NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Alpine, 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
21 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Alpine, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 88 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 88
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
35 deaths in all
What the records show for Alpine
None of the 21 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Alpine; the strongest was Eloise in 1975, a tropical storm with 68 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. The record near Alpine begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 13 miles away. Of the 21 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Alpine has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 57% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The highest rating among the 88 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on May 27, 1973, came within 5 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on January 24, 1964, killed 10 people. Of the 88, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 53 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on March 15, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 86% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Alpine. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 53 times since 1976, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 54% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Alpine.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Alpine
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 4 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 1 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Alpine: 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 Alpine
By decade
- 2020s12(2 EF3+)
- 2010s15
- 2000s26
- 1990s9
- 1980s8
- 1970s7(2 EF3+)
- 1960s8(2 EF3+)
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 1964 | F4 | 6 mi | 3.3 mi | 10 / 6 |
| May 27, 1973 | F4 | 5 mi | 139.1 mi | 7 / 199 |
| May 1, 1953 | F4 | 22 mi | 12.1 mi | 7 / 12 |
| Jan 10, 1975 | F3 | 14 mi | 18.8 mi | 1 / 60 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 17 mi | 79.66 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 14 mi | 50.13 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 28, 1964 | F3 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 8, 1998 | F2 | 19 mi | 14.4 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | EF2 | 5 mi | 3.63 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Nov 24, 2004 | F2 | 20 mi | 15.2 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 22 mi | 3.84 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 24 mi | 7.76 mi | 0 / 20 |
The strongest 12 of 88, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Alpine
The Storm Prediction Center has 53 hail reports within 10 miles of Alpine since 1976, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 6 days, most recently March 25, 2019. The most recent report is from May 18, 2025. March and April have the most reports, 10 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Alpine
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Childersburg Wtp, AL, 6 miles southwest of Alpine at 418 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 34°F. February is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 56.0 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (24.7 of 56.0 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 21 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 87 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 58 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.1 inches a year, most of it in March. That 56.0 inches is more than at 31 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (29%). Talladega, 11 miles northeast, has its own station (Talladega, AL): 56.7 inches a year, 0.7 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 34 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 63 | 38 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Mar | 71 | 43 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Apr | 79 | 50 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 85 | 59 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 91 | 67 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 93 | 70 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 69 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 88 | 63 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 79 | 51 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 68 | 41 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 60 | 36 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Year | 77 | 52 | 56.0 | 79 | 1.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Childersburg Wtp, AL (418 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 Alpine
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 98 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Alpine: 83 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 3 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on October 23, 2007. March has had the most flash floods, 4 of 8. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 93 have had fewer than Alpine.
March 10, 2010: flood 8 miles from the centre of Alpine — $500,000 damage.
August 10, 2000: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Alpine — $100,000 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
Talladega County, which includes Alpine, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Zeta, on December 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Talladega County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $37.0 million a year, the 17th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $20.4 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.
Cities near Alpine
- Childersburg, AL8 mi
- Vincent, AL8 mi
- Harpersville, AL10 mi
- Talladega, AL11 mi
- Cropwell, AL11 mi
- Sylacauga, AL13 mi
- Wilsonville, AL15 mi
- Sterrett, AL16 mi
- Pell City, AL16 mi
- Lincoln, AL19 mi
- Leeds, AL20 mi
- Moody, AL22 mi
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