Talladega County, Alabama
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 01121 · population 81,988 · 737 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 631 records for Talladega County, Alabama from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 392 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (292 records). The deadliest single record is the March 29, 1991 tornado: 5 deaths and 13 injuries. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1973, 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
- 631on 392 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 12112 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $194Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 35strongest F4
- 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 Talladega County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 292 since 1962. 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 | 292 | 194 | 1962-2026 | 1 | 40 | $3.1M | 29 of 67 |
| Hail | 144 | 85 | 1975-2025 | 0 | 0 | $406K | 27 of 67 |
| Drought | 48 | 48 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 67 |
| Floods | 40 | 29 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 1 | $1.6M | 32 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 35 | 28 | 1953-2025 | 6 | 68 | $183M | 50 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 21 | 20 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 0 | $96K | 23 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 13 | 13 | 2000-2025 | 1 | 2 | $4.0M | 21 of 67 |
| Heat | 10 | 10 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 7 | 7 | 2005-2020 | 0 | 0 | $267K | 22 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1996-2014 | 1 | 0 | $1.9M | 39 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 3 | 2007-2009 | 1 | 1 | – | 18 of 67 |
| Lightning | 5 | 5 | 2002-2009 | 0 | 0 | $170K | 38 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 2001-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 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 Talladega County had?
NOAA records 35 tornadoes in Talladega County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 6 deaths and 68 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 34 tornadoes whose track touched Talladega County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 35: 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, 6 of them in Talladega County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-03-29 05:30, as SPC files it | Munford | F1 | 1 mi | 5 |
| 2025-03-15 19:42, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF2 | 3.63 mi | 1 |
| 2004-11-24 06:59, as SPC files it | Lincoln to Anniston | F2 | 15.2 mi | 1 |
| 1964-04-28 15:45, as SPC files it | Lincoln | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Alabama.
Every tornado record filed for Talladega County (35)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-15 | Winterboro, Talladega County | EF2 3.63 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2016-03-01 | Gantt Jct, Talladega County | EF0 2.99 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-01-23 | Kymulga, Talladega County | EF0 5.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-27 | Coosa Pines, Talladega County | EF1 5.79 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 2011-02-28 | Nottingham, Talladega County | EF0 0.34 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2008-02-06 | Gantts Quarry, Talladega County | EF0 2.26 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2006-04-08 | Childersburg, Talladega County | F0 0.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $44K |
| 2004-11-24 | Talladega County | F0 0.4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $78K |
| 2004-11-24 | Winterboro, Talladega County | F0 3.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $78K |
| 2004-11-24 | Childersburg, Talladega County | F1 0.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 2004-11-24 | Lincoln, Talladega County | F2 4.5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $195K |
| 2004-11-24 | Lincoln, Talladega County | F0 3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 2003-05-07 | Childersburg, Talladega County | F1 0.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $32K |
| 2003-05-07 | Munford, Talladega County | F1 4.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2001-11-24 | Winterboro, Talladega County | F2 9.1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $383K |
| 2001-11-24 | Sylacauga, Talladega County | F2 3.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 15 | $1.3M |
| 2001-08-31 | Lincoln, Talladega County | F1 3.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 1995-05-09 | Lincoln, Talladega County | F0 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $19K |
| 1991-03-29 | Talladega County | F1 1 mi x 73 yd | 5 | 13 | $250K step |
| 1989-03-05 | Talladega County | F2 20 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1985-04-05 | Talladega County | F2 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 5 | $250K step |
| 1985-04-05 | Talladega County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-05-07 | Talladega County | F1 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-05-03 | Talladega County | F2 11 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-03-20 | Talladega County | F2 3.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1973-12-26 | Talladega County | F2 0.1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1973-05-27 | Talladega County | F4 34.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 17 | $25M step |
| 1967-05-07 | Talladega County | F2 5.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-07-09 | Talladega County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-04-28 | Talladega County | F3 | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1963-04-29 | Talladega County | F2 | 0 | 4 | $25K step |
| 1962-03-21 | Talladega County | F2 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-09-16 | Talladega County | F2 0.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1959-04-28 | Talladega County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1953-01-08 | Talladega County | F2 3 mi x 867 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Talladega County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 10, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindSycamore, Talladega County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindFayetteville, Talladega County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindAlpine, Talladega County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindTalladega County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindLincoln, Talladega County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindMunford, Talladega County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindTalladega County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindOldfield, Talladega County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindSylacauga Merkle Arp, Talladega County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindRenfroe, Talladega County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-09 | Thunderstorm WindOldfield, Talladega County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-10 | Thunderstorm WindTalladega County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-03-29 | TornadoTalladega County | F1 1 mi x 73 yd | 5 | 13 | $250K step |
