Alabama recorded its worst weather disaster on March 21, 1932, as two waves of violent tornadoes tore through the state in the mid-afternoon and early evening. The outbreak was part of a larger system that spawned 36 tornadoes across Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and beyond. Alabama suffered the greatest devastation, with 31 tornadoes touching down in the state, 10 of which were rated F4.<\/p>\n One of the worst tornadoes roared across the northwestern edge of Tuscaloosa, crossed the Black Warrior River, and devastated downtown Northport around 4 p.m. Witnesses described it as a giant, white ice cream cone. Our very own dearly departed J.B. Elliott wrote the poignant public information statement on the old NOAA Weather Wire in 1989\u2026<\/p>\n PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT \u2026ALABAMA\u2019S WORST TORNADO DAY\u2026A LOOK AT THE GREAT STORM MARCH 20 1932 DAWNED WARM AND SPRINGLIKE ACROSS ALABAMA. BY IT WAS A SUNDAY. THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS FEATURED A FRONT-PAGE SAID THE NEWS\u2026\u201dSPRING WILL BRING THOUGHTS OF LOVE TO BUT DISASTER LURKED IN THE WINGS. OFFICIAL WEATHER BUREAU TABULATIONS SAY THAT 268 PERSONS IT WAS AROUND 330 IN THE AFTERNOON ON THAT FATEFUL MONDAY THEN CAME THE DISASTER AT TUSCALOOSA AND NORTHPORT.<\/p>\n A CLOCK AT THE DEMOLISHED TUSCALOOSA COUNTRY CLUB STOPPED AFTER STRIKING THE WESTERN END OF TUSCALOOSA\u2026THE DEATH-DEALING BUT IT WAS NOT SNOW.<\/p>\n THIRTY EIGHT PERSONS DIED IN NORTHPORT AND 250 WERE INJURED. REPORTED THE TUSCALOOSA NEWS\u2026\u201dIT LOOKED AS IF NORTHPORT ONLY ONE HOUR LATER\u2026STILL MORE DISASTER. A PATH OF DESTRUCTION THE TRAGIC DAY CONTINUED TO UNFOLD. TORNADOES STRUCK IN ALABAMA CHILTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA WAS HIT EXTREMELY HARD WITH<\/p>\n 58 PERSONS KILLED. THE UNION GROVE COMMUNITY NEAR JEMISON IN CLAY COUNTY\u2026ONE OF THE TORNADOES REMAINED ON THE \u2026ODD HAPPENINGS WERE TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION. AT COLUMBIANA ALABAMA GOVERNOR B. M. MILLER IMMEDIATELY ISSUED A PROCLAMATION NEAR FAUNSDALE\u2026ONE OF THE FIRST TOWNS HIT\u2026THE OWNER IT WAS TRULY ALABAMA\u2019S WORST DISASTER\u2026THAT SPRING DAY OF The deadliest tornado of the day killed 49 people along a 60-mile path through central Alabama, with 38 fatalities occurring in Chilton County. A second F4 followed an hour later, just eight miles southeast of the first, killing 31 more. Another F4 struck Sylacauga around 7 p.m., claiming 41 lives, while an F4 tornado in Columbiana killed 14.<\/p>\n As night fell, the storms intensified, shifting into the Tennessee Valley. A violent tornado family touched down in Morgan County and traveled 75 miles into Tennessee, killing 38 people along its path. By the end of the night, Alabama\u2019s toll stood at an astonishing 268 dead and over 1,800 injured, making it the deadliest tornado day in state history.<\/p>\n Even weeks after the disaster, the storm\u2019s bizarre effects were still being discovered. One week later, a live chicken was found inside a dresser drawer in Jackson County, reportedly having arrived there as the tornado lifted the entire dresser into the air.<\/p>\n Category<\/strong>: Alabama’s Weather<\/a>, ALL POSTS<\/a>, Met 101\/Weather History<\/a>, Social Media<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.alabamawx.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2025-03-21_07-39-28.png\")
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NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
745 AM CST TUE MAR 21 1989<\/p>\n
OF MARCH 21 1932\u202657 YEARS AGO\u2026<\/p>\n
AFTERNOON\u2026TEMPERATURES REACHED THE 80S IN MOST OF THE STATE.<\/p>\n
STORY SALUTING THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING\u2026SCHEDULED FOR 154 PM
THAT SAME DAY.<\/p>\n
THE YOUNG MEN AND THOUGHTS OF NEW CLOTHES TO WOMEN.\u201d
THEY CONTINUED\u2026\u201dBASEBALL IS IN THE AIR\u2026NEW CLOTHES
ARE ON THE STREETS\u2026EASTER IS ONLY A WEEK AWAY\u2026AND
SPRING IS ON HER THRONE.\u201d<\/p>\n
.
