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Alabama tornado risk

67 counties scored 1 rated Very High

Jefferson County has the highest tornado risk in Alabama, scoring 99.6 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded tornado events across Alabama have increased 29% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Jefferson County 99.6 Very High 17
2 Madison County 98.5 Relatively High 23
3 Morgan County 98.3 Relatively High 12
4 Shelby County 98.3 Relatively High 16
5 Calhoun County 98.2 Relatively High 7
6 Etowah County 97.8 Relatively High 8
7 Marshall County 97.8 Relatively High 14
8 Tuscaloosa County 97.5 Relatively High 21
9 Montgomery County 96.6 Relatively High 18
10 Houston County 95.9 Relatively High 28
11 Mobile County 94.6 Relatively High 45
12 Walker County 93.9 Relatively High 7
13 Talladega County 93.8 Relatively High 2
14 Franklin County 93.2 Relatively High 13
15 Baldwin County 92.8 Relatively High 25
16 Jackson County 92.4 Relatively High 27
17 Blount County 92 Relatively High 16
18 Lauderdale County 92 Relatively High 13
19 St. Clair County 91.8 Relatively High 9
20 Marion County 90.7 Relatively High 12
21 Coffee County 90.3 Relatively High 2
22 Lawrence County 90.3 Relatively High 10
23 Cullman County 90 Relatively Moderate 21
24 DeKalb County 88.3 Relatively Moderate 16
25 Limestone County 88.2 Relatively Moderate 21
26 Dale County 87.9 Relatively Moderate 6
27 Colbert County 87.6 Relatively Moderate 16
28 Chilton County 85.8 Relatively Moderate 17
29 Covington County 83.7 Relatively Moderate 8
30 Dallas County 83.3 Relatively Moderate 11
31 Cherokee County 83 Relatively Moderate 3
32 Escambia County 83 Relatively Moderate 6
33 Sumter County 81.7 Relatively Moderate 8
34 Winston County 79.2 Relatively Moderate 10
35 Marengo County 78.9 Relatively Moderate 20
36 Barbour County 78.6 Relatively Moderate 20
37 Choctaw County 77.8 Relatively Moderate 16
38 Bibb County 77.2 Relatively Moderate 16
39 Pickens County 76.2 Relatively Moderate 16
40 Lee County 75.7 Relatively Moderate 20
41 Elmore County 75.6 Relatively Moderate 18
42 Autauga County 74.1 Relatively Moderate 14
43 Tallapoosa County 72.8 Relatively Moderate 9
44 Henry County 72.6 Relatively Moderate 19
45 Cleburne County 70 Relatively Moderate 4
46 Hale County 68.2 Relatively Moderate 24
47 Clarke County 67.8 Relatively Moderate 12
48 Chambers County 67.3 Relatively Moderate 10
49 Butler County 67.2 Relatively Moderate 6
50 Clay County 67.2 Relatively Moderate 2
51 Lowndes County 67.1 Relatively Moderate 5
52 Washington County 66.3 Relatively Moderate 7
53 Fayette County 65.2 Relatively Moderate 14
54 Crenshaw County 63.2 Relatively Low 9
55 Randolph County 62.6 Relatively Low 5
56 Lamar County 61.8 Relatively Low 9
57 Conecuh County 61 Relatively Low 10
58 Monroe County 60.6 Relatively Low 4
59 Russell County 58.7 Relatively Low 6
60 Pike County 57.7 Relatively Low 18
61 Bullock County 56.7 Relatively Low 9
62 Wilcox County 54.1 Relatively Low 8
63 Perry County 53.7 Relatively Low 17
64 Greene County 53.5 Relatively Low 14
65 Geneva County 51.6 Relatively Low 10
66 Macon County 48 Relatively Low 14
67 Coosa County 37.3 Relatively Low 12

Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.

Tornado risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in Alabama:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveHurricaneHailStrong WindWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveLightningDroughtLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest tornado risk county in Alabama?

Jefferson County, AL has the highest tornado risk in Alabama, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.6 out of 100 (rated "Very High").

How many counties in Alabama are rated Very High for tornado risk?

1 of 67 scored Alabama counties are rated "Very High" for tornado risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.

What causes tornado risk in Alabama?

Tornado risk concentrates in the central and southern plains ("Tornado Alley") and the Southeast ("Dixie Alley"), where atmospheric conditions favor supercell thunderstorm development. The highest scores often belong to counties with significant mobile home and manufactured housing stock, which carries disproportionate tornado mortality risk.