NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Greenville, 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
39 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Greenville, Alabama since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Fred in 2021. Since 1950, 75 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 6
- Tropical storms
- 33
- Tornadoes
- 75
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Greenville
The strongest storm to pass near Greenville was Eloise in 1975, a Category 2 hurricane with 98 mph winds when its centre passed 36 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Opal in 1995, whose centre came within 1 mile. The record near Greenville begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Fred in 2021, a tropical storm 71 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 39 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Greenville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 77% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The highest rating among the 75 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 23, 1971, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 18, 1969, killed 2 people. Of the 75, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 38 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on December 29, 2024. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 95% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Greenville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 20 times since 1985, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 92% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Greenville.
Compare Greenville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Greenville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | FredAug 17 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | SallySep 17 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2005 | DennisJul 10 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 1 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 36 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1969 | Unnamed 1969 stormOct 1 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormJul 9 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 13 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 31 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 1 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 15 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormJul 4 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 29 | 70 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 37 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 18 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 17 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 2 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 3 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 7 | 67 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 27 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 56 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 31 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 16 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 12 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Greenville: 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 Greenville
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s20
- 2000s12
- 1990s10
- 1980s4
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 1969 | F4 | 3 mi | 52.4 mi | 2 / 14 |
| Apr 23, 1971 | F4 | 23 mi | 25.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 3, 1956 | F3 | 14 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 10, 2024 | EF2 | 12 mi | 24.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 2022 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 4, 2015 | EF2 | 21 mi | 14.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2011 | EF2 | 8 mi | 3.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2011 | EF2 | 12 mi | 22.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 2007 | EF2 | 18 mi | 24.55 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Sep 23, 1985 | F2 | 25 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Dec 28, 1983 | F2 | 24 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 25, 1979 | F2 | 6 mi | 22.9 mi | 0 / 12 |
The strongest 12 of 75, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Greenville
The Storm Prediction Center has 20 hail reports within 10 miles of Greenville since 1985, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently April 24, 2021. The most recent report is from May 27, 2024. March has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Greenville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Greenville, AL, in Greenville at 342 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 34°F. July is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and September and October the driest at 4.0 inches; the year adds up to 60.0 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (29.4 of 60.0 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 71 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 47 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.5 inches a year, most of it in March and December. That 60.0 inches is more than at 76 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (71%). Luverne, 20 miles east, has its own station (Highland Home 2 S, AL): 54.5 inches a year, 5.5 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 34 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 64 | 37 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 71 | 43 | 5.5 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 78 | 49 | 5.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 85 | 58 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 90 | 66 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 69 | 5.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 92 | 68 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 79 | 52 | 4.0 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 69 | 41 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 62 | 36 | 5.5 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Year | 77 | 51 | 60.0 | 76 | 0.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Greenville, AL (342 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 Greenville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 65 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Greenville: 57 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $482,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 29, 2014. September has had the most flash floods, 3 of 5. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 45 have had fewer than Greenville.
March 30, 2012: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Greenville — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 12 year old boy was killed when the tree he was standing under was struck by lightning.”
October 17, 2006: heavy rain event 3 miles from the centre of Greenville — 1 injured, $60,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rains caused a roof to collapse on a recently built building near Butler. The roof was not draining properly and the weight of the accumulated rainfall caused to roof to collapse.”
January 23, 2012: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Greenville — 1 injured, $3,000 damage.
NWS: “Winds estimated at 60 mph damaged a small building resulting in 1 minor injury.”
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
Butler County, which includes Greenville, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 hurricanes, 10 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Zeta, on December 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Butler County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.4 million a year, the 48th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.8 million (30%), is from hurricanes.
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 Greenville
- Fort Deposit, AL13 mi
- Georgiana, AL14 mi
- Luverne, AL20 mi
- Brantley, AL23 mi
- Red Level, AL27 mi
- Hayneville, AL27 mi
- Evergreen, AL31 mi
- Hope Hull, AL32 mi
- Ramer, AL33 mi
- Andalusia, AL34 mi
- Troy, AL39 mi
- Elba, AL41 mi
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