Huntsville, AL Tornado History — 180 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Huntsville, AL had?
Huntsville has had 180 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 18 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Huntsville?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Huntsville was an EF0 on May 27, 2025.
When is tornado season in Huntsville?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Huntsville, with 51 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 Huntsville
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 102 total, averaging 5.1 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Huntsville since December 29, 2025
These are 3 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Huntsville. 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 Huntsville
172 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Huntsville since 1950, across 16 events. 1,617 injuries have been reported across all events. 2011 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was an EF5 on April 27, 2011, which caused 72 fatalities along a 132.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Huntsville
About Tornadoes in Huntsville
This overview was written July 24, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Huntsville lies in the Tennessee Valley of northern Alabama, ringed by the low ridges and plateaus that mark the tail end of the Appalachians. It sits within the broad southeastern region where tornadoes are a familiar and dangerous part of the severe-weather season, and the valley's mix of hills and forest can obscure a tornado until it is close.
The area's storms draw on deep moisture streaming north from the Gulf of Mexico. That moisture, combined with the wind shear a strong jet stream provides, gives the Southeast two active periods rather than one: a spring maximum and a second peak in the cooler months of late autumn and winter. Nighttime tornadoes and storms riding along fast squall lines are both more common here than on the open plains, which is part of why local preparedness matters so much.
The Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale rates tornado strength from EF0 to EF5 on the basis of surveyed damage. Most tornadoes are relatively weak, yet the regional climate can support rare, violent, long-track tornadoes when the ingredients align. For the specific record near Huntsville — the total on file, the breakdown by decade and rating, and the deadliest, costliest, and most recent events — see the data compiled from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center elsewhere on this page.