Coffee County, Alabama
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 01031 · population 53,391 · 679 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 673 records for Coffee County, Alabama from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 352 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (436 records). The deadliest single record is the March 1, 2007 tornado: 9 deaths, 50 injuries and $356 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 30 declarations naming the county since 1975, 28 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
- 673on 352 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1795 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $679Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 42strongest EF4
- FEMA declarations
- 30latest 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 Coffee County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 436 since 1960. 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 | 436 | 209 | 1960-2026 | 1 | 2 | $4.6M | 17 of 67 |
| Hail | 55 | 44 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 0 | $80K | 47 of 67 |
| Drought | 46 | 46 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 67 |
| Floods | 45 | 20 | 1998-2024 | 6 | 0 | $225M | 39 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 42 | 37 | 1954-2026 | 9 | 88 | $445M | 23 of 67 |
| Lightning | 13 | 12 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 5 | $729K | 17 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 12 | 12 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | 7 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 8 | 7 | 1998-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 67 |
| Heat | 5 | 5 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 5 | 5 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | $249K | 61 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2025-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 2 | 2008-2013 | 0 | 0 | $70K | 55 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 Coffee County had?
NOAA records 42 tornadoes in Coffee County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated EF4, with 9 deaths and 88 injuries recorded in the county. That is 23rd of 67 Alabama counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 41 tornadoes whose track touched Coffee County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 42: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 13 people, 9 of them in Coffee County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-03-01 13:08, as SPC files it | Enterprise | EF4 | 10.33 mi | 9 |
| 1972-01-13 01:00, as SPC files it | Enterprise | F2 | 6.3 mi | 4 |
| 1986-11-25 21:20, as SPC files it | New Brockton to Clio | F3 | 44 mi | 0 |
| 1983-05-16 03:10, as SPC files it | New Brockton | F3 | 1.5 mi | 0 |
| 1973-12-29 16:25, as SPC files it | Enterprise to Daleville | F3 | 11.6 mi | 0 |
| 1971-09-17 00:35, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 0.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Alabama.
Every tornado record filed for Coffee County (42)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | Enterprise Municipal Airport, Coffee County | EF0 0.53 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2023-04-03 | Shell Army Field, Coffee County | EF0 0.27 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2020-04-19 | Lowry Mill, Coffee County | EF0 4.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $57K |
| 2012-12-25 | Damascus, Coffee County | EF0 13.87 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2012-12-25 | Basin, Coffee County | EF0 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2012-08-30 | Kinston, Coffee County | EF0 2.56 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2012-06-10 | Cool Springs, Coffee County | EF0 0.26 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-03-02 | Brooklyn, Coffee County | EF0 0.46 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-04-08 | Damascus, Coffee County | EF0 3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-12-14 | Java, Coffee County | EF0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-10-08 | Enterprise, Coffee County | EF1 1.9 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $5.5M |
| 2008-02-17 | Jack, Coffee County | EF1 1.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2007-03-01 | Enterprise Municipal Airport, Coffee County | EF4 10.33 mi x 500 yd | 9 | 50 | $356M |
| 2006-11-15 | Roeton, Coffee County | F0 1.06 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2006-11-15 | Elba, Coffee County | F0 3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $512K |
| 2000-04-03 | Enterprise, Coffee County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-09-29 | New Brockton, Coffee County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $905K |
| 1998-09-29 | Enterprise, Coffee County | F1 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| 1998-05-03 | New Brockton, Coffee County | F0 0.3 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1996-01-11 | Kinston, Coffee County | F1 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $188K |
| 1995-12-06 | Jack, Coffee County | 0 | 1 | $58K | |
| 1994-03-09 | Frisco, Coffee County | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1986-11-26 | Coffee County | F1 8 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1986-11-25 | Coffee County | F3 14 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-03-05 | Coffee County | F2 0.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
| 1983-05-16 | Coffee County | F3 1.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1980-05-20 | Coffee County | F1 14.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-04-18 | Coffee County | F0 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-03-21 | Coffee County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-03-16 | Coffee County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1975-10-17 | Coffee County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-12-29 | Coffee County | F3 5.9 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 11 | $2.5M step |
| 1973-04-18 | Coffee County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 14 | $2.5M step |
| 1972-01-13 | Coffee County | F2 1.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1971-09-17 | Coffee County | F3 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1963-01-20 | Coffee County | F1 14.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1961-04-09 | Coffee County | F1 54.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1959-03-21 | Coffee County | F2 2.7 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-10-16 | Coffee County | F2 1.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1955-10-16 | Coffee County | F1 14 mi x 167 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-10-16 | Coffee County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1954-04-16 | Coffee County | F2 1.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Coffee County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 17, 2026 tornado ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A tornado briefly touched down just west of Coppinville Junior High School. The tornado damaged an awning on the westernmost building of the school and tossed some debris around the lawn. The tornado then crossed a wooded area snapping some branches before lifting northwest of Thornbird Loop. The track was flown by drone and video footage also captured the tornado. Damage was minor, consistent with EF0 strength with maximum wind estimated to be 70 mph.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1345605)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindFrisco, Coffee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-17 | TornadoEnterprise Municipal Airport, Coffee County | EF0 0.53 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindClintonville, Coffee County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindCarl Folsom Elba Airport, Coffee County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindVictoria, Coffee County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindElba, Coffee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCoffee County · forecast zone Coffee | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtCoffee County · forecast zone Coffee | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindMarvin Chapel, Coffee County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindEnterprise, Coffee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtCoffee County · forecast zone Coffee | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtCoffee County · forecast zone Coffee | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-03-01 | TornadoEnterprise Municipal Airport, Coffee County A tornado touched down just southwest of the Enterprise Municipal Airport. It caused minor damage to some houses. Four chicken houses were destroyed. The tornado then traveled northeast and quickly intensified as it moved into the Enterprise city limits. It severely damaged the high school just north of the downtown. ... | EF4 10.33 mi x 500 yd | 9 | 50 | $356M |
| 1998-03-08 | Flash FloodElba, Coffee County A vigorous Gulf storm dumped up to 14 inches of rain across the northern half of Coffee County. The earthen levee on the Beaver Dam Creek breached. A six foot wall of water rushed into the city of Elba. Two thousand residents were forced to evacuate. Nearly 400 homes and businesses sustained flood damage. ... | 4 | 0 | $190M | |
| 2015-12-24 | FloodRoeton, Coffee County Significant flooding occurred across Coffee county during the last week in December due to 10-20 inches of rain falling in the Pea River basin. The Pea River at Elba reached its third highest crest on record on December 26th. An aerial survey indicated 117 structures submerged with numerous others impacted near Elba. ... | 2 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 1996-06-26 | LightningEnterprise, Coffee County Three children playing on an unfinished soccer field next to a YMCA were struck by lightning. One child was fatally injured while the 2 other children received only minor injuries. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2000-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindElba, Coffee County Numerous trees and power lines down. An elderly woman was killed when a tree fell on her vehicle at the intersection of County Roads 349 and 306. Reported by the Coffee County EMA. | 1 | 0 | $17K | |
| 1973-04-18 | TornadoCoffee County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 14 | $2.5M step |
| 1973-12-29 | TornadoCoffee County | F3 5.9 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 11 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-03-05 | TornadoCoffee County | F2 0.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-03-01 | TornadoEnterprise Municipal Airport, Coffee County | EF4 10.33 mi x 500 yd | 9 | 50 | $356M |
| 1998-03-08 | Flash FloodElba, Coffee County | 4 | 0 | $190M | |
| 1998-09-28 | Flash FloodElba, Coffee County | 0 | 0 | $32M | |
| 2008-10-08 | TornadoEnterprise, Coffee County | EF1 1.9 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $5.5M |
| 1998-09-29 | TornadoEnterprise, Coffee County | F1 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| 2015-12-24 | FloodRoeton, Coffee County | 2 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2004-09-15 | Tropical StormCoffee County · forecast zone Coffee | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | |
| 1999-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Coffee County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
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: April 18, 1973 (tornado, Coffee County); December 29, 1973 (tornado, Coffee County); November 25, 1986 (tornado, Coffee 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 Coffee 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 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 24 | 49 | 116 | 219 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 8 | 12 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 34 | 12 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 4 | 21 | 18 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
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 Coffee County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 63 · Feb 35 · Mar 84 · Apr 144 · May 52 · Jun 89 · Jul 56 · Aug 46 · Sep 28 · Oct 16 · Nov 26 · Dec 34 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Coffee County
FEMA's register lists 30 declarations that include Coffee County: 18 major disasters, 12 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (13) and severe storm (11).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3618 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 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 |
| 2009-04-28 | DR-1835 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes & Straight-Line |
| 2008-08-30 | EM-3292 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2007-03-03 | DR-1687 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 1998-09-30 | DR-1250 | Hurricane | Hurricane Georges - 18 Sep 98 |
| 1998-09-28 | EM-3133 | Hurricane | Hurricane Georges |
| 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 |
| 1975-04-23 | DR-464 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Coffee County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 45 flood or flash flood records for Coffee County from 1998 to 2024, on 20 days, with 6 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Coffee County ranks 454th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Sally | 2020-09-16 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Dennis | 2005-07-09 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004-09-15 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Georges | 1998-09-28 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $17.7 million on 591 claims filed in Coffee County; the most in one year was 334 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 2 · 1982: 2 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 3 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 56 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 76 · 1995: 8 · 1996: 1 · 1998: 334 · 2003: 3 · 2005: 2 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 10 · 2012: 11 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 8 · 2015: 55 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2026: 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 Coffee County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Coffee County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $43.0 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 High | $6.3M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $816K | 73 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $11M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $21M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $831K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $6K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $616K | 5 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.2M | 2.4 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 Coffee 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 Coffee CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Coffee County's FEMA declarations (CSV)30 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis