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-27 | Alston, Barbour County | EF0 1.28 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 3 | – |
| 2017-04-27 | Hells Xrds, Barbour County | EF0 1.18 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-05 | Terese, Barbour County | EF1 0.6 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-05 | Terese, Barbour County | EF1 0.65 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-01-21 | Baxters, Barbour County | EF1 9.73 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-04-06 | Garmon Xrds, Barbour County | EF0 5.37 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-12-24 | Garmon Xrds, Barbour County | EF0 3.16 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-12-24 | Batesville, Barbour County | EF0 3.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-11-23 | Eufaula Weedon Airport, Barbour County | EF1 3.23 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-02-17 | Blue Spgs, Barbour County | EF1 2.26 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $103K |
| 2008-02-17 | Richards Xrds, Barbour County | EF0 0.4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2008-02-17 | Elamville, Barbour County | EF1 21.39 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $48K |
| 2008-01-11 | Blue Spgs, Barbour County | EF1 3.48 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $103K |
| 2007-09-21 | Blue Spgs, Barbour County | EF0 0.36 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-01 | Wylaunee, Barbour County | EF1 2.4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-01-07 | Terese, Barbour County | F1 2.69 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $356K |
| 2006-11-15 | Baxters, Barbour County | F2 3.28 mi x 650 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2006-11-15 | Mt Andrew, Barbour County | F0 0.09 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2006-01-13 | Clayton, Barbour County | F0 8.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $366K |
| 2005-04-30 | Mt Andrew, Barbour County | F1 10 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2004-09-16 | Clio, Barbour County | F0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2004-09-16 | Clayton, Barbour County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2002-04-30 | Texasville, Barbour County | F0 1.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-11-25 | Barbour County | F3 22 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1985-11-29 | Barbour County | F1 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-05-20 | Barbour County | F2 11.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1972-01-13 | Barbour County | F3 8.4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-10-04 | Barbour County | F2 | 0 | 2 | $3K step |
| 1957-06-28 | Barbour County | F2 16.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1954-12-05 | Barbour County | F2 17.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Barbour County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 27, 2017 tornado (3 injuries).
NWS Meteorologists surveyed damage in central Barbour County and determined the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. The tornado touched down in the Clayton City Limits along Highway 30, just east of Mill Drum Place. The tornado tracked northeast and uprooted a few trees on Clayton Street and Midway Street. One of these large trees landed on a mobile home. One adult and two children were injured at this location on Midway Street. The tornado continued northeast and went through the eastern part of Clayton. Several trees were uprooted and several structures suffered minor damage or trees landed on them. The tornado lifted at Oak Avenue just before Browder Street.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 695496)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindAlston, Barbour County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBarbour County · forecast zone Barbour | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBarbour County · forecast zone Barbour | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtBarbour County · forecast zone Barbour | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindEufaula, Barbour County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoClayton Municipal Airport, Barbour County | EF0 0.53 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindClayton Municipal Airport, Barbour County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindHobdy, Barbour County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtBarbour County · forecast zone Barbour | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtBarbour County · forecast zone Barbour | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherBarbour County · forecast zone Barbour | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-13 | DroughtBarbour County · forecast zone Barbour | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08-08 | HeatBarbour County · forecast zone Barbour A large ridge of high pressure, combined with very dry ground from the recent drought, combined to produce the hottest month on record across Central Alabama in the month of August. The core of the heat wave started around August 4th, when the temepartures first topped the 100 degree mark in several cities. The heat ... | 0 | 6 | – | |
| 2017-04-27 | TornadoAlston, Barbour County NWS Meteorologists surveyed damage in central Barbour County and determined the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. The tornado touched down in the Clayton City Limits along Highway 30, just east of Mill Drum Place. The tornado tracked northeast and uprooted a few trees ... | EF0 1.28 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 3 | – |
| 1954-12-05 | TornadoBarbour County | F2 17.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $3K step |
| 1964-10-04 | TornadoBarbour County | F2 | 0 | 2 | $3K step |
| 2006-01-13 | TornadoClayton, Barbour County The tornado touched down at 12:20 PM CST in the Barbour County Wildlife Management Area, near the intersection of Charles Drive and County Road 49. It then moved northeastward and skirted County Road 49, then moved across a large wooded area and open pasture area. Several hundred trees were snapped off and uprooted ... | F0 8.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $366K |
| 1997-04-22 | Thunderstorm WindClio, Barbour County Poles were snapped, power lines were downed, and trees were snapped and uprooted. Widespread damage was also reported throughout the county. There was one injury due to a tree falling on a car. Clio is in the southwest part of the county. | 0 | 1 | $18K | |
| 1990-02-22 | Thunderstorm WindBarbour County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1986-07-31 | Thunderstorm WindBarbour County | 0 | 1 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-09-16 | High WindBarbour County · forecast zone Barbour | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $781K |
| 2006-01-13 | TornadoClayton, Barbour County | F0 8.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $366K |
| 2007-01-07 | TornadoTerese, Barbour County | F1 2.69 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $356K |
| 2008-01-11 | TornadoBlue Spgs, Barbour County | EF1 3.48 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $103K |
| 2008-02-17 | TornadoBlue Spgs, Barbour County | EF1 2.26 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $103K |
| 2005-04-30 | TornadoMt Andrew, Barbour County | F1 10 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2008-02-17 | TornadoElamville, Barbour County | EF1 21.39 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $48K |
| 2002-04-30 | HailClayton, Barbour County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $25K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: November 25, 1986 (tornado, Barbour County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Barbour County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 16 | 16 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 32 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 35 | 7 | 2 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 15 | 34 | 11 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 13 | 10 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Barbour County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 28 · Feb 23 · Mar 51 · Apr 53 · May 34 · Jun 33 · Jul 29 · Aug 27 · Sep 20 · Oct 8 · Nov 24 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Barbour County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Barbour County: 17 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and hurricane (11).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3618 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2023-01-15 | DR-4684 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2020-09-20 | DR-4563 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020-09-14 | EM-3545 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020-07-10 | DR-4554 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2020-03-29 | DR-4503 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3472 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-10-12 | EM-3407 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2017-10-08 | EM-3394 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nate |
| 2017-09-11 | EM-3389 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2016-01-21 | DR-4251 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-04-28 | DR-1971 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-04-27 | EM-3319 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2009-12-31 | DR-1870 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-08-30 | EM-3292 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3237 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-07-10 | DR-1593 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dennis |
| 2004-09-15 | DR-1549 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 2003-05-12 | DR-1466 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2002-11-14 | DR-1442 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1998-03-09 | DR-1208 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1995-10-04 | DR-1070 | Hurricane | Hurricane Opal |
| 1994-07-08 | DR-1034 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding (Tropical Storm Alberto) |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3096 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1990-03-21 | DR-861 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3045 | Drought | Drought |
| 1975-10-02 | DR-488 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1975-03-14 | DR-458 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Barbour County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 9 flood or flash flood records for Barbour County from 1998 to 2024, on 8 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Barbour County ranks 1851st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $695,000 on 34 claims filed in Barbour County; the most in one year was 19 in 1990. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1990: 19 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2015: 7 · 2018: 1 · 2020: 2; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Barbour County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Barbour County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.9 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.1M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $304K | 48 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $266K | 69 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.1M | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $516K | 8.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $2K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.0M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $109K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Barbour County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in AlabamaEvery Alabama tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in AlabamaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Alabama recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Barbour CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Barbour County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis