NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gurley, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Gurley, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 168 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 21 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 168
- EF3 or stronger
- 21
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
184 deaths in all
What the records show for Gurley
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Gurley; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The record near Gurley begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 97% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Gurley. The highest rating among the 168 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 15 miles. Of the 168, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 107 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 49. The most recent tornado was on May 27, 2025. Gurley has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 81% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 87 times since 1964, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Gurley has more hail reports within 10 miles than 73% of the 323 Alabama cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gurley
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 5 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 Gurley: 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 Gurley
By decade
- 2020s31(1 EF3+)
- 2010s40(5 EF3+)
- 2000s36(1 EF3+)
- 1990s16(1 EF3+)
- 1980s10(2 EF3+)
- 1970s21(6 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 15 mi | 132 mi | 72 / 145 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 19 mi | 52 mi | 28 / 267 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 25 mi | 83.3 mi | 16 / 190 |
| Nov 15, 1989 | F4 | 4 mi | 18.5 mi | 21 / 463 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 24 mi | 46.98 mi | 14 / 50 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 21 mi | 27.5 mi | 11 / 121 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 15 mi | 46.88 mi | 6 / 48 |
| Mar 22, 1952 | F4 | 14 mi | 21.6 mi | 4 / 50 |
| May 18, 1995 | F4 | 7 mi | 39 mi | 1 / 55 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 22 mi | 26.76 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 3 mi | 46.5 mi | 2 / 7 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 17 mi | 38.8 mi | 2 / 90 |
The strongest 12 of 168, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gurley
The Storm Prediction Center has 87 hail reports within 10 miles of Gurley since 1964, made on 55 separate days. Of these, 59 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently May 20, 2025. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. April and May have the most reports, 20 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gurley
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL, 11 miles south of Gurley at 590 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 30°F. December is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and August and October the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 58.0 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 49 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 78 nights a year. That 58.0 inches is more than at 64 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (60%). Woodville, 9 miles east, has its own station (Scottsboro, AL): 59.9 inches a year, 1.9 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 30 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 5.5 | 9 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 5.1 | 8 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Oct | 74 | 47 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 6.2 | 9 |
| Year | 71 | 48 | 58.0 | 84 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL (590 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 Gurley
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 315 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gurley: 248 thunderstorm wind reports, 38 flash floods, 18 floods, 9 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 3 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $3.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 28, 2018. August has had the most flash floods, 8 of 38. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 268 have had fewer than Gurley.
August 19, 2022: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Gurley — 1 killed, $500 damage.
July 16, 2012: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Gurley — 1 killed.
June 28, 2018: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Gurley — 1 killed.
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
Madison County, which includes Gurley, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 6 hurricanes, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Madison County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $179.6 million a year, the 4th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $99.1 million (55%), 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 Gurley
- Brownsboro, AL6 mi
- Owens Cross Roads, AL8 mi
- Woodville, AL9 mi
- New Hope, AL12 mi
- Huntsville, AL12 mi
- New Market, AL14 mi
- Meridianville, AL14 mi
- Grant, AL16 mi
- Scottsboro, AL18 mi
- Laceys Spring, AL19 mi
- Hazel Green, AL20 mi
- Madison, AL21 mi
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