NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Grove Hill, 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
42 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Grove Hill, Alabama since 1851, 5 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 67 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 5
- Tropical storms
- 37
- Tornadoes
- 67
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Grove Hill
The strongest storm to pass near Grove Hill was Frederic in 1979, a Category 1 hurricane with 89 mph winds when its centre passed 50 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Ivan in 2004, whose centre came within 9 miles. The record near Grove Hill begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a Category 1 hurricane 34 miles away. The 1890s and the 1930s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 42 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Grove Hill has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 77% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The highest rating among the 67 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 24, 1984, came within 14 miles. Of the 67, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 38 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on April 6, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 97% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Grove Hill. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1977, with stones up to 3.5 inches. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 66% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Grove Hill.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Grove Hill
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 34 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | SallySep 16 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2017 | NateOct 8 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | DennisJul 11 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 9 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 67 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 3 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1985 | JuanOct 31 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 50 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 11 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 14 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormJun 16 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 1 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormJun 26 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormJul 4 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 14 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 27 | 75 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 3 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormAug 17 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormAug 8 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 3 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 1 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 16 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 16 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 12 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 16 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 26 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Grove Hill: 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 Grove Hill
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s13
- 2000s10
- 1990s7
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 24, 1984 | F3 | 14 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 18, 1978 | F3 | 23 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Mar 2, 1971 | F3 | 14 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 23, 1953 | F3 | 12 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 12, 2025 | EF2 | 11 mi | 11.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 14, 2022 | EF2 | 22 mi | 2.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 14, 2022 | EF2 | 24 mi | 3.36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 2022 | EF2 | 16 mi | 9.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 17, 2021 | EF2 | 25 mi | 36.59 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 25, 2012 | EF2 | 2 mi | 24.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2011 | EF2 | 17 mi | 0.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 18, 1996 | F2 | 23 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 67, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Grove Hill
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Grove Hill since 1977, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.5 inches, fell on December 5, 1977. The most recent report is from June 16, 2023. May has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Grove Hill
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Whatley, AL, 6 miles southeast of Grove Hill at 170 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 59°F and 33°F. December is the wettest at 6.5 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.9 inches; the year adds up to 61.4 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (30.0 of 61.4 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 42 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (14); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 75 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 46 nights a year. That 61.4 inches is more than at 89 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (83%). Jackson, 15 miles southwest, has its own station (Jackson, AL): 60.4 inches a year, 1.0 less than here, and the same August average high, 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 33 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Feb | 63 | 38 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Mar | 71 | 44 | 5.8 | 6 |
| Apr | 77 | 51 | 4.3 | 5 |
| May | 84 | 60 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 6.2 | 10 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Sep | 87 | 65 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Oct | 78 | 53 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Nov | 68 | 43 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 61 | 37 | 6.5 | 6 |
| Year | 77 | 53 | 61.4 | 78 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Whatley, AL (170 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 Grove Hill
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 116 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Grove Hill: 92 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 6 lightning strikes, 3 heavy rain events and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on March 30, 2022. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 14. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 170 have had fewer than Grove Hill.
June 5, 1998: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Grove Hill — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “A line of severe thunderstorms moved through the county from west to east between 1045 pm and 1140 pm. Trees and power lines were blown down throughout the county.”
December 27, 2018: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Grove Hill — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Extensive flash flooding occurred in Clarke County due to 5 to 8 inches of rain that fell in a short duration. The most extensive flooding occurred in the Thomasville and Fulton areas, particularly around Bassett Creek.”
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
Clarke County, which includes Grove Hill, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 hurricanes, 6 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 Clarke County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.3 million a year, the 39th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.4 million (41%), 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 Grove Hill
- Jackson, AL15 mi
- Thomasville, AL16 mi
- Pine Hill, AL24 mi
- Frisco City, AL29 mi
- Monroeville, AL30 mi
- Chatom, AL33 mi
- Millry, AL34 mi
- Camden, AL37 mi
- Mcintosh, AL37 mi
- Butler, AL38 mi
- Linden, AL41 mi
- Mount Vernon, AL45 mi
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