1977 Birmingham tornado facts for kids

The 1977 Birmingham tornado was a very powerful tornado that hit the northern areas around Birmingham, Alabama on the afternoon of April 4, 1977.

The Powerful 1977 Birmingham Tornado

This tornado started a few miles north of Birmingham. It moved through Jefferson County. It caused incredibly strong damage, known as F5 damage, in a place called Smithfield.

The tornado sadly caused 22 deaths and injured 125 people. It also caused about $25 million in damage. Hundreds of homes were either damaged or completely destroyed. Two large trucks were even thrown into the air by the strong winds. Daniel Payne College was badly damaged and had to close permanently after the storm.

Other Storms on April 4, 1977

On the same day, other tornadoes also broke out in several states. These included Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and North Carolina. One tornado in Georgia caused one death. Another person was killed just east of Birmingham. The severe weather on April 4 also contributed to a plane crash, which sadly killed 70 people.

This tornado was the second major tornado to affect Birmingham since 1956. Later, another tornado struck in 1998, killing 32 people. In 2011, a very large tornado killed 64 people in the area.