NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cullman, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cullman, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 188 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 26 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 188
- EF3 or stronger
- 26
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
83 deaths in all
What the records show for Cullman
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Cullman; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 63 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The record near Cullman begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 3 systems. Of the 9 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 82% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Cullman. The strongest of the 188 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 24 miles, and it killed 28 people. Of the 188, 14 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 104 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 57. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Cullman has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 93% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 139 times since 1963, with stones up to 5.38 inches. Cullman has more hail reports within 10 miles than 92% of the 323 Alabama cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cullman
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Cullman: 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 Cullman
By decade
- 2020s25
- 2010s40(5 EF3+)
- 2000s39(2 EF3+)
- 1990s14(1 EF3+)
- 1980s21(5 EF3+)
- 1970s23(5 EF3+)
- 1960s10(3 EF3+)
- 1950s16(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 24 mi | 79.5 mi | 28 / 272 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 9 mi | 127.8 mi | 13 / 54 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | in town | 46.88 mi | 6 / 48 |
| Apr 24, 1955 | F4 | 14 mi | 8.6 mi | 5 / 20 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | in town | 110.6 mi | 3 / 178 |
| Nov 18, 1957 | F4 | 23 mi | 26.1 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F4 | 11 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 6 mi | 72.6 mi | 7 / 53 |
| Feb 16, 1995 | F3 | 16 mi | 14 mi | 6 / 130 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 21 mi | 44.3 mi | 4 / 38 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 25 mi | 46.5 mi | 2 / 7 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 12 mi | 38.8 mi | 2 / 90 |
The strongest 12 of 188, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cullman
The Storm Prediction Center has 139 hail reports within 10 miles of Cullman since 1963, made on 97 separate days. Of these, 85 were 1 inch across or larger, and 12 reached 2 inches. The largest, 5.38 inches, fell on March 19, 2018. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. April has the most reports, 43.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cullman
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Saint Bernard, AL, 2 miles east of Cullman at 800 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 32°F. February and December are the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and August and October the driest at 3.9 inches; the year adds up to 60.3 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 60 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 73 nights a year. That 60.3 inches is more than at 80 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (75%). Vinemont, 7 miles northwest, has its own station (Cullman 3 ENE, AL): 58.6 inches a year, 1.7 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 32 | 5.7 | 7 |
| Feb | 57 | 35 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Mar | 65 | 42 | 5.7 | 7 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 5.4 | 6 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Nov | 63 | 39 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Year | 73 | 50 | 60.3 | 78 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Saint Bernard, AL (800 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 Cullman
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 354 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cullman: 280 thunderstorm wind reports, 52 flash floods, 10 floods, 9 lightning strikes and 3 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 7, and the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on April 4, 2008. May has had the most flash floods, 17 of 52. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 288 have had fewer than Cullman.
July 14, 2015: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Cullman — 1 killed.
October 13, 2014: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Cullman — 2 injured, $100,000 damage.
NWS: “A wide swath of hardwood trees were snapped or uprooted between Good Hope and South Vinemont. Many trees fell on homes causing extensive roof/structural damage.”
April 4, 2008: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Cullman — 1 injured.
NWS: “Several homes and businesses were heavily damaged in the downtown area, including the Cullman Shopping Center. Several power lines and large trees were also blown down.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Cullman's 2 ZIP codes have filed 17 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $259,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 35% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 118 Alabama cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 20 have fewer than Cullman.
Cullman County, which includes Cullman, has been named in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 8 hurricanes, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Thunderstorms, on July 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cullman County a Relatively Moderate 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 and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $34.8 million a year, the 21st highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.9 million (43%), 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 Cullman
- Vinemont, AL7 mi
- Hanceville, AL9 mi
- Falkville, AL12 mi
- Eva, AL13 mi
- Holly Pond, AL14 mi
- Baileyton, AL14 mi
- Crane Hill, AL16 mi
- Joppa, AL17 mi
- Hayden, AL18 mi
- Blountsville, AL18 mi
- Bremen, AL19 mi
- Addison, AL19 mi
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