This paper analysis the long-term impacts of the 2011 tornado on the financial and emotional well-being of survivors in Tuscaloosa, using social stress theory and an intersectional perspective. It shows that the impact of the tornado was differentiated depending on the survivor’s social location, race/ethnicity and level of financial well-being pre-crisis. In particular, the tornado created more significant challenges for the Latina survivors, related to language barriers, citizenship, ethnicity and social class. Thus, an intersectional approach would enable better policy responses and more nuanced understanding of the impact of a disaster.