NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Chelsea, 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
18 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Chelsea, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 152 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 19 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 18
- Tornadoes
- 152
- EF3 or stronger
- 19
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
179 deaths in all
What the records show for Chelsea
None of the 18 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Chelsea; the strongest was Eloise in 1975, a tropical storm with 69 mph winds when its centre passed 60 miles away. The record near Chelsea begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 1 mile away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 4 systems. Of the 18 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 49% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Chelsea. The highest rating among the 152 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 8, 1998, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on April 27, 2011, killed 64 people. Of the 152, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 85 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 44. The most recent tornado was on March 15, 2025. Chelsea has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 66% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 117 times since 1955, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Chelsea has more hail reports within 10 miles than 87% of the 323 Alabama cities.
Compare Chelsea's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Chelsea
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Chelsea: 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 Chelsea
By decade
- 2020s18(4 EF3+)
- 2010s32(4 EF3+)
- 2000s35
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s11
- 1970s19(3 EF3+)
- 1960s13(3 EF3+)
- 1950s14(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 1998 | F5 | 22 mi | 30.3 mi | 32 / 259 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F5 | 19 mi | 14.7 mi | 22 / 130 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 21 mi | 80.68 mi | 64 / 1500 |
| Apr 15, 1956 | F4 | 19 mi | 21.3 mi | 25 / 200 |
| Jan 24, 1964 | F4 | 13 mi | 3.3 mi | 10 / 6 |
| May 27, 1973 | F4 | 14 mi | 139.1 mi | 7 / 199 |
| Mar 5, 1963 | F4 | 12 mi | 14.9 mi | 0 / 35 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 22 mi | 72.13 mi | 7 / 50 |
| Jan 25, 2021 | EF3 | 21 mi | 10.4 mi | 1 / 30 |
| Jan 23, 2012 | EF3 | 22 mi | 15.69 mi | 1 / 75 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 18 mi | 41.6 mi | 1 / 44 |
| May 6, 1967 | F3 | 12 mi | 4.3 mi | 1 / 25 |
The strongest 12 of 152, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Chelsea
The Storm Prediction Center has 117 hail reports within 10 miles of Chelsea since 1955, made on 82 separate days. Of these, 63 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 2, 2003. The most recent report is from May 18, 2025. April has the most reports, 39.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Chelsea
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Helena, AL, 10 miles west of Chelsea at 480 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 35°F. February is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 55.7 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 (25.6 of 55.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 87 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 51 nights a year. That 55.7 inches is more than at 29 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (27%). Columbiana, 8 miles south, has its own station (Alabaster Shelby Co Airport, AL): 56.4 inches a year, 0.7 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 35 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Feb | 60 | 38 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Mar | 68 | 45 | 5.3 | 8 |
| Apr | 76 | 51 | 5.2 | 7 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Sep | 87 | 64 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 3.6 | 4 |
| Nov | 65 | 42 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Dec | 57 | 37 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Year | 75 | 53 | 55.7 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Helena, AL (480 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 Chelsea
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 212 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Chelsea: 155 thunderstorm wind reports, 46 flash floods, 5 lightning strikes, 4 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on March 19, 1998. July has had the most flash floods, 14 of 46. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 281 have had fewer than Chelsea.
August 24, 2007: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Chelsea — 2 injured.
March 19, 1998: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Chelsea — $380,000 damage.
June 25, 2018: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Chelsea — $300,000 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
Shelby County, which includes Chelsea, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 8 hurricanes, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on December 21, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Shelby County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $105.8 million a year, the 5th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $55.6 million (53%), 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.