Sumter County, Alabama
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 01119 · population 12,322 · 904 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 416 records for Sumter County, Alabama from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 299 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (168 records). The deadliest single record is the March 5, 2004 heavy rain: 1 death. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1973, 18 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
- 416on 299 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 212 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $44Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 30strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Sumter County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 168 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 | 168 | 131 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 3 | $740K | 48 of 67 |
| Hail | 115 | 84 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 0 | $122K | 35 of 67 |
| Drought | 30 | 30 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 24 | 1961-2025 | 0 | 6 | $28M | 63 of 67 |
| Floods | 26 | 22 | 1998-2026 | 1 | 0 | $1.1M | 49 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 12 | 12 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 1 | $83K | 44 of 67 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 2 | – | 32 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 8 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5.8M | 38 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1996-2014 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 42 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 2005-2020 | 0 | 0 | $6.4M | 48 of 67 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2005-2006 | 0 | 0 | $25K | 50 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 1 | 0 | – | 51 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 58 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 Sumter County had?
NOAA records 30 tornadoes in Sumter County from 1961 to 2025, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 6 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 31 tornadoes whose track touched Sumter County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 30: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 7 people, 0 of them in Sumter County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 16:42, as SPC files it | LouinCrossed AL, MS | EF4 | 122.04 mi | 7 |
| 2011-04-27 14:47, as SPC files it | PanolaCrossed AL, MS | EF3 | 23.74 mi | 0 |
| 2011-04-15 11:53, as SPC files it | De KalbCrossed AL, MS | EF3 | 48.52 mi | 0 |
| 1967-12-18 06:25, as SPC files it | Bellamy | F3 | 7.6 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Alabama.
Every tornado record filed for Sumter County (30)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-15 | York Mallard Airport, Sumter County | EF2 3.32 mi x 650 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-12 | Emelle, Sumter County | EF2 12.87 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2022-12-14 | Siloam, Sumter County | EF1 4.4 mi x 225 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-03-30 | York Mallard Airport, Sumter County | EF1 5.62 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-02-03 | Cuba, Sumter County | EF2 15.47 mi x 900 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-17 | Brewersville, Sumter County | EF1 9.78 mi x 475 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-17 | Siloam, Sumter County | EF0 0.35 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-02-07 | Siloam, Sumter County | EF0 1.97 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-01-03 | Bodka, Sumter County | EF1 1.23 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-01-03 | Cuba, Sumter County | EF0 0.67 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-04-28 | Siloam, Sumter County | EF1 1.03 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-01-23 | Parker, Sumter County | EF0 1.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-01-23 | Fair Oaks, Sumter County | EF0 0.36 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-11-16 | Persimmon Grove, Sumter County | EF2 1.5 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 1 | $262K |
| 2011-04-27 | Persimmon Grove, Sumter County | EF2 4.2 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $352K |
| 2011-04-27 | Geiger, Sumter County | EF2 8.4 mi x 1,056 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.3M |
| 2011-04-15 | Cuba, Sumter County | EF2 8.92 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $5.1M |
| 2011-04-15 | Bodka, Sumter County | EF2 4.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| 2011-04-15 | Geiger, Sumter County | EF3 10.5 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 0 | $9.0M |
| 2010-04-24 | Siloam, Sumter County | EF0 0.08 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-09-25 | Coatopa, Sumter County | F0 2.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 1994-04-05 | Geiger To Gainesville, Sumter County | F1 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 1992-11-22 | Sumter County | F2 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-02-15 | Sumter County | F0 0.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-05-03 | Sumter County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1983-12-03 | Sumter County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-03-12 | Sumter County | F1 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1973-03-16 | Sumter County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1967-12-18 | Sumter County | F3 7.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-12-12 | Sumter County | F2 24.2 mi x 33 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 Sumter County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 3, 2025 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindWoodford, Sumter County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-06 | Flash FloodBelmont, Sumter County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-06 | Thunderstorm WindBelmont, Sumter County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-24 | Thunderstorm WindSiloam, Sumter County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-24 | Thunderstorm WindSiloam, Sumter County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | DroughtSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindCuba, Sumter County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindSiloam, Sumter County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindBoyd, Sumter County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-03-05 | Heavy RainBellamy, Sumter County Heavy rain and winds of 25 to 30 miles an hour moved across the Bellamy area. One tree fell down due to the saturated ground and high wind around 8:53 PM CST. The tree landed on a 50 year old man. Rescue workers attempted to free the man, but after a few hours, the man died from his injuries. