Vestavia Hills, AL Tornado History — 163 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Vestavia Hills, AL had?
Vestavia Hills has had 163 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 20 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Vestavia Hills?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Vestavia Hills was an EF1 on November 25, 2025.
When is tornado season in Vestavia Hills?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Vestavia Hills, with 49 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 Vestavia Hills
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 72 total, averaging 3.6 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Vestavia Hills 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Vestavia Hills. 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 Vestavia Hills
197 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Vestavia Hills since 1950, across 18 events. 2,729 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 Vestavia Hills
About Tornadoes in Vestavia Hills
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.
Vestavia Hills occupies the crest of Shades Mountain in Jefferson County, on the southern flank of the Birmingham metro, terrain that violent Alabama tornadoes have crossed repeatedly. An F4 that struck on April 15, 1956 killed 25 people and injured 200 along a 21.3-mile path. An F5 on April 4, 1977 killed 22 people and injured 130, and another F5 on April 9, 1998 killed 32 and injured 259 along a 30.3-mile track.
Spring brought catastrophe again on April 27, 2011, when an EF4 tore an 80.68-mile path across central Alabama, killing 64 people and injuring 1,500. A second EF4 the same day tracked 97.33 miles and killed 22, while an EF3 ran 72.13 miles and killed 7.
The season here stretches well past spring, with a cool-season storm track that delivers tornadoes in late fall and the dead of winter. An EF3 on January 23, 2012 killed one person and injured 75, an EF2 struck on December 25, 2015, and an EF3 on January 26, 2021 killed one and injured 30. More recently, EF1 tornadoes touched down on March 16, 2025 and again on November 25, 2025 — a reminder that both the springtime and cool-season storm corridors still run directly over Jefferson County.