Tuscaloosa, AL Tornado History — 125 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Tuscaloosa, AL had?
Tuscaloosa has had 125 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 16 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Tuscaloosa?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Tuscaloosa was an EF1 on March 15, 2025.
When is tornado season in Tuscaloosa?
March is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Tuscaloosa, with 31 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 Tuscaloosa
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 57 total, averaging 2.9 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Tuscaloosa 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Tuscaloosa. 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 Tuscaloosa
189 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Tuscaloosa since 1950, across 10 events. 2,662 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 Tuscaloosa
About Tornadoes in Tuscaloosa
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.
Tuscaloosa sits in Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, along the Black Warrior River, and its tornado history clusters in two windows: the early-spring severe-weather season and a second stretch spanning late fall and winter.
Spring has brought days of profound loss. On March 4, 1966, an F5 swept the region along a 202.5-mile track, killing 58 people and injuring 518. Another F5 struck on April 9, 1998, killing 32 and injuring 259 along a 30.3-mile path. On April 27, 2011, an EF4 up to 2,600 yards wide carved an 80.68-mile path through the area, killing 64 people, injuring 1,500, and leaving catastrophic damage; other tornadoes crossed the region that same day, including a second EF4 and multiple EF3s. Spring threats have continued since, with EF3 tornadoes on March 25, 2021, and an EF2 that tracked 39.48 miles on March 15, 2025.
The cold months carry real danger here as well. An F4 on February 23, 1975 killed one person and injured 49, and an F4 on December 16, 2000 killed 11 and injured 144. More recently, an EF2 on February 3, 2022 killed one person and injured 8, and an EF2 on January 12, 2023 tracked 39.02 miles through the area. For Tuscaloosa, tornado season is less a single stretch of the calendar than a recurring feature of it.