NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gaylesville, 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 Gaylesville, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 97 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 20 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 97
- EF3 or stronger
- 20
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
81 deaths in all
What the records show for Gaylesville
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Gaylesville; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 16 miles away. The record near Gaylesville begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The 1890s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. 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 Gaylesville. The strongest of the 97 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 20 miles, and it killed 25 people. Of the 97, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 57 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 35. The most recent tornado was on May 25, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Gaylesville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 50 times since 1967, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 58% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Gaylesville.
Compare Gaylesville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gaylesville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 60 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 Gaylesville: 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 Gaylesville
By decade
- 2020s17(2 EF3+)
- 2010s21(6 EF3+)
- 2000s19(2 EF3+)
- 1990s19(4 EF3+)
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9(4 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 20 mi | 33.66 mi | 25 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 21 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 23 mi | 50 mi | 22 / 150 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF4 | 9 mi | 16.62 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 19, 1973 | F4 | 13 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 24 mi | 38.17 mi | 6 / 10 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F3 | 23 mi | 8.8 mi | 1 / 15 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF3 | 19 mi | 12.34 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 23 mi | 11.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 14 mi | 14.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 15 mi | 21.25 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 20 mi | 32.53 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 97, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gaylesville
The Storm Prediction Center has 50 hail reports within 10 miles of Gaylesville since 1967, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 10, 2009. The most recent report is from April 24, 2021. April has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gaylesville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Summerville, GA, 13 miles northeast of Gaylesville at 639 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 29°F. December is the wettest at 6.3 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.8 inches; the year adds up to 58.3 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 61 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 83 nights a year. That 58.3 inches is more than at 65 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (61%). Fort Payne, 12 miles northwest, has its own station (Valley Head 1 SSW, AL): 56.4 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 29 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Feb | 57 | 31 | 5.4 | 7 |
| Mar | 64 | 37 | 6.1 | 8 |
| Apr | 73 | 45 | 5.0 | 6 |
| May | 80 | 55 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Jun | 87 | 63 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Jul | 90 | 67 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 4.2 | 4 |
| Oct | 75 | 47 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 63 | 36 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 55 | 32 | 6.3 | 8 |
| Year | 72 | 47 | 58.3 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Summerville, GA (639 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 Gaylesville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 132 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gaylesville: 111 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 2 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $505,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on May 27, 2024. March has had the most flash floods, 10 of 16. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 190 have had fewer than Gaylesville.
August 13, 2010: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Gaylesville — $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
Cherokee County, which includes Gaylesville, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 8 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Zeta, on December 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cherokee County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.1 million a year, the 36th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.2 million (57%), 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.