NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Flat Rock, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Flat Rock, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 111 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 15 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 111
- EF3 or stronger
- 15
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
49 deaths in all
What the records show for Flat Rock
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Flat Rock; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The record near Flat Rock begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 90% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Flat Rock. The strongest of the 111 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 7 miles, and it killed 25 people. Of the 111, 13 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 74 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 33. The most recent tornado was on August 20, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 68% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Flat Rock. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 32 times since 1997, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Flat Rock.
Compare Flat Rock's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Flat Rock
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Flat Rock: 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 Flat Rock
By decade
- 2020s19(1 EF3+)
- 2010s38(6 EF3+)
- 2000s17(2 EF3+)
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1960s5(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 7 mi | 33.66 mi | 25 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 2 mi | 46.98 mi | 14 / 50 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 9 mi | 20.24 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF4 | 2 mi | 10.9 mi | 1 / 12 |
| May 19, 1973 | F4 | 20 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | EF3 | 3 mi | 13.48 mi | 4 / 9 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF3 | 12 mi | 12.34 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 19 mi | 14.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 24 mi | 21.25 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 17 mi | 32.53 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 23 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 20 |
| May 19, 1983 | F3 | 21 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 111, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Flat Rock
The Storm Prediction Center has 32 hail reports within 10 miles of Flat Rock since 1997, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 15, 2011. The most recent report is from June 25, 2025. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Flat Rock
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Valley Head, AL, 16 miles south of Flat Rock at 1,121 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 30°F. December is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 57.9 inches over 86 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 27 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 85 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.0 inches a year, most of it in March. That 57.9 inches is more than at 62 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (58%). Bryant, 9 miles north, has its own station (Lookout Mountain-Point Park, TN): 58.6 inches a year, 0.7 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 5.5 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Feb | 53 | 32 | 5.4 | 8 | 1.3 |
| Mar | 61 | 39 | 5.3 | 8 | 1.4 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 67 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 66 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 60 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 38 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 52 | 33 | 5.7 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Year | 69 | 48 | 57.9 | 86 | 5.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Valley Head, AL (1,121 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 Flat Rock
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 173 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Flat Rock: 157 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 10, 2014. May has had the most flash floods, 3 of 13. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 162 have had fewer than Flat Rock.
December 25, 2015: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Flat Rock — $1.0 million damage.
April 27, 2011: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Flat Rock — $500,000 damage.
June 15, 2010: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Flat Rock — $150,000 damage.
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 Flat Rock, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 6 hurricanes, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Thunderstorms, on July 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jackson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $29.4 million a year, the 25th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.5 million (46%), 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.