Winston County, Alabama
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 01133 · population 23,478 · 613 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 527 records for Winston County, Alabama from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 363 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (227 records). The deadliest single record is the April 3, 1974 tornado: 5 deaths and 22 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
- 527on 363 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 7120 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $39Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 42strongest F5
- 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 Winston County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 227 since 1956. 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 | 227 | 168 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 3 | $3.0M | 24 of 67 |
| Hail | 119 | 77 | 1967-2025 | 0 | 0 | $414K | 22 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 42 | 31 | 1963-2023 | 7 | 111 | $29M | 30 of 67 |
| Drought | 38 | 38 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 28 | 28 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 15 of 67 |
| Lightning | 23 | 19 | 1996-2011 | 0 | 3 | $490K | 8 of 67 |
| Floods | 18 | 17 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $243K | 41 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 15 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $460K | 12 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1996-2014 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 26 of 67 |
| Heat | 5 | 5 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 3 | – | 53 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 3 | 2005-2008 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 56 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 1999-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 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 Winston County had?
NOAA records 42 tornadoes in Winston County from 1963 to 2023, the strongest rated F5, with 7 deaths and 111 injuries recorded in the county. That is 30th 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 43 tornadoes whose track touched Winston 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 40 people, 7 of them in Winston County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 19:50, as SPC files it | Guin | F5 | 79.5 mi | 28 |
| 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 |
| 1987-05-21 11:45, as SPC files it | Double Springs | F2 | 0.3 mi | 1 |
| 2011-04-27 16:10, as SPC files it | Haleyville | EF3 | 31.84 mi | 0 |
| 1964-03-25 15:45, as SPC files it | Addison | F3 | 5.4 mi | 0 |
| 1957-04-08 09:46, as SPC files it | Hamilton | F3 | 51.4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Alabama.
Every tornado record filed for Winston County (42)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-01 | Haleyville Posey Arp, Winston County | EF1 4.52 mi x 675 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-12 | Delmar, Winston County | EF2 9.18 mi x 425 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-31 | Nesmith, Winston County | EF1 1.02 mi x 305 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-08-28 | Double Spgs, Winston County | EF1 2.56 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-08-28 | Pleasant Hill, Winston County | EF1 8.75 mi x 325 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-22 | Inmanfield, Winston County | EF0 1.46 mi x 260 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-11-29 | Nesmith, Winston County | EF1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-11-29 | Nathan, Winston County | EF2 7.1 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-11-29 | Pleasant Hill, Winston County | EF2 3.2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-11-29 | Forkville, Winston County | EF1 0.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-04-11 | Nesmith, Winston County | EF1 0.38 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2013-04-11 | Double Spgs Airport, Winston County | EF1 1.17 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-04-11 | Poplar Spgs, Winston County | EF1 2.63 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-01-30 | Addison, Winston County | EF1 4.2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-01-30 | Poplar Spgs, Winston County | EF1 10.39 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-27 | Haleyville, Winston County | EF3 10.62 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 25 | $15M |
| 2010-10-25 | Delmar, Winston County | EF1 12.07 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $135K |
| 2008-08-24 | Meek, Winston County | EF0 0.05 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $685 |
| 2008-04-04 | Ashbank, Winston County | EF0 2.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2007-03-01 | Lewis Smith Lake, Winston County | EF2 9.37 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $71K |
| 2006-04-07 | Haleyville, Winston County | F1 4.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $111K |
| 2005-11-14 | Haleyville, Winston County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-09-25 | Double Spgs, Winston County | F1 2.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $26K |
| 2005-09-25 | Double Spgs, Winston County | F0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $45K |
| 2005-09-25 | Delmar, Winston County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2002-11-10 | Arley, Winston County | F3 2.4 mi x 1,175 yd | 0 | 5 | $492K |
| 2002-11-10 | Poplar Spgs, Winston County | F3 11.3 mi x 1,175 yd | 1 | 15 | $328K |
| 2001-11-24 | Haleyville, Winston County | F2 1.6 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 13 | $1.3M |
| 1999-02-27 | Double Spgs, Winston County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 1999-01-22 | Double Spgs, Winston County | F1 1.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $151K |
| 1996-09-16 | Addison, Winston County | F0 4 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $56K |
| 1996-09-16 | Addison, Winston County | F1 2 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $107K |
| 1995-04-20 | Haleyville, Winston County | F1 6 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 17 | $871K |
| 1989-02-20 | Winston County | F2 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1987-05-21 | Winston County | F2 0.3 mi x 150 yd | 1 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1986-05-24 | Winston County | F1 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1983-02-22 | Winston County | F2 2 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-03-20 | Winston County | F2 0.5 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Winston County | F5 19.2 mi x 500 yd | 5 | 22 | – |
| 1973-11-26 | Winston County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-03-25 | Winston County | F3 5.4 mi x 267 yd | 0 | 7 | $250K step |
| 1963-03-11 | Winston County | F2 7.6 mi x 333 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Winston County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 11, 2013 tornado (1 injury).
