NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gulf Shores, AL
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
76 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Gulf Shores, Alabama since 1851, 29 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sally in 2020. Since 1950, 98 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 29
- Tropical storms
- 47
- Tornadoes
- 98
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gulf Shores
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | SallySep 16 | overhead | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2018 | GordonSep 5 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | NateOct 8 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2009 | IdaNov 10 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2009 | ClaudetteAug 17 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | DennisJul 10 | 38 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | ArleneJun 11 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 10 mi | Category 3 (119 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | HannaSep 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 22 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | GeorgesSep 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 19 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 4 | 34 mi | Category 3 (117 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 3 | 26 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1994 | AlbertoJul 3 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | JuanOct 31 | overhead | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 27 mi | Category 3 (119 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 29 mi | Category 3 (124 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | Unnamed 1969 stormOct 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | EthelSep 15 | 65 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1959 | IreneOct 8 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | DebbieSep 8 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 24 | 26 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 26 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 15 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormJul 9 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 8 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 10 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 13 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormJun 16 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormSep 20 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 31 | 62 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormOct 6 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1 | 20 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 21 | 3 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormJun 26 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormJul 4 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 28 | 34 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 18 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 5 | 28 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 18 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 14 | 36 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 11 | 9 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 21 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 28 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 27 | 52 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormNov 3 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 10 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 17 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 15 | 57 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 13 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 7 | 69 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormAug 16 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormAug 7 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 2 | 53 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 27 | 60 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJun 14 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 28 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 30 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 9 | 41 mi | Category 3 (125 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 3 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 31 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 16 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 19 | 12 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 27 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 4 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 5 | 66 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 12 | 52 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 20 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 26 | 50 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Gulf Shores: 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 Gulf Shores
By decade
- 2020s13
- 2010s10
- 2000s25(1 EF3+)
- 1990s16
- 1980s18(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2001 | F3 | 11 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 1982 | F3 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 9, 2011 | EF2 | 19 mi | 2.05 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 27, 2004 | F2 | 15 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Oct 13, 2001 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 13, 1972 | F2 | 25 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 1971 | F2 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 10, 1967 | F2 | 3 mi | 14.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 30, 1967 | F2 | 3 mi | 13.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 30, 1967 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 24, 1964 | F2 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 31, 1962 | F2 | 3 mi | 11.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 98, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
How to read this page
A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Gulf Shores while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.
Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.
Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.