Birmingham, AL Tornado History — 164 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Birmingham, AL had?
Birmingham has had 164 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 17 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Birmingham?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Birmingham was an EF1 on November 25, 2025.
When is tornado season in Birmingham?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Birmingham, with 52 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Birmingham
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 66 total, averaging 3.3 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Birmingham since December 29, 2025
These is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Birmingham. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Birmingham
180 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Birmingham since 1950, across 16 events. 2,678 injuries have been reported across all events. 2011 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was an EF4 on April 27, 2011, which caused 64 fatalities along a 80.7-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Birmingham
About Tornadoes in Birmingham
This overview was written July 28, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Birmingham occupies the Jones Valley of Jefferson County in central Alabama, and long-track tornadoes crossing the state have repeatedly reached the city and its suburbs. An F4 struck on April 15, 1956, killing 25 people and injuring 200 along a 21.3-mile path. On April 4, 1977, an F5 carved a 14.7-mile track through the area, killing 22 and injuring 130. Another F5 hit on April 9, 1998, causing 32 deaths and 259 injuries. And on April 27, 2011, two EF4 tornadoes moved through the Birmingham area: one traveled 80.68 miles, killing 64 people and injuring 1,500, while the second tracked 97.33 miles and killed 22.
Spring dominates the calendar here, but it is only part of the story, because tornado weather in central Alabama has a cool-season side as well. An EF3 on January 23, 2012, killed one person and injured 75; another EF3 on January 26, 2021, killed one and injured 30 along a 10.4-mile path; and two EF2s touched down on December 25, 2015. An EF3 on March 25, 2021, ran 50.13 miles through the region, and activity has continued into recent years, including an EF1 on November 25, 2025.