Ashland-area historical tornado activity is near Alabama state average. It is 98% greater than the overall U.S. average. On 5/1/1953 , a category F4 ( max. wind speeds 207-260 mph) tornado 5.4 miles away from the Ashland city center killed 7 people and injured 12 people and caused between $50,000 and $500,000 in damages.