| 2025-03-15 | TornadoWinterboro, Talladega County National Weather Service Meteorologists surveyed damage in the town of Winterboro and just to the northeast and determined that the damage was consistent with a tornado. The tornado touched down just to the southwest of Winterboro High School, damaging the football press box and surrounding baseball and softball ... | EF2 3.63 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2007-07-23 | Heavy RainEastaboga, Talladega County Heavy rain was likely a factor in an accident on Interstate 20, about 7 miles east of Lincoln. The driver of a pick-up truck died (indirect), and his passenger was injured (indirect), when the vehicle lost control during a heavy downpour, crossed in the median, and struck the back end of a tractor-trailer in the ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-01-10 | Winter StormTalladega County · forecast zone Talladega Sleet and snow amounts of 2 to 4 inches across Talladega County. One hypothermia-related fatality occurred in a wooded area in Lincoln. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-03-03 | High WindTalladega County · forecast zone Talladega A large tree fell on a vehicle in the city of Talladega resulting in a single fatality. Numerous trees uprooted and power lined downed across the city of Talladega and throughout northern Talladega County. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2014-01-28 | Winter StormTalladega County · forecast zone Talladega A mix of winter precipitation resulted in hazardous travel conditions across Talladega County. Snow accumulations up to two and a half inches were reported. A male, 71, was found outdoors in Childersburg, suffering from severe hypothermia and later died (direct) on Wednesday, January 29th. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-01-24 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillTalladega County · forecast zone Talladega The coldest temperatures in 7 years occurred across much of North and Central Alabama and lasted for about two days. Early morning temperatures ranged from 2 to 10 degrees. The coldest temperatures were measured in outlying areas. Although no new records were established, these temperatures were very cold for the Deep ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1994-06-15 | Thunderstorm WindLincoln, Talladega County Numerous large trees were downed by thunderstorm wind in the northern section of the county near Lincoln. One tree fell on a truck resulting in one fatality. Large hail was also reported with the storm which came up rapidly and lasted only a brief time according to EMA officials. | 1 | 0 | $995K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-09-16 | High WindTalladega County · forecast zone Talladega | 60 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $3.9M |
| 1994-06-15 | Thunderstorm WindLincoln, Talladega County | 1 | 0 | $995K | |
| 2010-03-10 | FloodChildersburg, Talladega County | 0 | 0 | $677K | |
| 2001-11-24 | TornadoWinterboro, Talladega County | F2 9.1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $383K |
| 2010-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindTalladega County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $338K |
| 2004-11-24 | TornadoLincoln, Talladega County | F2 4.5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $195K |
| 2008-02-26 | Thunderstorm WindLincoln, Talladega County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $137K |
| 2003-05-07 | Thunderstorm WindLincoln, Talladega County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $125K |
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, Talladega 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 Talladega 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 | 7 | 12 | 20 | 27 | 95 | 57 | 74 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 80 | 20 | 20 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 21 | 22 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 14 | 17 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 1 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 6 | 11 | 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 Talladega County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 41 · Feb 31 · Mar 87 · Apr 105 · May 79 · Jun 93 · Jul 70 · Aug 45 · Sep 13 · Oct 16 · Nov 22 · Dec 29 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Talladega County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Talladega County: 13 major disasters, 12 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (10) and severe storm (6).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2001-12-07 | DR-1399 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1995-10-04 | DR-1070 | Hurricane | Hurricane Opal |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3096 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1990-02-17 | DR-856 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1984-05-11 | EM-3088 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 1979-04-18 | DR-578 | Flood | Storms, Wind, Flooding |
| 1979-03-17 | EM-3074 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3045 | Drought | Drought |
| 1977-04-09 | DR-532 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Talladega County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 40 flood or flash flood records for Talladega County from 1996 to 2025, on 29 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Talladega County ranks 1281st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.1 million on 107 claims filed in Talladega County; the most in one year was 13 in 2003. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 3 · 1980: 2 · 1982: 4 · 1983: 5 · 1988: 2 · 1990: 4 · 1991: 1 · 1995: 4 · 1996: 2 · 1998: 1 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 13 · 2004: 2 · 2006: 1 · 2009: 7 · 2010: 3 · 2013: 13 · 2014: 3 · 2015: 5 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 11 · 2025: 7; 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 Talladega County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Talladega County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $37.0 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 | $7.0M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $5.0M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $20M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 6.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $906K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $333K | 67 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $255K | once in about 476 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $974K | once in about 416 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Talladega 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 Talladega CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Talladega County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis