Cherokee County, Alabama
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 01019 · population 24,933 · 554 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 494 records for Cherokee County, Alabama from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 324 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (219 records). The deadliest single record is the November 24, 2001 tornado: 2 deaths, 4 injuries and $500,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1974, 23 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
- 494on 324 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 357 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $38Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 18strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 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 Cherokee County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 219 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 | 219 | 147 | 1968-2026 | 0 | 3 | $2.1M | 27 of 67 |
| Hail | 109 | 66 | 1967-2025 | 0 | 0 | $249K | 24 of 67 |
| Drought | 44 | 43 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 67 |
| Floods | 33 | 29 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $459K | 21 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 30 | 30 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $625K | 12 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 17 | 1963-2024 | 3 | 50 | $32M | 59 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 14 | 11 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $639K | 18 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 8 | 8 | 2005-2024 | 0 | 0 | $166K | 8 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1996-2014 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 16 of 67 |
| Heat | 5 | 5 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 2 | – | 49 of 67 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 1999-2010 | 0 | 2 | $250K | 35 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2010-2013 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 23 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2003-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 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 Cherokee County had?
NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Cherokee County from 1963 to 2024, the strongest rated EF3, with 3 deaths and 50 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 18 tornadoes whose track touched Cherokee County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 31 people, 3 of them in Cherokee County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-03-27 10:55, as SPC files it | Ragland to Piedmont | F4 | 50 mi | 22 |
| 2021-03-25 13:31, as SPC files it | Piedmont | EF3 | 38.17 mi | 6 |
| 2001-11-24 15:01, as SPC files it | Sand Rock | F2 | 8.2 mi | 2 |
| 2002-11-10 23:20, as SPC files it | Centre | F2 | 10.5 mi | 1 |
| 2000-12-16 14:46, as SPC files it | Tidmore Bend | F3 | 12.8 mi | 0 |
| 1993-02-21 18:00, as SPC files it | Spring Garden | F3 | 19 mi | 0 |
| 1974-04-03 18:00, as SPC files it | Centre | F3 | 20.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Alabama.
Every tornado record filed for Cherokee County (18)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-27 | Mt Zion, Cherokee County | EF0 3.41 mi x 550 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-25 | Gnatville, Cherokee County | EF0 5.72 mi x 875 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-03-19 | Moshat, Cherokee County | EF1 1.07 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-19 | Leesburg, Cherokee County | EF0 3.52 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-27 | Gnatville, Cherokee County | EF3 18.21 mi x 1,500 yd | 0 | 25 | $25M |
| 2008-03-15 | Gnatville, Cherokee County | EF2 3.61 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $103K |
| 2005-04-22 | Jamestown, Cherokee County | F0 0.9 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2005-04-22 | Jamestown, Cherokee County | F0 0.4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2002-11-10 | Centre, Cherokee County | F2 10.5 mi x 440 yd | 1 | 4 | $2.0M |
| 2001-11-24 | Sand Rock, Cherokee County | F2 8.2 mi x 200 yd | 2 | 4 | $500K |
| 2000-12-16 | Centre, Cherokee County | F3 4.7 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 1998-04-16 | Centre, Cherokee County | F0 1.3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $45K |
| 1994-06-26 | Cherokee County | F0 4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 1993-02-21 | Cherokee County | F3 19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $1.0M |
| 1983-11-15 | Cherokee County | F1 0.8 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Cherokee County | F3 20.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 9 | $250K step |
| 1964-04-07 | Cherokee County | F1 5.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1963-03-05 | Cherokee County | F1 7.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K 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 Cherokee County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 20, 2025 thunderstorm wind (1 injury).
A tree fell on a kayaker on Terrapin Creek near County Road 336, resulting in an injury. Nearby, a tree was downed at CR 14 and CR 523 as well.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1275994)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCherokee County · forecast zone Cherokee | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtCherokee County · forecast zone Cherokee | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherCherokee County · forecast zone Cherokee | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindJamestown, Cherokee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-09 | Thunderstorm WindGaylesville, Cherokee County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-09 | Thunderstorm WindBlanche, Cherokee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-09 | Thunderstorm WindLeesburg, Cherokee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter WeatherCherokee County · forecast zone Cherokee | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-25 | Thunderstorm WindMoshat, Cherokee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-20 | Thunderstorm WindCentre, Cherokee County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2025-08-20 | Thunderstorm WindCentre, Cherokee County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-08-20 | Thunderstorm WindLeesburg, Cherokee County | 50 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-11-24 | TornadoSand Rock, Cherokee County The tornado began about 2.7 miles south-southwest of Sand Rock at 3:01 pm moving northeast. The tornado moved across the southern and eastern portions of Sand Rock damaging a number of structures. Two people were killed in a mobile home just east of Sand Rock. The tornado continued northeast moving through mostly open ... | F2 8.2 mi x 200 yd | 2 | 4 | $500K |
| 2002-11-10 | TornadoCentre, Cherokee County The Centre Tornado touched down near Highway 411, just to the east of the Cherokee Country Club. It then traveled northeast, crossed over Cowan Creek, and damaged houses along County Road 40 at approximately 1122 pm CST. The tornado continued its northeastward movement and crossed over County Road 16 at approximately ... | F2 10.5 mi x 440 yd | 1 | 4 | $2.0M |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoGnatville, Cherokee County This tornado initially touched down in eastern Jefferson County, north northeast of Trussville and moved northeast through portions of St. Clair, Calhoun, Etowah and Cherokee Counties. The tornado then moved into Georgia, across Polk, Floyd and Bartow (See Storm Data Peachtree City) Counties. The tornado moved into ... | EF3 18.21 mi x 1,500 yd | 0 | 25 | $25M |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoCherokee County | F3 20.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 9 | $250K step |
| 1993-02-21 | TornadoCherokee County A tornado moved west to east through a 19-mile-path in southern Cherokee County. The tornado first touched down in the Gnatville Community around 1800 CST, about 3 miles southeast of Pine Grove, then moved east. The tornado crossed a road then moved through the Spring Garden Community, then through the Tecumseh area ... | F3 19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $1.0M |
| 1963-03-05 | TornadoCherokee County | F1 7.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 2007-08-08 | HeatCherokee County · forecast zone Cherokee 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 | 2 | – | |
| 2002-08-18 | LightningWeiss Lake East, Cherokee County Two boys, age 11 and 12, were struck by lightning while playing outside on the bank of Weiss Lake. Both boys were knocked down, and the 12-year-old was not breathing and had no pulse. An adult in the group who had taken CPR only a few weeks earlier began CPR and the boy began breathing after about five minutes. Both ... | 0 | 2 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoGnatville, Cherokee County | EF3 18.21 mi x 1,500 yd | 0 | 25 | $25M |
| 2002-11-10 | TornadoCentre, Cherokee County | F2 10.5 mi x 440 yd | 1 | 4 | $2.0M |
| 1993-02-21 | TornadoCherokee County | F3 19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $1.0M |
| 1994-04-12 | Thunderstorm WindCedar Bluff, Cherokee County | 0 | 0 | $995K | |
| 2004-09-16 | High WindCherokee County · forecast zone Cherokee | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $547K |
| 2001-11-24 | TornadoSand Rock, Cherokee County | F2 8.2 mi x 200 yd | 2 | 4 | $500K |
| 2000-01-22 | Ice StormCherokee County · forecast zone Cherokee | 0 | 0 | $343K | |
| 2003-05-02 | HailCentre, Cherokee County | 4.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $104K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 3, 1974 (tornado, Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 54 | 77 | 60 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 59 | 28 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 25 | 11 | 8 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 9 | 10 | 12 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 5 | 15 z | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
Winter storms in the 2010s: 15 records against 5 in the decade before, 15 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Cherokee County days with a record above.
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 Cherokee County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 27 · Feb 31 · Mar 47 · Apr 93 · May 54 · Jun 76 · Jul 51 · Aug 53 · Sep 19 · Oct 9 · Nov 17 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cherokee County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Cherokee County: 15 major disasters, 9 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (11) and hurricane (8).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3618 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2020-12-10 | DR-4573 | Hurricane | Hurricane Zeta |
| 2020-09-14 | EM-3545 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020-03-29 | DR-4503 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3472 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-04-17 | DR-4426 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2008-08-30 | EM-3292 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3237 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 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 |
| 2001-12-07 | DR-1399 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2001-11-20 | FM-2395 | Fire | Al - North East Alabama Fire Complex - 11/20/2001 |
| 2000-12-18 | DR-1352 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2000-02-18 | DR-1317 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1995-10-04 | DR-1070 | Hurricane | Hurricane Opal |
| 1994-03-30 | DR-1019 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornado, and Flooding |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3096 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1990-02-17 | DR-856 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3045 | Drought | Drought |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-422 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
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 Cherokee County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 33 flood or flash flood records for Cherokee County from 1996 to 2025, on 29 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cherokee County ranks 1960th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $387,000 on 27 claims filed in Cherokee County; the most in one year was 11 in 2019. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1990: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2009: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2019: 11 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2025: 1; 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 Cherokee County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cherokee County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $16.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 32 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.2M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $696K | once in about 303 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $9.2M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $4K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $107K | once in about 332 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $198K | once in about 31 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $756K | about once 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 Cherokee 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 Cherokee CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cherokee County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis