NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ashville, 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
13 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ashville, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 130 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 130
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
60 deaths in all
What the records show for Ashville
None of the 13 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ashville; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 63 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The record near Ashville begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The 1900s and the 1910s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 13 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 69% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Ashville. The highest rating among the 130 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 3 miles. Of the 130, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 68 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 40. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 50% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ashville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 27 times since 1995, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 86% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ashville.
Compare Ashville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ashville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ashville: 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 Ashville
By decade
- 2020s17(2 EF3+)
- 2010s21(3 EF3+)
- 2000s30(2 EF3+)
- 1990s12(1 EF3+)
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s22(4 EF3+)
- 1960s13(2 EF3+)
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 3 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 9 mi | 50 mi | 22 / 150 |
| Nov 18, 1957 | F4 | 19 mi | 26.1 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F4 | 12 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 12 mi | 38.17 mi | 6 / 10 |
| Jan 23, 2012 | EF3 | 16 mi | 15.69 mi | 1 / 75 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F3 | in town | 7.3 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Jan 10, 1975 | F3 | 8 mi | 18.8 mi | 1 / 60 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 3 mi | 41.6 mi | 1 / 44 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 25 mi | 50.13 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 19, 2018 | EF3 | 17 mi | 35.22 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Dec 16, 2000 | F3 | 24 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 14 |
The strongest 12 of 130, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ashville
The Storm Prediction Center has 27 hail reports within 10 miles of Ashville since 1995, made on 20 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on March 31, 2015. The most recent report is from April 24, 2021. April has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ashville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Oneonta, AL, 12 miles northwest of Ashville at 1,100 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 33°F. December is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 57.2 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 45% of the year's precipitation (25.5 of 57.2 inches); the other six months are wetter. October has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal October there has highs of 75°F and 3.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 52 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 65 nights a year. That 57.2 inches is more than at 53 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (50%). Ragland, 8 miles southeast, has its own station (Talladega 10 NNE, AL): 52.1 inches a year, 5.1 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 57 | 35 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Apr | 74 | 50 | 5.6 | 7 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 4.1 | 4 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 3.4 | 4 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Dec | 55 | 35 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Year | 73 | 51 | 57.2 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Oneonta, AL (1,100 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 Ashville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 94 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ashville: 89 thunderstorm wind reports and 5 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on August 2, 2008. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 45 have had fewer than Ashville.
February 16, 2001: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Ashville — $300,000 damage.
February 27, 1999: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Ashville — $240,000 damage.
NWS: “Significant straight line wind damage occurred in NE St. Clair County.”
July 28, 1997: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Ashville — $200,000 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
St. Clair County, which includes Ashville, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 8 hurricanes, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives St. Clair County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $32.6 million a year, the 23rd highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.6 million (54%), 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 Ashville
- Steele, AL6 mi
- Ragland, AL8 mi
- Springville, AL12 mi
- Ohatchee, AL12 mi
- Rainbow City, AL13 mi
- Southside, AL14 mi
- Oneonta, AL15 mi
- Odenville, AL16 mi
- Altoona, AL17 mi
- Lincoln, AL17 mi
- Pell City, AL17 mi
- Attalla, AL17 mi
All Alabama cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Ashville with another place →