Limestone County
773county event records- Episodes
- 353
- Reported property damage
- $1.01 billion
Updated August 10, 2026
Original data reference
North Alabama home risk atlas
North Alabama storm damage history for Madison, Limestone, and Morgan counties, paired with practical property checks and direct access to the public records behind the numbers.
Comparable record1996 to April 29, 2026NOAA county event records. Updated from the July 28, 2026 bulk release.
What this atlas answers
Use this page to see which storm event types appear in the official county record, compare the three counties on the same basis, and choose the part of a home to inspect after a local event. It does not predict damage at an address. A county record is evidence that an event was documented somewhere in that county, not proof that every property faced the same conditions.
Madison County
1,764county event records- Episodes
- 558
- Reported property damage
- $26.3 million
Morgan County
948county event records- Episodes
- 376
- Reported property damage
- $11.1 million
Event record
Documented event types by county
Counts are NOAA Storm Events detail records with a county type and a matching county name. Property damage is the sum of direct estimates recorded by NOAA. Blank or unknown damage remains zero in the source and is not estimated here.
| Event type | Limestone | Madison | Morgan | Reported property damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dust Devil | 0 | 2 | 1 | $2 thousand |
| Flash Flood | 67 | 203 | 111 | $4.5 million |
| Flood | 20 | 42 | 36 | $1.1 million |
| Funnel Cloud | 10 | 17 | 4 | $0 |
| Hail | 167 | 423 | 159 | $706 thousand |
| Heavy Rain | 8 | 26 | 2 | $30 thousand |
| Lightning | 30 | 69 | 25 | $7.7 million |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 405 | 916 | 579 | $26.8 million |
| Tornado | 66 | 66 | 31 | $1.01 billion |
After wind, hail, or a tornado
Start outside and stay clear of fallen lines, unstable trees, damaged roofs, and loose materials. From a safe location, photograph roof edges, flashing, vents, siding, window trim, gutters, downspouts, fences, and detached structures. Inside, check ceilings and attic access areas for new stains or daylight. Keep temporary protection and permanent repair as separate records.
Use the storm water damage checklist when wind-driven rain or roof damage allowed water inside.
After flash flooding, flooding, or heavy rain
Trace water from the highest visible entry point through walls, floors, cabinets, crawl spaces, and rooms below. Avoid water near electrical service, sewage, structural movement, or unsafe access. Record the water source, affected rooms, wet materials, equipment dates, and final moisture readings.
Use the flooded basement guide or check a crawl space after a storm.
For lightning
Check for fire, smoke, burning odors, damaged electrical equipment, tripped breakers, and loss of power. Contact emergency services for fire or immediate danger. A qualified electrician can evaluate wiring and surge damage. Save the event time, utility notices, photographs, and damaged-equipment records.
Read the National Weather Service lightning safety guidance.
Before choosing a repair
Match the proposed work to observed damage. Ask which evidence supports the diagnosis, which locations and materials are included, what remains excluded, whether permits or engineering are required, and what documentation will prove drying or repair completion.
Build a repeatable crack photo record before conditions change.
Annual detail
County event records by year
The annual table shows reporting volume, not a severity score. Multiple records can belong to one weather episode, and event reporting practices can affect comparisons.
| Year | Limestone | Madison | Morgan | Three-county total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 21 | 25 | 14 | 60 |
| 1997 | 19 | 25 | 23 | 67 |
| 1998 | 17 | 26 | 11 | 54 |
| 1999 | 10 | 27 | 9 | 46 |
| 2000 | 17 | 24 | 15 | 56 |
| 2001 | 12 | 20 | 12 | 44 |
| 2002 | 9 | 37 | 11 | 57 |
| 2003 | 15 | 38 | 19 | 72 |
| 2004 | 17 | 26 | 16 | 59 |
| 2005 | 18 | 54 | 18 | 90 |
| 2006 | 27 | 73 | 34 | 134 |
| 2007 | 12 | 33 | 13 | 58 |
| 2008 | 23 | 78 | 21 | 122 |
| 2009 | 35 | 126 | 101 | 262 |
| 2010 | 34 | 47 | 20 | 101 |
| 2011 | 68 | 133 | 55 | 256 |
| 2012 | 68 | 76 | 23 | 167 |
| 2013 | 24 | 39 | 21 | 84 |
| 2014 | 37 | 23 | 17 | 77 |
| 2015 | 12 | 36 | 15 | 63 |
| 2016 | 18 | 44 | 9 | 71 |
| 2017 | 24 | 112 | 66 | 202 |
| 2018 | 31 | 36 | 24 | 91 |
| 2019 | 27 | 69 | 45 | 141 |
| 2020 | 12 | 67 | 34 | 113 |
| 2021 | 15 | 78 | 28 | 121 |
| 2022 | 21 | 57 | 11 | 89 |
| 2023 | 62 | 126 | 47 | 235 |
| 2024 | 21 | 53 | 60 | 134 |
| 2025 | 41 | 149 | 145 | 335 |
| 2026 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 24 |
Address-level research
Move from county history to the property
Check the official flood map
Search an address in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Save the map panel and effective date with the property record.
Check the official soil survey
Use USDA Web Soil Survey to define the area of interest around a parcel. Review mapped soil units and the interpretations relevant to dwellings, drainage, and water features.
Check the event details
Search NOAA Storm Events by state, county, date, or event type when you need the narrative for a particular storm.
Method and sources
- NOAA NCEI database detailsThe period begins in 1996 because NOAA records all 48 event types from 1996 to the present. Earlier periods cover different event sets.
- NOAA NCEI bulk dataThis page aggregates 31 annual detail files. The latest included event date is April 29, 2026.
- USDA NRCS Web Soil SurveyUSDA describes Web Soil Survey as the current authoritative soil survey source and updates it annually.
- Download the atlas data as JSONIncludes county totals, every event category present, annual counts, source filenames, methodology, and limitations.
How to read the totals
One weather episode can produce multiple county event records. NOAA also notes that collection and processing changed over time. This atlas uses 1996 forward because that is the agency's all-event-types period. It includes county entries only. Zone records are excluded when the source does not assign them to one named county.
Direct property-damage values are source estimates. They can be missing, rounded, or revised, and one large event can dominate a county total. The totals should support document research and inspection planning. They should not be used as a property valuation, insurance quote, engineering finding, or forecast.
Geographic scope
Madison, Limestone, and Morgan counties match this site's Huntsville, Madison, Athens, and Decatur focus. The three-county view is not a definition of all North Alabama. Search the NOAA database directly for another county.