Fayette County, Alabama
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 01057 · population 16,298 · 628 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 403 records for Fayette County, Alabama from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 307 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (180 records). The deadliest single record is the April 27, 2011 tornado: 4 deaths and $8.7 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1974, 19 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
- 403on 307 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 752 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $180Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 56strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Fayette County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 180 since 1955. 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 | 180 | 143 | 1955-2026 | 1 | 3 | $1.8M | 35 of 67 |
| Hail | 63 | 57 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $92K | 37 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 56 | 37 | 1951-2024 | 6 | 39 | $174M | 17 of 67 |
| Drought | 37 | 37 | 2006-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 20 | 20 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $999K | 21 of 67 |
| Floods | 15 | 13 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $197K | 53 of 67 |
| Heat | 9 | 9 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 10 | – | 20 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 9 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $211K | 26 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1996-2014 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 29 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 3 | 2005-2008 | 0 | 0 | $839K | 58 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 1999-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 67 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 0 | $85K | 56 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 Fayette County had?
NOAA records 56 tornadoes in Fayette County from 1951 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 6 deaths and 39 injuries recorded in the county. That is 17th 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 55 tornadoes whose track touched Fayette County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 56: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 30 people, 6 of them in Fayette County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 14:40, as SPC files it | Reform to Cordova | EF4 | 127.8 mi | 13 |
| 2002-11-10 20:15, as SPC files it | Carbon Hill to Hanceville | F3 | 72.6 mi | 7 |
| 2002-11-10 18:52, as SPC files it | Carbon Hill | F3 | 44.3 mi | 4 |
| 1974-04-03 17:35, as SPC files it | Jasper to Cullman | F4 | 110.6 mi | 3 |
| 2001-11-24 10:55, as SPC files it | Fayette to Carbon Hill | F3 | 38.9 mi | 2 |
| 1952-02-13 20:00, as SPC files it | Berry | F3 | 5.6 mi | 1 |
| 2011-04-27 17:06, as SPC files it | Glen Allen | EF3 | 7.96 mi | 0 |
| 1974-01-28 05:22, as SPC files it | Fayette | F3 | 0.8 mi | 0 |
| 1961-03-07 21:30, as SPC files it | Glen Allen to Carbon Hill | F3 | 25.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Alabama.
Every tornado record filed for Fayette County (56)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-05 | Bluff, Fayette County | EF0 1.7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-04-21 | Stough, Fayette County | EF0 2.28 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-02-17 | Alta, Fayette County | EF1 2.22 mi x 475 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-04-12 | Berry, Fayette County | EF1 5.73 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-04-12 | Newtonville, Fayette County | EF0 1.79 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-04-12 | Newtonville, Fayette County | EF0 0.65 mi x 265 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-02-23 | Hubertville, Fayette County | EF0 4.03 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-02-23 | Covin, Fayette County | EF1 1.44 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-08-31 | Belk, Fayette County | EF1 18.79 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-11-29 | Hubertville, Fayette County | EF0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-03-31 | Alta, Fayette County | EF0 1.88 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-03-31 | Bazemore, Fayette County | EF1 3.7 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-03-31 | Bluff, Fayette County | EF1 3.72 mi x 650 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-02-02 | Newtonville, Fayette County | EF1 6.12 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-04-28 | Bazemore, Fayette County | EF1 2.08 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $312K |
| 2013-01-30 | Covin, Fayette County | EF1 6.5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-27 | Hubertville, Fayette County | EF3 7.96 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 2011-04-27 | Berry, Fayette County | EF1 7.28 mi x 176 yd | 0 | 4 | $1.8M |
| 2011-04-27 | Alta, Fayette County | EF3 5.68 mi x 1,320 yd | 4 | 0 | $8.7M |
| 2011-04-27 | Newtonville, Fayette County | EF1 2.11 mi x 528 yd | 0 | 0 | $106K |
| 2010-04-24 | Alta, Fayette County | EF1 2.21 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 2010-04-24 | Bankston, Fayette County | EF1 6.56 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $104K |
| 2009-05-02 | Covin, Fayette County | EF0 0.05 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-03-26 | Belk, Fayette County | EF1 3.02 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2008-05-08 | Bazemore, Fayette County | EF1 5.68 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2008-02-06 | Berry, Fayette County | EF0 7.65 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2008-02-06 | Newtonville, Fayette County | EF2 6.56 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $137K |
| 2007-03-01 | Bluff, Fayette County | EF1 11.22 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $71K |
| 2006-03-13 | Newtonville, Fayette County | F0 1.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2006-03-13 | Bankston, Fayette County | F1 1.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2006-03-13 | Fayette County | F0 1.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2005-09-25 | Fayette County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-09-25 | Belk, Fayette County | F1 3.9 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $106K |
| 2002-11-10 | Berry, Fayette County | F1 4.3 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $74K |
| 2002-11-10 | Fayette County | F3 14.6 mi x 1,175 yd | 0 | 0 | $328K |
| 2002-11-10 | Fayette County | F3 16.1 mi x 1,175 yd | 0 | 3 | $820K |
| 2001-11-24 | Belk, Fayette County | F3 29.1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 2000-04-03 | Bankston, Fayette County | F1 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $146K |
| 1999-01-22 | Fayette County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 1987-06-14 | Fayette County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-06-14 | Fayette County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-06-14 | Fayette County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1984-03-28 | Fayette County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1983-11-23 | Fayette County | F1 8 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1981-07-05 | Fayette County | F0 7.8 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1979-05-30 | Fayette County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Fayette County | F4 8.8 mi x 500 yd | 2 | 29 | $25M step |
