NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Brownsboro, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Brownsboro, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 164 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 18 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 164
- EF3 or stronger
- 18
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
170 deaths in all
What the records show for Brownsboro
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Brownsboro; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 69 miles away. The record near Brownsboro begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 90% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Brownsboro. The highest rating among the 164 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 12 miles. Of the 164, 17 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 109 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 48. The most recent tornado was on May 27, 2025. Brownsboro has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 77% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 199 times since 1961, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Brownsboro has more hail reports within 10 miles than 96% of the 323 Alabama cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Brownsboro
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | overhead | 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 Brownsboro: 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 Brownsboro
By decade
- 2020s31(1 EF3+)
- 2010s43(4 EF3+)
- 2000s35(1 EF3+)
- 1990s14(1 EF3+)
- 1980s11(2 EF3+)
- 1970s18(6 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 12 mi | 132 mi | 72 / 145 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 14 mi | 52 mi | 28 / 267 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 21 mi | 83.3 mi | 16 / 190 |
| Nov 15, 1989 | F4 | in town | 18.5 mi | 21 / 463 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 19 mi | 27.5 mi | 11 / 121 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 17 mi | 46.88 mi | 6 / 48 |
| Mar 22, 1952 | F4 | 9 mi | 21.6 mi | 4 / 50 |
| May 18, 1995 | F4 | 6 mi | 39 mi | 1 / 55 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 20 mi | 26.76 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | in town | 46.5 mi | 2 / 7 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 19 mi | 38.8 mi | 2 / 90 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | EF3 | 18 mi | 12.03 mi | 1 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 164, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Brownsboro
The Storm Prediction Center has 199 hail reports within 10 miles of Brownsboro since 1961, made on 96 separate days. Of these, 121 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on April 10, 2009. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. April has the most reports, 51.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Brownsboro
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL, 12 miles south of Brownsboro at 590 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 30°F. December is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and August and October the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 58.0 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 49 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 78 nights a year. That 58.0 inches is more than at 64 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (60%). Huntsville, 6 miles west, has its own station (Huntsville International Airport, AL): 54.6 inches a year, 3.4 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 30 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 5.5 | 9 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 5.1 | 8 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Oct | 74 | 47 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 6.2 | 9 |
| Year | 71 | 48 | 58.0 | 84 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL (590 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 Brownsboro
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 614 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Brownsboro: 483 thunderstorm wind reports, 80 flash floods, 25 lightning strikes, 18 floods and 8 heavy rain events. They killed 4 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $4.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 28, 2018. August has had the most flash floods, 18 of 80. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 309 have had fewer than Brownsboro.
August 19, 2022: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Brownsboro — 1 killed, $500 damage.
NWS: “A 22 year old male was killed after being struck by a large falling tree limb along Bluff Line Trail at Monte Sano Nature Preserve near Bankhead Parkway. Time was estimated from radar.”
August 21, 2010: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Brownsboro — 1 killed.
July 16, 2012: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Brownsboro — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 40 year old male was struck by lightning in the driveway of his residence near the intersection of Bell Factory Road and Red Rock Drive. The person was transported to the hospital and died five days later on the 20th.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Brownsboro's ZIP code 35741 have filed 30 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1990, and were paid $580,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 10% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 118 Alabama cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 47 have fewer than Brownsboro.
Madison County, which includes Brownsboro, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 6 hurricanes, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Madison County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $179.6 million a year, the 4th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $99.1 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.
Cities near Brownsboro
- Gurley, AL6 mi
- Huntsville, AL6 mi
- Owens Cross Roads, AL7 mi
- Meridianville, AL11 mi
- New Market, AL13 mi
- New Hope, AL13 mi
- Woodville, AL15 mi
- Madison, AL15 mi
- Laceys Spring, AL16 mi
- Harvest, AL17 mi
- Hazel Green, AL17 mi
- Toney, AL18 mi
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