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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ariton, AL

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

39 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ariton, Alabama since 1851, 8 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Fred in 2021. Since 1950, 130 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
8

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
31

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
130

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
9

14 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ariton

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Ariton, Alabama, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021FredAug 1717 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
2020SallySep 1759 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
2018MichaelOct 1063 miCategory 3 (110 mph)Category 5
2008FayAug 2374 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
2001BarryAug 662 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1995OpalOct 554 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 4
1994JohnSep 815 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 5
1994AlbertoJul 371 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1975EloiseSep 2318 miCategory 1 (94 mph)Category 3
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1517 miTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm
1964HildaOct 565 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 4
1964DoraSep 1267 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1956FlossySep 2557 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1953FlorenceSep 2741 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 3
1950KingOct 1970 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
1937Unnamed 1937 stormAug 3147 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1513 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1917Unnamed 1917 stormSep 2924 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 4
1915Unnamed 1915 stormSep 422 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 2
1914Unnamed 1914 stormSep 1838 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13overheadTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1418 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1142 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 2
1901Unnamed 1901 stormSep 1716 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 1
1899Unnamed 1899 stormAug 219 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 2
1898Unnamed 1898 stormAug 366 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1896Unnamed 1896 stormJul 717 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 2
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 357 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 4
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 232 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 203 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 1
1887Unnamed 1887 stormJul 279 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 2
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 108 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 3
1881Unnamed 1881 stormAug 2850 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormSep 2065 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 1
1860Unnamed 1860 stormAug 1214 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 3
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 1659 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1856Unnamed 1856 stormAug 3161 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1852Unnamed 1852 stormAug 2759 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1851Unnamed 1851 stormAug 2467 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 3

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ariton: 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 Ariton

By decade

  • 2020s16
  • 2010s19
  • 2000s36(1 EF3+)
  • 1990s15
  • 1980s14(2 EF3+)
  • 1970s15(6 EF3+)
  • 1960s7
  • 1950s8
Strongest tornadoes near Ariton, Alabama
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Mar 1, 2007EF415 mi10.33 mi9 / 50
Nov 25, 1986F32 mi44 mi0 / 4
May 16, 1983F320 mi1.5 mi0 / 1
Dec 19, 1974F314 mi11.3 mi0 / 0
Dec 30, 1973F310 mi1.5 mi0 / 14
Dec 29, 1973F318 mi11.6 mi0 / 11
Jan 13, 1972F317 mi16.8 mi0 / 2
Mar 3, 1971F312 mi2 mi0 / 0
Mar 2, 1971F39 mi23.8 mi0 / 0
Jan 13, 1972F215 mi6.3 mi4 / 88
Nov 5, 2002F223 mi6 mi1 / 20
Nov 15, 2006F28 mi19.78 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 130, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Ariton while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in Alabama