Washington County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Alabama Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Washington County is about the same as Alabama average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Washington County is much lower than Alabama average and is lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #40
| Washington County | 0.03 |
| Alabama | 0.08 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Washington County | 0.0000 |
| Alabama | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #62
| Washington County | 126.20 |
| Alabama | 255.80 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 9,424 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Washington County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 0 | Cold: | 36 | Dense Fog: | 1 | Drought: | 70 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 875 | Hail: | 2,781 | Heat: | 72 | Heavy Snow: | 28 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 7 | Ice Storm: | 10 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 71 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 4,873 | Tropical Storm: | 15 | Wildfire: | 6 | Winter Storm: | 24 | Winter Weather: | 25 |
| Other: | 530 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Washington County.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 2 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Washington County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 41.6 | 1977-05-04 | 3.6 | 5 | 31.98 | -88.42 |
| 40.9 | 1978-12-11 | 3.5 | 5 | 31.95 | -88.48 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 52 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Washington County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.7 | 1971-09-16 | 2 | 31°22'N / 88°15'W | 31°24'N / 88°10'W | 5.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Washington |
| 5.0 | 1970-03-03 | 2 | 31°28'N / 88°15'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Washington | |||
| 11.7 | 1984-03-24 | 2 | 31°31'N / 88°03'W | 2.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Washington | |
| 12.1 | 1972-03-02 | 2 | 31°26'N / 88°03'W | 31°32'N / 87°59'W | 8.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Washington |
| 12.2 | 1988-11-04 | 2 | 31°38'N / 88°19'W | 31°32'N / 88°03'W | 12.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Washington |
| 13.6 | 1976-03-16 | 2 | 31°20'N / 88°25'W | 0.10 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Washington | |
| 17.8 | 1953-01-23 | 3 | 31°32'N / 88°00'W | 31°34'N / 87°54'W | 6.50 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Clarke |
| 19.1 | 1984-03-24 | 3 | 31°31'N / 87°56'W | 31°32'N / 87°53'W | 4.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Jackson |
| 23.9 | 1988-11-04 | 3 | 31°37'N / 88°36'W | 31°37'N / 88°27'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wayne |
| 27.4 | 1958-02-26 | 3 | 31°26'N / 88°46'W | 31°36'N / 88°32'W | 17.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 2 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Wayne |
| 27.9 | 1983-03-20 | 3 | 31°09'N / 88°34'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Greene | |
| 28.3 | 1977-02-23 | 2 | 31°09'N / 88°42'W | 31°10'N / 88°28'W | 13.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Greene |
| 28.5 | 1983-05-19 | 2 | 31°37'N / 88°01'W | 31°45'N / 87°40'W | 22.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clarke |
| 30.1 | 1957-06-28 | 2 | 31°35'N / 88°41'W | 31°42'N / 88°35'W | 10.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wayne |
| 32.1 | 1979-11-25 | 2 | 31°37'N / 88°01'W | 32°00'N / 87°50'W | 28.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Clarke |
| 32.5 | 1971-02-12 | 2 | 31°00'N / 88°33'W | 31°03'N / 88°30'W | 4.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Greene |
| 33.0 | 1956-07-08 | 2 | 31°37'N / 87°54'W | 31°26'N / 87°25'W | 31.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Clarke |
| 33.7 | 1971-02-26 | 2 | 31°10'N / 88°42'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Greene | |||
| 34.1 | 1963-01-19 | 2 | 31°43'N / 87°47'W | 31°45'N / 87°45'W | 3.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Clarke |
| 34.2 | 1958-02-26 | 2 | 31°47'N / 88°27'W | 32°00'N / 88°12'W | 20.90 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Choctaw |
| 35.7 | 1958-02-26 | 3 | 31°22'N / 88°51'W | 31°26'N / 88°46'W | 7.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Greene |
| 35.7 | 1996-02-19 | 2 | 31°21'N / 88°51'W | 31°26'N / 88°46'W | 5.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 4 | 150K | 0 | Greene |
| Brief Description: NUMEROUS TREES WERE TOPPLED AND SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES WERE DAMAGED BY A TORNADO THAT FIRST TOUCHED DOWN IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF GREENE COUNTY. THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT SIX MILES EAST OF RICHTON ON MS HWY 42 AT ABOUT 220 PM CDT. THE TORNADO THEN SKIPPED ALONG THE GROUND TO THE NORTHEAST AND MOVED INTO WAYNE COUNTY ALONG MS HWY 63. NUMEROUS TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN ALONG THE PATH OF THE TORNADO AND SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES WERE DAMAGED. FOUR PEOPLE IN ONE OF THE MOBILE HOMES WERE INJURED. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR ABOUT 5 MILES IN GREENE COUNTY. | |||||||||||
| 36.2 | 1976-03-27 | 3 | 30°58'N / 88°40'W | 30°59'N / 88°26'W | 13.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | George |
| 36.8 | 1971-02-12 | 2 | 30°57'N / 88°35'W | 31°00'N / 88°33'W | 4.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | George |
| 37.9 | 1966-11-10 | 2 | 31°00'N / 87°48'W | 31°03'N / 87°41'W | 7.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Baldwin |
| 39.2 | 1960-06-15 | 2 | 31°37'N / 87°35'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Clarke | |||
| 39.9 | 1958-02-26 | 3 | 31°20'N / 88°54'W | 31°22'N / 88°51'W | 4.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 2 | 20 | 250K | 0 | Perry |
| 40.3 | 1968-11-03 | 3 | 30°54'N / 87°59'W | 30°53'N / 87°47'W | 11.90 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Baldwin |
| 40.6 | 1968-11-03 | 3 | 30°46'N / 88°07'W | 30°54'N / 87°59'W | 12.20 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 14 | 250K | 0 | Mobile |
| 41.1 | 1971-12-20 | 3 | 31°18'N / 87°31'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Monroe | |
| 41.5 | 1977-06-16 | 2 | 30°49'N / 88°04'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Mobile | |||
| 41.5 | 1997-11-21 | 3 | 30°49'N / 88°04'W | 30°49'N / 88°04'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 0 | Mobile |
| Brief Description: An F3 tornado touched down just east of I-65 in Saraland near Shelton Beach Estates. The tornado skipped east northeast along the ground before lifting back into the cloud near U S Highway 43. Three homes were almost completely gone, three more suffered major damage and about sixty homes in the middle-class neighbourhood suffered some damage. Most of the damage was consistent with an F1 or F2 tornado. No one was injured. Several people knew they were under a tornado warning and were able to take cover before the storm struck. Most of the residents said they did not hear the familiar "Freight Train Sound" before the tornado struck. | |||||||||||
| 41.6 | 1967-05-02 | 2 | 30°54'N / 88°35'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | George | |||
| 41.9 | 1980-05-19 | 3 | 30°54'N / 88°39'W | 30°57'N / 88°37'W | 4.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | George |
| 42.2 | 1973-04-07 | 2 | 30°54'N / 88°36'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | George | |||
| 42.8 | 1971-03-02 | 3 | 31°54'N / 87°49'W | 31°55'N / 87°44'W | 4.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clarke |
| 43.7 | 1968-11-17 | 2 | 31°58'N / 88°22'W | 32°06'N / 88°15'W | 11.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Choctaw |
| 43.7 | 1968-11-03 | 3 | 30°53'N / 87°47'W | 31°00'N / 87°37'W | 12.80 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Baldwin |
| 43.8 | 1980-04-13 | 2 | 30°53'N / 87°47'W | 0.10 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Baldwin | |
| 43.8 | 1981-02-10 | 2 | 30°53'N / 87°47'W | 1.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 62 | 2.5M | 0 | Baldwin | |
| 44.7 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 31°58'N / 88°35'W | 3.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Clarke | |
| 44.9 | 1950-04-18 | 3 | 30°40'N / 88°12'W | 30°51'N / 88°06'W | 14.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 15 | 25K | 0 | Mobile |
| 45.3 | 1975-02-16 | 2 | 30°52'N / 87°46'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Baldwin | |
| 45.3 | 1974-11-05 | 2 | 31°13'N / 87°28'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Escambia | |||
| 45.4 | 1971-02-12 | 2 | 30°44'N / 88°47'W | 30°59'N / 88°28'W | 25.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | George |
| 45.9 | 2008-03-03 | 2 | 31°51'N / 88°46'W | 31°57'N / 88°41'W | 8.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 400K | 500K | Clarke |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado started in a rural area and downed trees and limbs along its path until causing its most intense damage at it crossed County Road 250. Here, it moved a large two story frame house several feet off its foundation, along with blowing out numerous windows and causing roof damage. Additionally, many dozens of large trees were snapped and uprooted in the vicinity. The tornado continued to move north northeast, causing extensive tree damage with hundreds of trees snapped or uprooted. Very near the end point, just east southeast of the DeSoto Community, roof damage occurred to two homes. Maximum wind speed was 115 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong upper level system and evolving surface low moved across the region late on March 3rd. These features combined to bring a potent weather system to the area and a healthy round of severe thunderstorms from late afternoon through around midnight. It was a line of thunderstorms which brought most of the severe weather, but a few supercells did occur just ahead of the line. Ten tornadoes occurred, two of which were strong (EF-2), along with a good deal of wind damage as the line pushed east across Mississippi. | |||||||||||
| 46.9 | 1972-01-09 | 3 | 31°46'N / 88°57'W | 31°48'N / 88°47'W | 10.10 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wayne |
| 47.3 | 1967-12-02 | 2 | 31°26'N / 87°24'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Monroe | |
| 49.1 | 1953-03-18 | 2 | 30°42'N / 88°07'W | 0.10 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 2 | 3K | 0 | Mobile | |
| 49.4 | 1969-05-08 | 2 | 32°02'N / 88°38'W | 32°05'N / 88°28'W | 10.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Clarke |
| 49.4 | 1987-02-28 | 4 | 31°47'N / 88°54'W | 31°51'N / 88°53'W | 4.00 Miles | 1230 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Wayne |
| 49.7 | 1957-11-18 | 3 | 31°58'N / 88°47'W | 32°00'N / 88°38'W | 9.00 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clarke |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.