NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cottondale, 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
19 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cottondale, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 126 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 16 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 19
- Tornadoes
- 126
- EF3 or stronger
- 16
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
176 deaths in all
What the records show for Cottondale
None of the 19 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Cottondale; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 68 mph winds when its centre passed 17 miles away. The record near Cottondale begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 5 systems. Of the 19 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Cottondale has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 50% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The highest rating among the 126 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 8, 1998, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on April 27, 2011, killed 64 people. Of the 126, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 82 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on March 15, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 54% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cottondale. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1957, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 59% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Cottondale.
Compare Cottondale's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cottondale
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 15 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 16 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 17 | 53 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 Cottondale: 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 Cottondale
By decade
- 2020s25(3 EF3+)
- 2010s29(5 EF3+)
- 2000s28(2 EF3+)
- 1990s11(2 EF3+)
- 1980s13(1 EF3+)
- 1970s11(1 EF3+)
- 1960s6(2 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 1966 | F5 | 13 mi | 202.5 mi | 58 / 518 |
| Apr 8, 1998 | F5 | 18 mi | 30.3 mi | 32 / 259 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 8 mi | 80.68 mi | 64 / 1500 |
| Dec 16, 2000 | F4 | 2 mi | 18 mi | 11 / 144 |
| Feb 23, 1975 | F4 | 6 mi | 14.4 mi | 1 / 49 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 13 mi | 72.13 mi | 7 / 50 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 20 mi | 79.66 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 14 mi | 50.13 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 11 mi | 11.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 2 mi | 20.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 20 mi | 22.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2011 | EF3 | 6 mi | 18.37 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 126, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cottondale
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Cottondale since 1957, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently February 13, 2007. The most recent report is from May 9, 2024.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cottondale
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Northport 2 S, AL, 12 miles west of Cottondale at 150 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 35°F. February is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and September and October the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 57.2 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 (26.4 of 57.2 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 19 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 89 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 47 nights a year. That 57.2 inches is more than at 54 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (50%). Vance, 9 miles east, has its own station (Bankhead L&D, AL): 60.3 inches a year, 3.1 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 | 56 | 35 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Feb | 61 | 38 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Mar | 68 | 45 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Apr | 76 | 52 | 5.4 | 7 |
| May | 84 | 60 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Sep | 87 | 65 | 3.6 | 4 |
| Oct | 78 | 53 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Nov | 67 | 42 | 4.8 | 5 |
| Dec | 58 | 37 | 5.2 | 8 |
| Year | 76 | 53 | 57.2 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Northport 2 S, AL (150 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 Cottondale
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 121 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cottondale: 100 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 4 heavy rain events, 4 lightning strikes and 1 flood. They killed 3 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $824,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on February 13, 2000. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 144 have had fewer than Cottondale.
June 19, 2021: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Cottondale — 2 killed.
April 28, 2014: heavy rain event 10 miles from the centre of Cottondale — 1 killed, 1 injured.
July 8, 2023: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Cottondale — 2 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
Tuscaloosa County, which includes Cottondale, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 9 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on May 21, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Tuscaloosa 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 $83.1 million a year, the 7th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $40.7 million (49%), 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.