AND NEXT DAY IT HIT\u2026DEADLY TORNADOES\u2026THE GREATEST
CATASTROPHE EVER TO HIT ALABAMA.<\/p>\n
WERE KILLED IN ALABAMA WITH 1874 INJURED.<\/p>\n
WHEN THE FIRST BLACK FUNNELS CAME POUNDING TO THE GROUND
IN THE DEMOPOLIS\u2026LINDEN\u2026FAUNSDALE AREAS OF WEST CENTRAL
ALABAMA. DEATH CAME TO 36 PERSONS IN MARENGO COUNTY\u2026136
WERE INJURED\u2026AND 180 HOMES WERE DESTROYED.<\/p>\n
AT 401 PM CST\u202630 MINUTES AFTER THE FIRST STRIKES NEAR
DEMOPOLIS.<\/p>\n
TORNADO PLOWED ACROSS THE WARRIOR RIVER INTO NORTHPORT. WITNESSES
SAID IT WAS SHAPED LIKE AN ICE CREAM CONE AND WAS SO FILLED WITH
DEBRIS THAT IT HAD AN ERIE WHITE GLOW RESEMBLING A HEAVY SNOW
SHOWER MOVING IN ON THE CITY.<\/p>\n
DRUID CITY HOSPITAL IN TUSCALOOSA WAS QUICKLY FILLED TO
CAPACITY. THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA GYM WAS PRESSED INTO
SERVICE AS AN EMERGENCY ADDITIONAL HOSPITAL.<\/p>\n
HAD BEEN BOMBED.\u201d<\/p>\n
20 MILES LONG WAS CUT ACROSS CULLMAN COUNTY. IT LEFT 23 DEAD
AND 300 INJURED WITH THE FAIRVIEW COMMUNITY HARDEST HIT.<\/p>\n
FROM 330 IN THE AFTERNOON TO 700 OCLOCK IN THE EVENING. A
BROAD AREA RECEIVED HEAVY DAMAGE\u2026GENERALLY FROM DEMOPOLIS
ON THE SOUTHWEST TO THE SCOTTSBORO\u2026STEVENSON\u2026PAINT ROCK
AREA IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA.<\/p>\n
WAS LAID TO WASTE. DOCTORS AND NURSES FROM MONTGOMERY AND
BIRMINGHAM WORKED ALL NIGHT BY LANTERN AND FLASHLIGHT TO
RELIEVE THE WIDESPREAD SUFFERING.<\/p>\n
GROUND FOR A DISTANCE OF 30 MILES\u2026CUTTING A PATH 400
YARDS WIDE. A NEW AUTOMOBILE WAS CARRIED THROUGH THE AIR
FOR A DISTANCE OF 400 YARDS. TWELVE PERSONS DIED IN CLAY
COUNTY AND 200 WERE INJURED. AFTER THE STORM\u2026THERE WERE
PEOPLE LIVING IN THE CLAY COUNTY COURTHOUSE.<\/p>\n
IN SHELBY COUNTY\u2026WHERE 18 PERSONS DIED\u202636 EGGS WERE
UNBROKEN ON A KITCHEN TABLE EVEN THOUGH THE HOUSE WAS
DEMOLISHED AND THE TORNADO EVEN SUCKED THE DRAWER OUT
OF THE TABLE.<\/p>\n
CALLING ON ALL ALABAMA RESIDENTS TO RISE TO THE OCCASION AND
HELP THOSE IN DISTRESS. THEN HE TRAVELED THE STATE FOR DAYS TRYING
TO VISIT ALL THE DAMAGED AREAS TO OFFER HELP AND ENCOURAGEMENT.
.
NO ONE KNOWS EXACTLY HOW MANY TORNADOES HIT ALABAMA ON THAT
TRAGIC DAY IN 1932. IN PERRY COUNTY\u2026MARION WAS STRUCK TWICE
IN THREE HOURS\u2026AND 23 PERSONS DIED IN THE COUNTY.<\/p>\n
OF AN 800 ACRE PLANTATION FOUND A HORSE COLLAR\u2026A DEAD
PIG\u2026AND THE BODY OF A THREE YEAR OLD CHRILD\u2026ALL JAMMED
TOGETHER IN A HOLLOW TREE STUMP.<\/p>\n
MARCH 21 1932\u2026THAT STARTED OUT SO PLEASANT.<\/p>\n