National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed the damage in Winston County and have determined that the damage was due to an EF-1 tornado, with winds of 100 mph. The brief tornado touched down in a field just southeast of the intersection of County Road 45 and County Road 3734. This location was approximately 3.49 miles east southeast of Addison. The tornado snapped and uprooted several large trees, completely demolished two sheds, and damaged a double wide home where a woman was injured. The woman was injured as she attempted to enter her vehicle and go to a shelter. The tornado continued north northwest where it twisted and rolled an unoccupied mobile home over 50 yards. The tornado snapped several more trees and rolled an unsecured mobile home on Dakota Drive. The tornado lifted just beyond Dakota Drive.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 449842)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindDouble Spgs, Winston County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtWinston County · forecast zone Winston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-28 | Thunderstorm WindGlen Mary, Winston County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtWinston County · forecast zone Winston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherWinston County · forecast zone Winston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindDouble Spgs, Winston County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindHaleyville, Winston County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindForkville, Winston County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-09 | Thunderstorm WindForkville, Winston County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter WeatherWinston County · forecast zone Winston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-29 | HeatWinston County · forecast zone Winston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindMeek, Winston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoWinston County | F5 19.2 mi x 500 yd | 5 | 22 | – |
| 2002-11-10 | TornadoPoplar Spgs, Winston 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 11.3 mi x 1,175 yd | 1 | 15 | $328K |
| 1987-05-21 | TornadoWinston County | F2 0.3 mi x 150 yd | 1 | 0 | $25K step |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoHaleyville, Winston County A tornado initially touched down in southwest Marion County, near the community of Pikeville and tracked northeast where it moved across southern portions of Haleyville and into Winston County, south of AL Route 129. The tornado lifted in the William B. Bankhead National Forest, north of Rabbittown. The tornado moved ... | EF3 10.62 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 25 | $15M |
| 1995-04-20 | TornadoHaleyville, Winston County A tornado touched down about five miles southwest of Haleyville in Marion County along State Highway 129 and moved on a northeast track that took it into the northern section of Haleyville. The tornado path covered about five miles in Marion County and one mile in Winston County. The most significant damage occurred ... | F1 6 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 17 | $871K |
| 2001-11-24 | TornadoHaleyville, Winston County The Haleyville tornado first struck about 3 tenths of a mile inside Marion County just south of CR196 at 11:21 am. The tornado traveled on a northeast path moving directly through the center of downtown Haleyville severely damaging buildings including a shopping mall. The tornado continued traveling northeast through ... | F2 1.6 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 13 | $1.3M |
| 1964-03-25 | TornadoWinston County | F3 5.4 mi x 267 yd | 0 | 7 | $250K step |
| 1976-03-20 | TornadoWinston County | F2 0.5 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 6 | $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 | TornadoHaleyville, Winston County | EF3 10.62 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 25 | $15M |
| 2005-08-29 | Tropical StormWinston County · forecast zone Winston | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 1995-04-20 | TornadoHaleyville, Winston County | F1 6 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 17 | $871K |
| 2003-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Winston County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $401K |
| 2004-09-16 | High WindWinston County · forecast zone Winston | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $312K |
| 2004-07-25 | Thunderstorm WindHaleyville, Winston County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $234K |
| 1999-01-22 | TornadoDouble Spgs, Winston County | F1 1.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $151K |
| 2010-10-25 | TornadoDelmar, Winston County | EF1 12.07 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $135K |
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: February 20, 1989 (tornado, Winston 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 Winston 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 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 39 | 62 | 67 | 39 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40 | 35 | 33 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 21 | 7 | 10 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | 11 | 8 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 6 | 15 | 2 | 0 |
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 Winston County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 40 · Feb 39 · Mar 80 · Apr 76 · May 60 · Jun 59 · Jul 49 · Aug 31 · Sep 20 · Oct 27 · Nov 28 · Dec 18 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Winston County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Winston County: 16 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and hurricane (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3618 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 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 |
| 2019-04-17 | DR-4426 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2005-08-29 | DR-1605 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 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 |
| 1999-01-15 | DR-1261 | Severe Storm | Riv-Severe Winter Wx 12/23/98 |
| 1996-02-23 | DR-1104 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Ice and Flooding |
| 1995-04-21 | DR-1047 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 1994-03-03 | DR-1013 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Freezing, Flooding |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3096 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1991-01-04 | DR-890 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3045 | Drought | Drought |
| 1975-03-14 | DR-458 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-422 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 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 Winston County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 18 flood or flash flood records for Winston County from 1998 to 2025, on 17 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Winston County ranks 2321st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005-08-29 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $130,000 on 11 claims filed in Winston County; the most in one year was 7 in 2021. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2021: 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 Winston County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Winston County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.4 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 | $2.3M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $351K | 65 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $483K | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $19K | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.1M | once in about 347 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.4M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $168K | once in about 31 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Winston 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 Winston CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Winston County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis