NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Empire, 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
14 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Empire, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 172 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 24 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 172
- EF3 or stronger
- 24
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
192 deaths in all
What the records show for Empire
None of the 14 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Empire; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 66 mph winds when its centre passed 38 miles away. The record near Empire begins with an unnamed storm in 1879; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 4 systems. Of the 14 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 64% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Empire. The highest rating among the 172 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 8, 1998, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on April 27, 2011, killed 64 people. Of the 172, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 79 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 46. The most recent tornado was on November 25, 2025. Empire has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 84% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 43 times since 1970, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 64% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Empire.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Empire
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Empire: 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 Empire
By decade
- 2020s17(1 EF3+)
- 2010s22(7 EF3+)
- 2000s40(2 EF3+)
- 1990s18(1 EF3+)
- 1980s26(3 EF3+)
- 1970s31(4 EF3+)
- 1960s8(2 EF3+)
- 1950s10(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 1998 | F5 | 17 mi | 30.3 mi | 32 / 259 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F5 | 20 mi | 14.7 mi | 22 / 130 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 18 mi | 80.68 mi | 64 / 1500 |
| Apr 15, 1956 | F4 | 20 mi | 21.3 mi | 25 / 200 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 6 mi | 127.8 mi | 13 / 54 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 19 mi | 46.88 mi | 6 / 48 |
| Nov 17, 1957 | F4 | 12 mi | 7.2 mi | 4 / 15 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 14 mi | 110.6 mi | 3 / 178 |
| Mar 6, 1967 | F4 | 4 mi | 20.9 mi | 2 / 25 |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F4 | 9 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 14 mi | 72.6 mi | 7 / 53 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 20 mi | 44.3 mi | 4 / 38 |
The strongest 12 of 172, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Empire
The Storm Prediction Center has 43 hail reports within 10 miles of Empire since 1970, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently October 24, 2010. The most recent report is from May 18, 2024. March has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Empire
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Jasper, AL, 19 miles west of Empire at 486 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 31°F. January is the wettest at 6.1 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.8 inches; the year adds up to 61.8 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 43% of the year's precipitation (26.6 of 61.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 14 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 58 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 73 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.6 inches a year, most of it in March. That 61.8 inches is more than at 93 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (87%). Bremen, 10 miles north, has its own station (Hanceville, AL): 59.1 inches a year, 2.7 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 31 | 6.1 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 56 | 34 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 65 | 41 | 5.8 | 9 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 73 | 48 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 62 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Year | 72 | 50 | 61.8 | 88 | 0.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Jasper, AL (486 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 Empire
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 92 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Empire: 82 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods and 1 flood. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $215,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on October 9, 2009. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 105 have had fewer than Empire.
October 13, 2014: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Empire — 1 killed, 1 injured.
April 30, 2005: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Empire — 1 injured, $35,000 damage.
NWS: “Several trees and power lines were blown down in and around Sipsey. A few homes were damaged by fallen trees.”
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
Walker County, which includes Empire, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 6 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Thunderstorms, on July 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Walker County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $34.8 million a year, the 20th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.3 million (56%), 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 Empire
- Sumiton, AL4 mi
- Dora, AL5 mi
- Cordova, AL10 mi
- Bremen, AL10 mi
- Warrior, AL11 mi
- Kimberly, AL11 mi
- Graysville, AL12 mi
- Mount Olive, AL12 mi
- Quinton, AL13 mi
- Morris, AL13 mi
- Gardendale, AL14 mi
- Adamsville, AL15 mi
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