NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gordo, 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
20 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Gordo, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 123 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 20 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 20
- Tornadoes
- 123
- EF3 or stronger
- 20
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
161 deaths in all
What the records show for Gordo
None of the 20 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Gordo; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 69 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. The record near Gordo begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 5 systems. Of the 20 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Gordo has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 55% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The strongest of the 123 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on March 3, 1966; its path came within 7 miles, and it killed 58 people. The deadliest, an EF4 on April 27, 2011, killed 64 people. Of the 123, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 82 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 28. The most recent tornado was on March 15, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Gordo. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 50 times since 1958, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 58% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Gordo.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gordo
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 15 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 9 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 16 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 17 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Gordo: 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 Gordo
By decade
- 2020s16
- 2010s23(6 EF3+)
- 2000s43(4 EF3+)
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7(3 EF3+)
- 1970s12(2 EF3+)
- 1960s5(2 EF3+)
- 1950s4(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 1966 | F5 | 7 mi | 202.5 mi | 58 / 518 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 14 mi | 80.68 mi | 64 / 1500 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 7 mi | 127.8 mi | 13 / 54 |
| Dec 16, 2000 | F4 | 20 mi | 18 mi | 11 / 144 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 10 mi | 110.6 mi | 3 / 178 |
| Feb 23, 1975 | F4 | 22 mi | 14.4 mi | 1 / 49 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F3 | 19 mi | 38.9 mi | 2 / 1 |
| Mar 12, 1986 | F3 | 18 mi | 16 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 11, 2013 | EF3 | 20 mi | 66.35 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Feb 13, 1952 | F3 | 22 mi | 5.6 mi | 1 / 14 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 22 mi | 23.74 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 3 mi | 22.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 123, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gordo
The Storm Prediction Center has 50 hail reports within 10 miles of Gordo since 1958, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 16, 2023. The most recent report is from March 15, 2025. March has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gordo
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Tuscaloosa Acfd, AL, 17 miles east of Gordo at 169 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 36°F. January is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 57.8 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 46% of the year's precipitation (26.3 of 57.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 20 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 93 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 40 nights a year. That 57.8 inches is more than at 59 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (55%). Reform, 10 miles northwest, has its own station (Columbus, MS): 56.7 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and the same July average high, 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 36 | 5.9 | 8 |
| Feb | 62 | 40 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Mar | 71 | 47 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Apr | 78 | 54 | 5.5 | 7 |
| May | 85 | 63 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Jul | 94 | 73 | 4.7 | 9 |
| Aug | 93 | 73 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Sep | 88 | 67 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 3.9 | 4 |
| Nov | 67 | 44 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 59 | 39 | 5.4 | 7 |
| Year | 77 | 55 | 57.8 | 80 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Tuscaloosa Acfd, AL (169 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 Gordo
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 48 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gordo: 42 thunderstorm wind reports and 6 flash floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $139,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on April 3, 2000. September has had the most flash floods, 3 of 6. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 64 have had fewer than Gordo.
April 30, 2017: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Gordo — 1 injured.
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
Pickens County, which includes Gordo, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Pickens County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.9 million a year, the 50th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.3 million (37%), 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 Gordo
- Reform, AL10 mi
- Coker, AL13 mi
- Carrollton, AL17 mi
- Northport, AL17 mi
- Tuscaloosa, AL22 mi
- Aliceville, AL22 mi
- Millport, AL23 mi
- Eutaw, AL26 mi
- Fayette, AL27 mi
- Moundville, AL28 mi
- Berry, AL29 mi
- Cottondale, AL29 mi
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