Continuing our list of the deadliest individual tornadoes in Alabama history:
15. (tie) February 12, 1945 (26 deaths) - This wartime F3 tornado ripped across the southern and western sections of the City of Montgomery. The twister killed 26 people. The entire city was blacked out for hours following the storm. Another spectacular tornado spawned by the same supercell storm derailed thirty nine of forty one cars of a freight train as it passed over a trestle over the Suchanoochee River in Sumter Co.
15. (tie) February 19, 1884 (26 deaths in Alabama according to the Tornado Project) - A tornado moved across Northeast Alabama into Northwest Georgia in the same area as the Palm Sunday tornado of 1994. A tornado reportedly struck the schoolhouse at Goshen, AL, near Piedmont, blowing it “to atoms.” The schoolmaster was killed and 25 students injured. Part of the Enigma Outbreak, one of the worst in recorded history in the U.S.
12. April 20, 1920 (27 deaths) - An unusual morning onslaught of tornadoes killed 219 people across northern Mississippi and Alabama. The deadliest tornado killed 27 people as it roared across Madison County. Gurley and Brownsboro were hard hit. This deadly outbreak also features the second deadliest twister ever observed in Alabama, a monster that moved across Marion, Franklin, Colbert and Lawrence Counties. Another deadly tornado that day started near Carbon Hill and killed 21 as it moved across Walker, Winston, Cullman and Morgan Counties.
12. May 27, 1917 (27 deaths) - May 27th is a famous day for tornadoes in Alabama. Not only was there a memorable outbreak on this date in 1973, but also in 1917. A deadly F3 twister carved a path across northern Jefferson County into Blount County. Hardest hit was the town of Sayre, where 9 people died. There were so many trees uprooted in Bradford that runners on foot were sent to plead for help.
12. March 21, 1913 (27 deaths) - March 21st is not only famous for the big 1932 outbreak, but for this 1913 tornado that killed 27 people as it tore across Clarke and Wilcox Counties in South Alabama.
11. April 3, 1974 ( 28 deaths) - Two tornadoes from what is arguably Alabama’s worst tornado outbreak. The eleventh deadliest Alabama tornado touched down in Lawrence County and roared across Morgan, Limestone and Madison Counties. 14 people died near Mt. Moriah and 9 near Moulton. Initial reports described it as “big and powerful and taking everything in its path.” Twenty two people were killed by a second tornado that paralleled the path of the this tornado, separated by only 1/2 mile and thirty minutes.
15. (tie) February 12, 1945 (26 deaths) - This wartime F3 tornado ripped across the southern and western sections of the City of Montgomery. The twister killed 26 people. The entire city was blacked out for hours following the storm. Another spectacular tornado spawned by the same supercell storm derailed thirty nine of forty one cars of a freight train as it passed over a trestle over the Suchanoochee River in Sumter Co.
15. (tie) February 19, 1884 (26 deaths in Alabama according to the Tornado Project) - A tornado moved across Northeast Alabama into Northwest Georgia in the same area as the Palm Sunday tornado of 1994. A tornado reportedly struck the schoolhouse at Goshen, AL, near Piedmont, blowing it “to atoms.” The schoolmaster was killed and 25 students injured. Part of the Enigma Outbreak, one of the worst in recorded history in the U.S.
12. April 20, 1920 (27 deaths) - An unusual morning onslaught of tornadoes killed 219 people across northern Mississippi and Alabama. The deadliest tornado killed 27 people as it roared across Madison County. Gurley and Brownsboro were hard hit. This deadly outbreak also features the second deadliest twister ever observed in Alabama, a monster that moved across Marion, Franklin, Colbert and Lawrence Counties. Another deadly tornado that day started near Carbon Hill and killed 21 as it moved across Walker, Winston, Cullman and Morgan Counties.
12. May 27, 1917 (27 deaths) - May 27th is a famous day for tornadoes in Alabama. Not only was there a memorable outbreak on this date in 1973, but also in 1917. A deadly F3 twister carved a path across northern Jefferson County into Blount County. Hardest hit was the town of Sayre, where 9 people died. There were so many trees uprooted in Bradford that runners on foot were sent to plead for help.
12. March 21, 1913 (27 deaths) - March 21st is not only famous for the big 1932 outbreak, but for this 1913 tornado that killed 27 people as it tore across Clarke and Wilcox Counties in South Alabama.
11. April 3, 1974 ( 28 deaths) - Two tornadoes from what is arguably Alabama’s worst tornado outbreak. The eleventh deadliest Alabama tornado touched down in Lawrence County and roared across Morgan, Limestone and Madison Counties. 14 people died near Mt. Moriah and 9 near Moulton. Initial reports described it as “big and powerful and taking everything in its path.” Twenty two people were killed by a second tornado that paralleled the path of the this tornado, separated by only 1/2 mile and thirty minutes.