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-04-07 | Flash FloodCountywide, Sumter County Numerous roads were flooded across the county and closed for several hours. Water topped several bridges along Yellow Creek near Cuba. A 68 year old woman was killed as her car was swept off US 11 near Livingston. A few homes received minor flooding. | 1 | 0 | $160K | |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoGeiger, Sumter County A tornado touched down in Kemper County Mississippi (See Storm Data Jackson), near Scooba, and tracked northeast into Sumter County, Alabama at a point just north of Henley Rd, northwest of Geiger. The tornado continued as an EF2 rating as it entered Alabama, with winds of 130 mph. It knocked down trees along Mt Tabor ... | EF2 8.4 mi x 1,056 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.3M |
| 2007-08-08 | HeatSumter County · forecast zone Sumter 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 | – | |
| 1986-11-25 | Thunderstorm WindSumter County | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1976-03-12 | TornadoSumter County | F1 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 2023-01-12 | TornadoEmelle, Sumter County National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in northern Sumter County and determined that it was consistent with an EF2 tornado, with maximum winds near 120 mph. This tornado began near Sumter Road 24 uprooting trees. The tornado continued east-northeast along Sumter 24 where it destroyed a grain bin near ... | EF2 12.87 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2017-04-03 | Thunderstorm WindSiloam, Sumter County Tree fell onto vehicle causing injury to driver. | 50 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-15 | TornadoGeiger, Sumter County | EF3 10.5 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 0 | $9.0M |
| 2005-08-29 | Tropical StormSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 0 | 0 | $6.0M | |
| 2004-09-16 | High WindSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 73 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5.7M |
| 2011-04-15 | TornadoCuba, Sumter County | EF2 8.92 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $5.1M |
| 2011-04-15 | TornadoBodka, Sumter County | EF2 4.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoGeiger, Sumter County | EF2 8.4 mi x 1,056 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.3M |
| 1994-04-05 | TornadoGeiger To Gainesville, Sumter County | F1 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 2003-04-07 | FloodSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 0 | 0 | $537K |
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 22, 1992 (tornado, Sumter 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 Sumter 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 | 2 | 12 | 25 | 41 | 47 | 39 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 29 | 42 | 19 | 13 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 15 | 6 | 9 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 19 | 2 | 4 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
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 Sumter County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 29 · Feb 40 · Mar 62 · Apr 74 · May 52 · Jun 31 · Jul 42 · Aug 30 · Sep 15 · Oct 9 · Nov 15 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Sumter County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Sumter County: 9 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (10) and severe storm (4).
| 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 |
| 2020-09-14 | 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 |
| 2005-08-29 | DR-1605 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2005-08-28 | EM-3214 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2005-07-10 | DR-1593 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dennis |
| 2004-09-15 | DR-1549 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3096 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1990-02-17 | DR-856 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1979-04-18 | DR-578 | Flood | Storms, Wind, Flooding |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3045 | Drought | Drought |
| 1973-03-27 | DR-369 | Tornado | Tornadoes & 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 Sumter County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 26 flood or flash flood records for Sumter County from 1998 to 2026, on 22 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Sumter County ranks 2155th 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 $257,000 on 17 claims filed in Sumter County; the most in one year was 3 in 2003. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1983: 1 · 1990: 2 · 1991: 2 · 1998: 1 · 2003: 3 · 2009: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2023: 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 Sumter County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sumter County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.9 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 | $2.4M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $193K | 69 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $365K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $667K | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $610K | once in about 353 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $473K | 10 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $132K | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.4M | 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 Sumter 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 Sumter CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Sumter County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis