Pickens County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Pickens County: 5.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Apr 27, 2011Tornado$3.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The first segment of this long track tornado initially touched down 5 miles northeast of Pickensville near Basinger Rd, north of AL Hwy 86. This tornado continued through portions of Tuscaloosa, Fayette, Walker, Cullman (See Storm Data for Huntsville), and Blount Counties, before it dissipated in Marshall (See Storm Data for Huntsville) County. While the average path width of this tornado in Pickens County was around 0.4 mile (704 yds), the maximum path width was 0.6 mile (1056 yds). The tornado crossed AL Hwy 17 and US Hwy 82, across the southern and western extents of the city of Reform. The storm strengthened to an EF1 rating with winds of 110 mph to the northeast of Reform.…

2. Apr 27, 2011Tornado$2.9 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado developed along a Quasi-Linear Convective System and touched down in Kemper County Mississippi (See Storm Data Jackson), then tracked northeast through Noxubee County before crossing into Pickens County, southwest of Dancy. The tornado weakened to an EF1 rating as it entered Alabama, with winds of 100 mph. As the tornado moved across AL Hwy 17 near Dancy, a barn with metal siding and roofing and two small silos were destroyed. Significant tree damage was noted along CR 85. The tornado crossed the Tombigbee River and moved parallel to CR 13. The tornado crossed AL Hwy 14 south of Aliceville, damaging a farm irrigation system. The tornado continued northeast, lifting near…

3. Apr 27, 2011Tornado$1.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado developed along a Quasi-Linear Convective System. It touched down in central Pickens County, northwest of Carrollton, near the intersection of CR 7 and CR 26, where trees were snapped off. The tornado moved northeast and strengthened to an EF2 rating with winds of 120 mph as it approached CR 35 where it downed thousands of trees. The tornado crossed US Hwy 82 and AL Hwy 17 where it caused mostly tree damage across northwestern portions of Reform. East of AL Hwy 17, at least two outbuildings sustained roof damage along CR 3. Near the end of the tornado path, a home sustained minor wall damage and significant roof damage. The tornado lifted along CR 3, south of CR 57.

4. Apr 27, 2011Tornado$1.6 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado initially touched down in Kemper County Mississippi (See Storm Data Jackson), near Scooba, and tracked northeast through Sumter County, Alabama and into southern Pickens County just west of CR 85. As the tornado strengthened to an EF3 rating with winds of 140, the path width decreased to 0.4 mile (704 yds). As the tornado crossed CR 85, a large cinder block building sustained significant loss of roofing and partial wall collapse. The tornado continued to cause tree damage along its path as it moved northeast and crossed the Tombigbee River at Vienna. The tornado weakened and lifted at AL Hwy 14, just north of the Sipsey River.

5. Sep 16, 2004High Wind, Pickens$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hundreds of trees and power lines were knocked down in association with Ivan. Power outages lasted as long as 5 days in some locations. Hundreds of homes suffered varying degrees of wind damage. Maximum wind gusts were estimated around 65 miles an hour.

6. Aug 29, 2005Tropical Storm, Pickens$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Extensive tree and power line damage occurred as Katrina affected the area. Many roadways were impassable due to fallen trees. Power outages were widespread. Several structures were damaged. One grocery store had its roof torn off. One person was slightly injured when a tree fell on their home.

7. Apr 8, 2002Thunderstorm Wind$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A line of thunderstorms moved through Pickens County and produced wind damage generally across the eastern and southern parts of the county. Trees and power lines were blown down around Aliceville and Reform. Structural damage was reported to the Winn Dixie in Aliceville. Three chicken houses were destroyed just northeast of Gordo and hundreds of chickens were killed. Two airport hangars were destroyed north of Gordo. No injuries were reported.

8. Apr 14, 1996Tornado$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   In Aliceville, two mobile homes were destroyed and 12 houses and two other buildings were damaged by falling trees. A nursing home roof was taken off and several cars were damaged by falling trees in what was apparently a tornado.

9. Mar 13, 2005Tornado$175,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   National Weather Service Meteorologist surveyed the damage in Pickens County and determined a weak tornado occurred. The tornado damage was rated an F0. The tornado first touched down just west ofCR 75 near the Pine Grove Community. The tornado tracked east northeast through the Pine Grove Community, where one home suffered extensive damage from fallen and uprooted trees. The tornado continued almost parallel to Will Jones Road where two homes sustained significant damage. The tornado ended near the intersection of Will Jones Road and Moorehead Road just south of the McShanCommunity. Numerous trees were blown down or uprooted along the path and a few outbuildings weredestroyed.…

10. Feb 16, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Pickens County reported numerous trees and power lines knocked down. Numerous homes reported roof damage.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

107°F5 times, most recently Aug 10, 2007

All-time low

−1°F2 times, most recently Jan 21, 1985

Warmest night

81°FJul 10, 2000

Coldest day

18°F2 times, most recently Dec 22, 1989

Wettest day

8.16 inJun 19, 2021

Snowiest day

7.0 inFeb 13, 1960

Hottest year

2019mean 66.9°F

Coldest year

1976mean 61.0°F

Wettest year

198378.35 in

Driest year

200725.56 in

Snowiest season

7.0 in1959-60

Station Tuscaloosa Airport Asos (USW00093806), 148 ft elevation, 27.0 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 91.4% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00093806.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.