Shelby County, Alabama
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 01117 · population 222,782 · 785 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 865 records for Shelby County, Alabama from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 515 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (409 records). The deadliest single record is the January 24, 1964 tornado: 10 deaths and 6 injuries. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1973, 24 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
- 865on 515 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 14206 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $211Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 52strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 Shelby County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 409 since 1965. 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 | 409 | 238 | 1965-2026 | 0 | 33 | $3.0M | 21 of 67 |
| Hail | 196 | 128 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 9 of 67 |
| Floods | 77 | 58 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 0 | $2.3M | 11 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 52 | 41 | 1957-2025 | 11 | 151 | $194M | 28 of 67 |
| Drought | 51 | 51 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 20 | 20 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $75K | 26 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 17 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | 14 of 67 |
| Lightning | 13 | 12 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 3 | $1.3M | 22 of 67 |
| Heat | 10 | 10 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 19 | – | 28 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 7 | 1996-2017 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 35 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 7 | 7 | 2005-2020 | 0 | 0 | $4.8M | 25 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2001-2010 | 0 | 0 | $20K | 20 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 1996-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 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 Shelby County had?
NOAA records 52 tornadoes in Shelby County from 1957 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 11 deaths and 151 injuries recorded in the county. That is 28th 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 51 tornadoes whose track touched Shelby County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 52: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 17 people, 11 of them in Shelby County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-01-24 19:00, as SPC files it | Harpersville | F4 | 3.3 mi | 10 |
| 1973-05-27 17:20, as SPC files it | Demopolis to Childersburg | F4 | 139.1 mi | 7 |
| 2022-03-30 20:53, as SPC files it | Montevallo | EF3 | 29.24 mi | 0 |
| 2021-03-25 11:53, as SPC files it | Hoover | EF3 | 50.13 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Alabama.
Every tornado record filed for Shelby County (52)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-15 | South Newala, Shelby County | EF1 2.55 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-15 | South Calera, Shelby County | EF1 7.23 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-12-29 | Harpersville, Shelby County | EF1 1.53 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-03-30 | Wilton, Shelby County | EF1 4.34 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2022-03-30 | Nelson, Shelby County | EF1 4.52 mi x 135 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-03-22 | Boothton, Shelby County | EF0 1.42 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-02-17 | Quito, Shelby County | EF1 4.25 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-29 | Shelby County | EF0 1.73 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-25 | Roberta, Shelby County | EF1 18.39 mi x 1,800 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 2021-03-25 | Boothton, Shelby County | EF3 39.35 mi x 1,100 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 2020-02-06 | Gurnee Jct, Shelby County | EF2 9.91 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-12-16 | South Newala, Shelby County | EF0 2.29 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-14 | Calera, Shelby County | EF0 2.97 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-14 | Simmsville, Shelby County | EF0 6.48 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-06-22 | Boothton, Shelby County | EF0 0.27 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-02-24 | Shelby Spgs, Shelby County | EF0 1.11 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-12-22 | Columbiana, Shelby County | EF0 1.83 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $59K |
| 2011-04-27 | Vincent, Shelby County | EF1 2.8 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2011-04-27 | Pea Ridge, Shelby County | EF1 2.94 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2011-04-27 | Quito, Shelby County | EF1 2.79 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.9M |
| 2011-04-15 | Wilsonville, Shelby County | EF1 4.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $37K |
| 2011-04-15 | Siluria, Shelby County | EF0 1.37 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2011-03-26 | Aldrich, Shelby County | EF1 0.19 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2010-03-25 | Turner, Shelby County | EF1 2.74 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $230K |
| 2009-05-03 | Dunavant, Shelby County | EF1 1.43 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2009-05-03 | Quito, Shelby County | EF0 2.6 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $165K |
| 2009-04-19 | Maylene, Shelby County | EF0 3.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2009-04-19 | Scotrock, Shelby County | EF0 1.97 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
| 2009-03-26 | Maylene, Shelby County | EF0 3.71 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2009-02-27 | Argyle, Shelby County | EF0 1.79 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2008-02-26 | Simmsville, Shelby County | EF1 0.49 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2007-03-01 | Montevallo Flyng X R, Shelby County | EF1 0.65 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $43K |
| 2005-04-30 | Columbiana, Shelby County | F1 2.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $302K |
| 2005-04-30 | Helena, Shelby County | F1 11.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $604K |
| 2003-05-07 | Wilsonville, Shelby County | F1 0.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $241K |
| 1997-02-21 | Maylene, Shelby County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
| 1994-03-27 | Shelby County | F2 12 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 53 | $10.0M |
| 1990-02-10 | Shelby County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-01-19 | Shelby County | F1 4 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1984-05-03 | Shelby County | F2 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1984-05-03 | Shelby County | F1 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1983-12-03 | Shelby County | F1 2 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-01-10 | Shelby County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 14 | $250K step |
| 1973-05-27 | Shelby County | F4 30.2 mi x 800 yd | 1 | 63 | $25M step |
| 1973-04-24 | Shelby County | F1 4.7 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-03-16 | Shelby County | F2 4.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 5 | $250K step |
| 1970-04-26 | Shelby County | F1 3.3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1968-12-27 | Shelby County | F2 5.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1964-01-24 | Shelby County | F4 3.3 mi x 100 yd | 10 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1963-04-29 | Shelby County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1963-04-20 | Shelby County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1957-11-08 | Shelby County | F1 4.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Shelby County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 16, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodQuito, Shelby County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindLay Lake, Shelby County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindCalera, Shelby County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindWilsonville, Shelby County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindMontevallo, Shelby County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindAlabaster, Shelby County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindSaginaw, Shelby County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindHelena, Shelby County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindGenery, Shelby County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindGurnee Jct, Shelby County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindQuito, Shelby County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherShelby County · forecast zone Shelby | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-01-24 | TornadoShelby County | F4 3.3 mi x 100 yd | 10 | 6 | $250K step |
| 2021-10-06 | Flash FloodElvira, Shelby County During the evening of the 6th, a north to south low-level boundary set up along the Interstate 65 corridor that became the focus for back-building thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. Over the course of just a few hours, a wide swath of 6-10 inches of rain occurred. Numerous roads became submerged and impassable. ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1973-05-27 | TornadoShelby County | F4 30.2 mi x 800 yd | 1 | 63 | $25M step |
| 1998-01-07 | Flash FloodCountywide, Shelby County A strong low pressure system move over Alabama from the Gulf of Mexico, bringing heavy rain to the state. Rivers, creeks and ditches were all out of their banks. Numerous streets were closed due to water over the road. Bridges were washed out in Cullman, Etowah, and Marshall counties. A five year old girl was killed ... | 1 | 0 | $72K | |
| 1994-03-27 | TornadoShelby County A tornado began on the north side of Helena on the Bearden Farm moving northeastward crossing Alabama 261 near Pelham High School. The school suffered some damage. Continuing northeast, the tornado caused damage in a residential section before doing extensive damage to two mobile home parks on the west side of U.S. ... | F2 12 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 53 | $10.0M |
| 1990-02-10 | Thunderstorm WindShelby County | 0 | 22 | – | |
| 2007-08-08 | HeatShelby County · forecast zone Shelby 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 | 19 | – | |
| 1975-01-10 | TornadoShelby County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 14 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoQuito, Shelby County | EF1 2.79 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.9M |
| 2004-09-16 | High WindShelby County · forecast zone Shelby | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 1998-03-19 | Thunderstorm WindChelsea, Shelby County | 0 | 0 | $688K | |
| 2002-03-30 | HailHelena, Shelby County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $656K |
| 2003-06-17 | Flash FloodPelham, Shelby County | 0 | 0 | $642K | |
| 2005-04-30 | TornadoHelena, Shelby County | F1 11.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $604K |
| 1996-03-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Shelby County | 0 | 0 | $423K | |
| 2018-06-25 | LightningSaginaw, Shelby County | 0 | 0 | $353K |
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: May 27, 1973 (tornado, Shelby County, 1 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 Shelby 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 | 6 | 24 | 41 | 34 | 99 | 130 | 75 |
| Hail | 2 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 37 | 87 | 40 | 15 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 22 | 28 | 24 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 11 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 21 | 23 | 7 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | 9 | 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 Shelby County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 42 · Feb 51 · Mar 84 · Apr 145 · May 94 · Jun 154 · Jul 100 · Aug 97 · Sep 21 · Oct 15 · Nov 21 · Dec 41 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Shelby County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Shelby County: 14 major disasters, 11 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (9) and hurricane (8).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3618 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2021-12-21 | DR-4632 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2021-04-26 | DR-4596 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2017-10-08 | EM-3394 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nate |
| 2017-09-11 | EM-3389 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1999-09-18 | FM-2278 | Fire | Al - Chelsea Fire - 09/18/99 |
| 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 |
| 1983-12-13 | DR-695 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms,Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 1979-04-18 | DR-578 | Flood | Storms, Wind, Flooding |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3045 | Drought | Drought |
| 1975-03-14 | DR-458 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1975-01-18 | EM-3007 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 1973-05-29 | DR-388 | 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 Shelby County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 77 flood or flash flood records for Shelby County from 1996 to 2026, on 58 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Shelby County ranks 386th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005-08-29 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Dennis | 2005-07-10 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $19.2 million on 797 claims filed in Shelby County; the most in one year was 153 in 2021. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 89 · 1980: 3 · 1982: 1 · 1983: 64 · 1988: 1 · 1990: 96 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 4 · 1996: 57 · 1997: 3 · 1998: 12 · 2000: 8 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 13 · 2003: 47 · 2004: 12 · 2005: 20 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 1 · 2009: 13 · 2010: 22 · 2011: 3 · 2012: 38 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 72 · 2015: 14 · 2016: 2 · 2017: 13 · 2018: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 8 · 2021: 153 · 2022: 5 · 2024: 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 Shelby County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Shelby County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $106 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 | $32M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.6M | 71 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $103K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $56M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.3M | 7.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $6.7M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $197K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Shelby 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 Shelby CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Shelby County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis