Pelham, AL Tornado History — 153 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Pelham, AL had?
Pelham has had 153 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 19 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Pelham?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Pelham was an EF0 on March 15, 2025.
When is tornado season in Pelham?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Pelham, with 47 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 Pelham
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 70 total, averaging 3.5 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Pelham since December 29, 2025
These are 2 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Pelham. 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 Pelham
177 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Pelham since 1950, across 15 events. 2,789 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 Pelham
About Tornadoes in Pelham
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.
Pelham sits in Shelby County in central Alabama, just south of Birmingham along the Oak Mountain corridor, in a part of the state where spring storm systems have repeatedly produced tornadoes and where cold-season outbreaks are a recurring part of local weather.
The area's history includes violent storms. On April 15, 1956, an F4 tornado carved a 21.3-mile path through the area, killing 25 people and injuring 200. On April 4, 1977, an F5 killed 22 people and injured 130 along a 14.7-mile track, and on April 8, 1998, another F5 tore a 30.3-mile path up to 1,320 yards wide, killing 32 and injuring 259. During the outbreak of April 27, 2011, an EF4 tracked 80.68 miles with a path as wide as 2,600 yards, killing 64 people and injuring 1,500, while EF3 and EF2 tornadoes moved through the area the same day.
Winter tornadoes appear throughout the local history as well: an EF3 on January 23, 2012 killed one person and injured 75, EF2 tornadoes touched down on December 25, 2015, and an EF1 struck on December 29, 2024. Long-track EF3 tornadoes passed through the region on March 25, 2021, and on March 16, 2025, tornadoes rated EF0 and EF1 touched down near the city.