| 1974-01-28 | Fayette County | F3 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1962-03-31 | Fayette County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-03-07 | Fayette County | F3 15 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1957-12-19 | Fayette County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1952-05-10 | Fayette County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1952-05-10 | Fayette County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1952-05-10 | Fayette County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1952-02-13 | Fayette County | F3 2.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1951-02-20 | Fayette County | F2 0.1 mi x 123 yd | 0 | 2 | $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 Fayette County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 8, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindFayette R Arthur Arp, Fayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindFayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | Thunderstorm WindFayette R Arthur Arp, Fayette County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | Thunderstorm WindFayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindBluff, Fayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-26 | HailFayette County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-29 | HeatFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-08 | HailBluff, Fayette County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindBerry, Fayette County | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-05-08 | HailAlta, Fayette County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-02 | Thunderstorm WindFayette R Arthur Arp, Fayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-10 | Thunderstorm WindAlta, Fayette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoAlta, Fayette County The fifth segment of this long track tornado entered Fayette County for the second time at CR 83, south of Boley Springs, and moved northeast where it exited Fayette County south of Blue Water Trace Rd . This tornado began in Pickens County, 5 miles northeast of Pickensville, and tracked through Tuscaloosa, Fayette, ... | EF3 5.68 mi x 1,320 yd | 4 | 0 | $8.7M |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoFayette County | F4 8.8 mi x 500 yd | 2 | 29 | $25M step |
| 2001-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindFayette County A thunderstorm moving from the southern portion of Fayette County northward downed trees and caused power outages. One tree fell onto a mobile home on the north side of the city of Fayette killing a 36-year-old man and injuring three other people in the mobile home at the time. | 55 kt wind | 1 | 3 | $58K |
| 2007-08-08 | HeatFayette County · forecast zone Fayette 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 | 10 | – | |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoBerry, Fayette County A tornado developed along a Quasi-Linear Convective System. It touched down in southeast Fayette County, east of AL Hwy 13, along AL Hwy 18, southwest of Berry. This tornado maintained a small path width, averaging around 0.10 mile (176 yds). The tornado track paralleled AL Hwy 13 where it damaged several barns and ... | EF1 7.28 mi x 176 yd | 0 | 4 | $1.8M |
| 2002-11-10 | TornadoFayette County The Carbon Hill Tornado was the first tornado of the evening. It began in Fayette County at 6:52 pm, about 5.6 miles north-northwest of the city of Fayette, and 2.8 miles west of US Highway 43. The tornado moved on a northeast track crossing US 43, State Route 129, and SR 13, and then moved into Walker County just ... | F3 16.1 mi x 1,175 yd | 0 | 3 | $820K |
| 1951-02-20 | TornadoFayette County | F2 0.1 mi x 123 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 2000-04-03 | TornadoBankston, Fayette County The tornado began 3 miles southwest of Studdards Crossroads. Studdards Crossroads is located at the intersection of SR 102 and CR 63. The tornado traveled in a northeast direction for about 3 miles. The damage path was fairly narrow and was estimated to be only 50 yards at its widest point. The damage was primarily ... | F1 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $146K |
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 | TornadoAlta, Fayette County | EF3 5.68 mi x 1,320 yd | 4 | 0 | $8.7M |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoHubertville, Fayette County | EF3 7.96 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoBerry, Fayette County | EF1 7.28 mi x 176 yd | 0 | 4 | $1.8M |
| 2001-11-24 | TornadoBelk, Fayette County | F3 29.1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 1998-12-23 | Ice StormFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | $905K | |
| 2002-11-10 | TornadoFayette County | F3 16.1 mi x 1,175 yd | 0 | 3 | $820K |
| 2001-02-16 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Fayette County | 75 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $417K |
| 2014-04-28 | TornadoBazemore, Fayette County | EF1 2.08 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $312K |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 3, 1974 (tornado, Fayette County, 2 killed).
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 Fayette 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 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 34 | 51 | 42 | 26 |
| Hail | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 22 | 16 | 8 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 16 | 16 | 6 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 21 | 9 | 7 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 2 | 10 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 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 Fayette County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 28 · Feb 40 · Mar 56 · Apr 84 · May 37 · Jun 42 · Jul 37 · Aug 31 · Sep 13 · Oct 4 · Nov 16 · Dec 15 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fayette County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Fayette County: 11 major disasters, 9 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (8) and hurricane (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3618 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2020-09-14 | EM-3545 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020-05-21 | DR-4546 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2020-03-29 | DR-4503 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3472 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 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 |
| 2002-11-14 | DR-1442 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2001-12-07 | DR-1399 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2001-03-05 | DR-1362 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1999-09-18 | FM-2279 | Fire | Al - Fayette Fire - 09/18/99 |
| 1999-01-15 | DR-1261 | Severe Storm | Riv-Severe Winter Wx 12/23/98 |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3096 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1979-04-18 | DR-578 | Flood | Storms, Wind, 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Fayette County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fayette County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $745K | 2.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $327K | 68 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $10K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $590K | 9.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $227K | once in about 20 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $413K | once in about 350 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $858K | 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 Fayette 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 Fayette CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Fayette County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis