NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Centre, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Centre, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 82 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 19 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 82
- EF3 or stronger
- 19
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
56 deaths in all
What the records show for Centre
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Centre; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 7 miles away. The record near Centre begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 11 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 76% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Centre. The highest rating among the 82 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 10 miles. Of the 82, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 47 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Centre. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 72 times since 1967, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Centre has more hail reports within 10 miles than 63% of the 323 Alabama cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Centre
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 63 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 Centre: 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 Centre
By decade
- 2020s11(1 EF3+)
- 2010s17(5 EF3+)
- 2000s19(1 EF3+)
- 1990s13(5 EF3+)
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9(4 EF3+)
- 1960s5(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 10 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 12 mi | 50 mi | 22 / 150 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF4 | 15 mi | 16.62 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 19, 1973 | F4 | 24 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 11 mi | 38.17 mi | 6 / 10 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 18 mi | 9 mi | 1 / 35 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F3 | 23 mi | 8.8 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Mar 19, 2018 | EF3 | 23 mi | 35.22 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 21 mi | 11.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 24 mi | 21.25 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Dec 16, 2000 | F3 | 7 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 16 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 30 |
The strongest 12 of 82, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Centre
The Storm Prediction Center has 72 hail reports within 10 miles of Centre since 1967, made on 47 separate days. Of these, 43 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 10, 2009. The most recent report is from April 10, 2025. April has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Centre
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cedartown, GA, 22 miles east of Centre at 785 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 32°F. March is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and August and October the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 52.8 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 46% of the year's precipitation (24.1 of 52.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 59 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 69 nights a year. That 52.8 inches is more than at 9 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (8%). Cedar Bluff, 7 miles north, has its own station (Summerville, GA): 58.3 inches a year, 5.5 more 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 | 32 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 5.3 | 8 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 4.4 | 7 |
| May | 82 | 58 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Year | 74 | 51 | 52.8 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cedartown, GA (785 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 Centre
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 142 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Centre: 124 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 5 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $461,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on May 27, 2024. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 10. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 123 have had fewer than Centre.
April 3, 2018: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Centre — 1 injured.
August 20, 2025: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Centre — 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Centre's ZIP code 35960 have filed 15 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $163,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 13% 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, 15 have fewer than Centre.
Cherokee County, which includes Centre, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 8 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Zeta, on December 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cherokee County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.1 million a year, the 36th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.2 million (57%), 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 Centre
- Cedar Bluff, AL7 mi
- Leesburg, AL10 mi
- Piedmont, AL13 mi
- Gaylesville, AL14 mi
- Cave Spring, GA15 mi
- Collinsville, AL17 mi
- Lyerly, GA20 mi
- Fort Payne, AL21 mi
- Cedartown, GA22 mi
- Gadsden, AL23 mi
- Glencoe, AL24 mi
- Jacksonville, AL24 mi
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