February 18, 1889 Bibb-Shelby County Tornado 

From The Daily Age-Herald, Birmingham, Alabama, Feb. 19, 1889, pg. 4:

A Terrific Cyclone

Down in Shelby County – Great Damage Reported – Many Injured.

News reached the city yesterday of a terrific cyclone which crossed the lower end of Shelby county late Sunday night.

             Only the most meagre particulars could be obtained, but great damage was undoubtedly done and probably several lives were lost.

             Sunday night there was a terrible rain storm in the vicinity of Montevallo and it ended at 2 a.m. yesterday morning with a cyclone, which came from the south or southwest. The extent of (the) cyclone could not be ascertained, as its track was several miles from the nearest railroad station.

             A report reached the city yesterday that over twenty houses were destroyed, several people killed and many injured. This report could not be verified, but from all accounts great damage was done and a number of people were injured. Last night the Age-Herald received the following from its correspondent at Montevallo: “A cyclone passed about three miles east of here last night doing considerable damage. Only partial reports have been obtained. Several parties were severely injured and a number of houses blown to pieces. The largest rain ever known fell here and the wind was very high, but no damage done.”

             A remarkable thing about this cyclone is that it is the third one which has visited that section within seven years, and all of them have followed about the same track. One in 1881 passed through the town of Montevallo, and a number of people were killed and a large amount of property destroyed. All of these cyclones have come from the same direction, and the two first ones followed almost the same track. The one Sunday night struck in the immediate vicinity of the other two, but its exact course has not yet been learned.