NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cherokee, 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 Cherokee, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Katrina in 2005. Since 1950, 106 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 106
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Cherokee
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Cherokee; the strongest was Frederic in 1979, a tropical storm with 49 mph winds when its centre passed 29 miles away. The record near Cherokee begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Katrina in 2005, a tropical storm 18 miles away. The 1910s and the 1950s 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 Cherokee. The highest rating among the 106 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 9 times; the most recent, on November 4, 1988, came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on March 14, 1953, killed 1 person. Of the 106, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 62 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 73% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cherokee. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 37 times since 1988, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 72% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Cherokee.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cherokee
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Cherokee: 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 Cherokee
By decade
- 2020s19
- 2010s26
- 2000s17
- 1990s5
- 1980s10(3 EF3+)
- 1970s4(2 EF3+)
- 1960s13(3 EF3+)
- 1950s12(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 20, 1953 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F3 | 11 mi | 60 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F3 | 14 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F3 | 16 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 13, 1976 | F3 | 21 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1972 | F3 | 13 mi | 45.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Oct 24, 1967 | F3 | 19 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Oct 24, 1967 | F3 | 13 mi | 11.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 17, 1965 | F3 | 19 mi | 29.8 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Mar 14, 1953 | F2 | 23 mi | 3.3 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Mar 24, 2023 | EF2 | 20 mi | 3.82 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 16, 2019 | EF2 | 17 mi | 8.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 106, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cherokee
The Storm Prediction Center has 37 hail reports within 10 miles of Cherokee since 1988, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently March 2, 2012. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. March has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cherokee
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Iuka, MS, 11 miles west of Cherokee at 600 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 28°F. December is the wettest at 6.7 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.8 inches; the year adds up to 62.3 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 45% of the year's precipitation (28.1 of 62.3 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 41 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 95 nights a year. That 62.3 inches is more than at 94 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (88%). Tuscumbia, 16 miles east, has its own station (Muscle Shoals Regional Airport, AL): 54.5 inches a year, 7.8 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 | 49 | 28 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 63 | 37 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 5.5 | 7 |
| May | 79 | 55 | 5.4 | 7 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 5.3 | 5 |
| Oct | 74 | 46 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 62 | 36 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 52 | 31 | 6.7 | 9 |
| Year | 71 | 47 | 62.3 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Iuka, MS (600 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 Cherokee
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 295 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cherokee: 256 thunderstorm wind reports, 29 flash floods, 5 lightning strikes, 3 heavy rain events and 2 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $10.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on March 24, 2023. September has had the most flash floods, 10 of 29. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 243 have had fewer than Cherokee.
May 25, 2011: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Cherokee — 1 injured, $135,000 damage.
March 24, 2023: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Cherokee — $10.0 million 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
Colbert County, which includes Cherokee, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 7 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 5, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Colbert County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $34.9 million a year, the 19th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.7 million (39%), 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 Cherokee
- Iuka, MS7 mi
- Tishomingo, MS15 mi
- Tuscumbia, AL16 mi
- Sheffield, AL17 mi
- Florence, AL19 mi
- Burnsville, MS20 mi
- Belmont, MS20 mi
- Muscle Shoals, AL21 mi
- Red Bay, AL22 mi
- Russellville, AL22 mi
- Glen, MS24 mi
- Spruce Pine, AL25 mi
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