Helena, Alabama — Severe Weather History
The National Weather Service has logged 1,116 severe weather events in Jefferson County, Alabama since 1996 - most often thunderstorm wind (510 events) and hail (333). The costliest on record was a flash flood in May 2003, causing about $1.0 billion in property damage. The deadliest was a tornado in 1998 that killed 32. This page counts every event type: tornadoes, thunderstorm winds, hail, floods, hurricanes, winter storms and more. Tornadoes also have their own detailed page, as do federal disaster declarations.
Events by Type Since 1996
| Events | |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 510 |
| Hail | 333 |
| Flash Flood | 145 |
| Tornado | 58 |
| Heavy Rain | 26 |
| Lightning | 22 |
| Funnel Cloud | 13 |
| Flood | 8 |
| Dust Devil | 1 |
Costliest Events on Record
| # | Year | Event | Damage | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2003 | Flash Flood | $1.0 billion | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | 2011 | Tornado | $700.0 million | 20 | 700 |
| 3. | 1998 | Tornado | $200.0 million | 32 | 258 |
| 4. | 2011 | Tornado | $18.0 million | 1 | 20 |
| 5. | 2002 | Flash Flood | $5.8 million | 0 | 0 |
| 6. | 2011 | Tornado | $5.3 million | 0 | 0 |
| 7. | 2023 | Tornado | $5.0 million | 0 | 0 |
| 8. | 2000 | Tornado | $4.0 million | 0 | 0 |
| 9. | 2000 | Flash Flood | $2.0 million | 0 | 0 |
| 10. | 2003 | Hail | $1.0 million | 0 | 0 |
Source: NOAA National Weather Service, Storm Events Database (county-level events, 1996-present). Damage figures are as estimated at the time of each event, not adjusted for inflation.