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.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
63 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cottondale, Florida since 1851, 14 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Mindy in 2021. Since 1950, 104 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 14
- Tropical storms
- 49
- Tornadoes
- 104
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Cottondale
The strongest storm to pass near Cottondale was Michael in 2018, a Category 4 hurricane with 135 mph winds when its centre passed 20 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1856, whose centre came within 8 miles. The record near Cottondale begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Mindy in 2021, a tropical storm 70 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 8 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 63 systems, 10 have come since 2000. Of the 407 Florida cities on this site, 94% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Cottondale. The strongest of the 104 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on March 31, 2022; its path came within 3 miles, and it killed 2 people. The deadliest, an F2 on September 15, 2004, killed 4 people. Of the 104, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 54 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on May 10, 2025. Of the 407 Florida cities, 66% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cottondale. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 30 times since 1971, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 407 Florida cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Cottondale.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cottondale
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | MindySep 9 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | FredAug 17 | overhead | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 19 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 10 | 20 mi | Category 4 (135 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | AlbertoMay 28 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2009 | ClaudetteAug 17 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 23 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 7 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2001 | BarryAug 6 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1994 | BerylAug 16 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1994 | AlbertoJul 3 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 41 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 48 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 20 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | BeckyJul 22 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 11 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | DebbieSep 8 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1953 | AliceJun 6 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 7 | 56 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 13 | 59 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormSep 20 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 31 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 14 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 10 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 15 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 29 | 30 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 4 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 18 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 28 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 14 | 26 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 17 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 2 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 3 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 7 | 33 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 29 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 20 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 27 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 30 | 60 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 31 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 45 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 31 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 10 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 39 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 27 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 26 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 4 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 8 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 23 | 17 mi | Category 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
- 2020s17(1 EF3+)
- 2010s19
- 2000s18
- 1990s14
- 1980s13
- 1970s14
- 1960s6
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2022 | EF3 | 3 mi | 12.14 mi | 2 / 1 |
| Sep 15, 2004 | F2 | 22 mi | 7 mi | 4 / 5 |
| Jan 9, 2024 | EF2 | 12 mi | 34.76 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Mar 15, 2001 | F2 | 7 mi | 10 mi | 1 / 21 |
| Jan 12, 1975 | F2 | 22 mi | 168.5 mi | 1 / 33 |
| Jun 25, 1972 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.5 mi | 1 / 2 |
| May 10, 2025 | EF2 | 20 mi | 15.48 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jan 9, 2024 | EF2 | 11 mi | 16.33 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 23, 2020 | EF2 | 4 mi | 17.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 2, 2017 | EF2 | 24 mi | 7.82 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 15, 2004 | F2 | 11 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 20, 2003 | F2 | 21 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 104, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cottondale
The Storm Prediction Center has 30 hail reports within 10 miles of Cottondale since 1971, made on 25 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently May 15, 2023. The most recent report is from June 25, 2025. May has the most reports, 11.
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 Chipley, FL, 9 miles west of Cottondale at 130 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 64°F and 39°F. July is the wettest at 7.2 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 61.0 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (30.9 of 61.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 63 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (23); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 98 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 31 nights a year. That 61.0 inches is more than at 95 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (76%). Marianna, 10 miles east, has its own station (Marianna Municipal Airport, FL): 51.2 inches a year, 9.8 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 39 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Feb | 67 | 41 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 74 | 47 | 5.7 | 7 |
| Apr | 80 | 53 | 4.9 | 5 |
| May | 88 | 62 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Jun | 92 | 70 | 5.3 | 9 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 7.2 | 11 |
| Aug | 92 | 72 | 6.2 | 10 |
| Sep | 89 | 67 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Oct | 82 | 56 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Nov | 72 | 46 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Dec | 66 | 41 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Year | 80 | 56 | 61.0 | 82 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Chipley, FL (130 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 258 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cottondale: 171 thunderstorm wind reports, 63 flash floods, 18 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $14.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on February 15, 2016. April has had the most flash floods, 19 of 63. Of the 277 Florida cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 272 have had fewer than Cottondale.
May 17, 2024: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Cottondale — 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
NWS: “A tree fell on a house with one injury reported.”
August 16, 2021: flood 7 miles from the centre of Cottondale — $11.5 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rainfall up to 9 inches in some areas of Washington county led to significant flooding. 5 million, including $200K for Category B emergency protective measures, $11 million for Category C roads and bridges, and $150K for Category E public buildings and equipment.”
February 25, 2013: flood 7 miles from the centre of Cottondale — $1.4 million damage.
NWS: “Significant areal flooding occurred across Washington county due to prolonged periods of moderate to heavy rainfall. Four day rainfall totals of 8-12 inches were estimated across the county between Feb 22-26.”
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
Jackson County, which includes Cottondale, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1994, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 20 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 4 tropical storms, 3 fires). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jackson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.3 million a year, the 43rd highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.0 million (51%), is from hurricanes.
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 Cottondale
- Alford, FL10 mi
- Marianna, FL10 mi
- Graceville, FL13 mi
- Chipley, FL15 mi
- Bonifay, FL17 mi
- Greenwood, FL18 mi
- Malone, FL18 mi
- Cottonwood, AL19 mi
- Fountain, FL20 mi
- Altha, FL21 mi
- Grand Ridge, FL23 mi
- Slocomb, AL24 mi
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