NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Adamsville, AL
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
16 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Adamsville, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 165 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 22 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 16
- Tornadoes
- 165
- EF3 or stronger
- 22
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
199 deaths in all
What the records show for Adamsville
None of the 16 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Adamsville; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 66 mph winds when its centre passed 24 miles away. The record near Adamsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 4 systems. Of the 16 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 56% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Adamsville. The highest rating among the 165 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 8, 1998, came within 3 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on April 27, 2011, killed 64 people. Of the 165, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 87 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 52. The most recent tornado was on November 25, 2025. Adamsville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 79% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 173 times since 1958, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Adamsville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 95% of the 323 Alabama cities.
Compare Adamsville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Adamsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 16 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Adamsville: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Adamsville
By decade
- 2020s20(2 EF3+)
- 2010s28(7 EF3+)
- 2000s39
- 1990s14(1 EF3+)
- 1980s15
- 1970s25(2 EF3+)
- 1960s12(4 EF3+)
- 1950s12(6 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 1998 | F5 | 3 mi | 30.3 mi | 32 / 259 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F5 | 5 mi | 14.7 mi | 22 / 130 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 4 mi | 80.68 mi | 64 / 1500 |
| Apr 15, 1956 | F4 | 6 mi | 21.3 mi | 25 / 200 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 23 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 20 mi | 127.8 mi | 13 / 54 |
| Nov 17, 1957 | F4 | 25 mi | 7.2 mi | 4 / 15 |
| Mar 6, 1967 | F4 | 10 mi | 20.9 mi | 2 / 25 |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F4 | 22 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Mar 5, 1963 | F4 | 13 mi | 14.9 mi | 0 / 35 |
| Jan 25, 2021 | EF3 | 8 mi | 10.4 mi | 1 / 30 |
| Jan 23, 2012 | EF3 | 13 mi | 15.69 mi | 1 / 75 |
The strongest 12 of 165, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Adamsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 173 hail reports within 10 miles of Adamsville since 1958, made on 126 separate days. Of these, 88 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on March 27, 1994. The most recent report is from July 21, 2022. April has the most reports, 38.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Adamsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Birmingham Airport, AL, 13 miles east of Adamsville at 615 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 35°F. March is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 56.7 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 46% of the year's precipitation (26.1 of 56.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 16 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 65 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 47 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.4 inches a year, most of it in March. That 56.7 inches is more than at 40 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (37%). Mulga, 5 miles southwest, has its own station (Bessemer 3 WSW, AL): 55.7 inches a year, 1.0 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 35 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 59 | 38 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 67 | 45 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 75 | 52 | 5.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 82 | 61 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 86 | 65 | 4.0 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 54 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 65 | 43 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 57 | 38 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Year | 74 | 54 | 56.7 | 81 | 1.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Birmingham Airport, AL (615 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Adamsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 201 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Adamsville: 162 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 flash floods, 3 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 3 people and injured 13, and the NWS estimated $1.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 78 mph, on April 8, 2006. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 255 have had fewer than Adamsville.
July 21, 2022: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Adamsville — 2 killed, 3 injured.
June 19, 2021: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Adamsville — 1 killed.
February 27, 1999: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Adamsville — 5 injured, $8,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Jefferson County, which includes Adamsville, has been named in 39 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 27 of them major disasters (by incident: 18 severe storms, 10 hurricanes, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on December 21, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jefferson County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively High for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $262.4 million a year, the 2nd highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $143.1 million (55%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.