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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cottondale, FL

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

64 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cottondale, Florida since 1851, 15 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Mindy in 2021. Since 1950, 102 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
15

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
49

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
102

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
1

9 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cottondale

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Cottondale, Florida, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021MindySep 970 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
2021FredAug 17overheadTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
2019NestorOct 1928 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 1020 miCategory 4 (135 mph)Category 5
2018AlbertoMay 2849 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2009ClaudetteAug 1765 miTropical storm (48 mph)Tropical storm
2008FayAug 2334 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2004FrancesSep 750 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
2001BarryAug 660 miTropical storm (69 mph)Tropical storm
2000HeleneSep 2274 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1998EarlSep 325 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 2
1994JohnSep 841 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 5
1994BerylAug 1613 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1994AlbertoJul 354 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1985KateNov 2241 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 3
1975EloiseSep 2346 miCategory 3 (110 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2019 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 1
1970BeckyJul 2255 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1537 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm
1964HildaOct 57 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 4
1964DoraSep 1141 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1957DebbieSep 845 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1956FlossySep 252 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1953FlorenceSep 2718 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 3
1953AliceJun 640 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1941Unnamed 1941 stormOct 756 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 3
1939Unnamed 1939 stormAug 1359 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
1937Unnamed 1937 stormSep 2070 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1937Unnamed 1937 stormAug 3110 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 122 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1414 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 1
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1054 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 1567 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 1
1917Unnamed 1917 stormSep 2930 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 4
1915Unnamed 1915 stormSep 42 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 2
1914Unnamed 1914 stormSep 1820 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJul 1674 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormSep 2829 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormJun 2926 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormJun 1313 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1426 miCategory 1 (79 mph)Category 1
1901Unnamed 1901 stormSep 2854 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1901Unnamed 1901 stormSep 1735 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 1
1899Unnamed 1899 stormAug 23 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 2
1898Unnamed 1898 stormAug 335 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1
1896Unnamed 1896 stormJul 733 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 2
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 929 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2358 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 2062 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 1
1887Unnamed 1887 stormJul 2751 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 2
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJun 3060 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormSep 2149 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1885Unnamed 1885 stormAug 3138 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 1045 miCategory 1 (87 mph)Category 3
1880Unnamed 1880 stormAug 3151 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 2
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 1054 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 1
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 339 miCategory 1 (94 mph)Category 3
1877Unnamed 1877 stormSep 207 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1
1875Unnamed 1875 stormSep 2729 miTropical storm (48 mph)Tropical storm
1871Unnamed 1871 stormAug 2654 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1868Unnamed 1868 stormOct 455 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1860Unnamed 1860 stormAug 1344 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1856Unnamed 1856 stormAug 318 miCategory 1 (91 mph)Category 3
1851Unnamed 1851 stormAug 2317 miCategory 2 (105 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

  • 2020s16(1 EF3+)
  • 2010s19
  • 2000s17
  • 1990s14
  • 1980s13
  • 1970s14
  • 1960s6
  • 1950s3
Strongest tornadoes near Cottondale, Florida
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Mar 31, 2022EF33 mi12.14 mi2 / 1
Sep 15, 2004F222 mi7 mi4 / 5
Jan 9, 2024EF212 mi34.76 mi1 / 10
Jan 12, 1975F222 mi168.5 mi1 / 33
Jun 25, 1972F218 mi0.5 mi1 / 2
Jan 9, 2024EF211 mi16.33 mi0 / 7
Apr 23, 2020EF24 mi17.24 mi0 / 0
Jan 2, 2017EF224 mi7.82 mi0 / 0
Sep 15, 2004F211 mi8 mi0 / 3
Mar 20, 2003F221 mi8 mi0 / 3
Mar 15, 2001F27 mi10 mi0 / 0
Dec 16, 2000F214 mi3 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 102, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Cottondale while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

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