NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Boaz, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Boaz, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 166 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 26 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 166
- EF3 or stronger
- 26
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
86 deaths in all
What the records show for Boaz
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Boaz; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 29 miles away. The record near Boaz begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The 1890s and the 1910s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 10 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 79% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Boaz. The strongest of the 166 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 25 people. Of the 166, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 96 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 75. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Boaz has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 79% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 104 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Boaz has more hail reports within 10 miles than 84% of the 323 Alabama cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Boaz
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 33 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 Boaz: 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 Boaz
By decade
- 2020s19
- 2010s51(8 EF3+)
- 2000s26(3 EF3+)
- 1990s16(2 EF3+)
- 1980s12(2 EF3+)
- 1970s24(6 EF3+)
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 17 mi | 33.66 mi | 25 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 24 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 13 mi | 127.8 mi | 13 / 54 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 24 mi | 46.88 mi | 6 / 48 |
| Nov 18, 1957 | F4 | 6 mi | 26.1 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F4 | 22 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF4 | 12 mi | 16.62 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F4 | 14 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Feb 16, 1995 | F3 | 11 mi | 14 mi | 6 / 130 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 22 mi | 38.8 mi | 2 / 90 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F3 | 20 mi | 7.3 mi | 1 / 0 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 16 mi | 41.6 mi | 1 / 44 |
The strongest 12 of 166, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Boaz
The Storm Prediction Center has 104 hail reports within 10 miles of Boaz since 1961, made on 60 separate days. Of these, 58 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on February 22, 1983. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. April has the most reports, 37.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Boaz
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sand Mt Substn, AL, 13 miles northeast of Boaz at 1,190 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 30°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 56.7 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (25.1 of 56.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 31 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 65 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.2 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%). Albertville, 7 miles northwest, has its own station (Guntersville No.2, AL): 56.8 inches a year, 0.1 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 54 | 33 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 62 | 40 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 49 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 39 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 34 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Year | 70 | 49 | 56.7 | 84 | 1.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sand Mt Substn, AL (1,190 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 Boaz
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 242 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Boaz: 196 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 flash floods, 16 floods, 12 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $9.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on March 18, 2013. January has had the most flash floods, 5 of 17. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 200 have had fewer than Boaz.
June 15, 2017: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Boaz — 1 injured, $200 damage.
August 10, 2013: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Boaz — 1 injured.
June 20, 2019: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Boaz — 1 injured.
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
Marshall County, which includes Boaz, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 6 hurricanes, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Thunderstorms, on July 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Marshall County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $50.2 million a year, the 13th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $20.0 million (40%), 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 Boaz
- Albertville, AL7 mi
- Crossville, AL10 mi
- Attalla, AL11 mi
- Horton, AL12 mi
- Altoona, AL13 mi
- Guntersville, AL14 mi
- Gadsden, AL16 mi
- Rainbow City, AL18 mi
- Collinsville, AL18 mi
- Steele, AL20 mi
- Southside, AL21 mi
- Glencoe, AL21 mi
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