Florence, AL Tornado History — 118 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Florence, AL had?
Florence has had 118 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 10 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Florence?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Florence was an EF1 on May 20, 2025.
When is tornado season in Florence?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Florence, with 22 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 Florence
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 59 total, averaging 3.0 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Florence 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Florence. 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 Florence
9 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Florence since 1950, across 5 events. 162 injuries have been reported across all events. 1995 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on May 18, 1995, which caused 3 fatalities along a 29.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Florence
About Tornadoes in Florence
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.
Florence lies along the Tennessee River in Lauderdale County, in the Shoals region of northwest Alabama, and its tornado history spans both the classic spring severe-weather months and the cool-season storms that sweep the Deep South in late fall and winter.
An F4 struck on May 18, 1995, killing 3 people and injuring 32 as it carved a 29-mile path that widened to 1,000 yards, with property damage recorded at $2,750,000. Other violent spring days came earlier: an F3 on March 9, 1964 killed 2 people, and an F3 on April 22, 1972 tracked 32.3 miles across the area, injuring 10. On June 27, 1994, an F3 injured 22 along a 38-mile path up to 880 yards wide.
The cool season has been dangerous here as well. An F3 on November 4, 1988 injured 16 on a 60-mile track, an EF2 on December 24, 2015 ran 14.87 miles, and on December 16, 2019 an EF2 killed 2 people along an 18.46-mile path. Recent years have kept the pattern going: an EF2 on March 25, 2023 caused $3,900,000 in property damage on a compact 3.82-mile track, an EF2 on February 16, 2025 injured 1, and an EF1 on April 6, 2025 injured 5 while traveling 28.8 miles and producing $3,400,000 in damage.