Eight doesn't sound like a large number. But what if it referred to eight tornadoes? Eight of the most violent storms, twisters with more than 200 mph winds?
That's how many EF5 tornadoes, the strongest in intensity, have struck Alabama since 1966, more than any other state in the nation.Then consider 247, the number of Alabamians who lost their lives along the paths of those eight twisters, and you get a better idea of their destructive power.
Click here to read an explanation of the Fuijita scale of tornado rankings.
The eight EF5s to hit Alabama are:
- March 3, 1966: Vienna and Benevola in Pickens and Tuscaloosa counties
- April 3, 1974: Guin in Marion County
- April 3, 1974: Tanner to Harvest in Limestone and Madison counties
- April 3, 1974: Mt. Hope in Lawrence County
- April 4, 1977: Smithfield subdivision in Birmingham
- April 8, 1998: Oak Grove and Pleasant Grove in Jefferson County
- April 27, 2011: Hackleburg to Phil Campbell to Tanner and Harvest
- April 27, 2011: Rainsville in DeKalb County
Alabama has also been struck by 34 EF4 tornadoes, the second most violent.
Alabama No. 1 in F5 tornadoes and fatalities
The states with the most F5/EF5 tornadoes, the most violent, are, according to the
Storm Prediction Centerin Norman, Okla.:
Alabama: 8
Oklahoma: 7
Iowa: 6
Kansas: 6
Texas: 6
The Top 10 states in the number of tornado deaths, using Storm Prediction Center records from 1953-2014, are:
Alabama: 620
Texas: 530
Mississippi: 450
Missouri: 376
Oklahoma: 331
Arkansas: 284
Indiana: 266
Tennessee: 258
Michigan: 240
Kansas: 227