NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hackleburg, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hackleburg, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Katrina in 2005. Since 1950, 99 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 99
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
154 deaths in all
What the records show for Hackleburg
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hackleburg; the strongest was Frederic in 1979, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 3 miles away. The record near Hackleburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1879; the most recent system was Katrina in 2005, a tropical storm 38 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 3 systems. Of the 11 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 76% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Hackleburg. The highest rating among the 99 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, passed within a mile of the city centre. Of the 99, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 64 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on February 15, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 77% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Hackleburg. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 67 times since 1975, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Hackleburg has more hail reports within 10 miles than 60% of the 323 Alabama cities.
Compare Hackleburg's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hackleburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Hackleburg: 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 Hackleburg
By decade
- 2020s20(1 EF3+)
- 2010s28(3 EF3+)
- 2000s16
- 1990s7
- 1980s9(3 EF3+)
- 1970s7(3 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | in town | 132 mi | 72 / 145 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 14 mi | 79.5 mi | 28 / 272 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 25 mi | 52 mi | 28 / 267 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 5 mi | 37.3 mi | 23 / 137 |
| Mar 24, 2023 | EF3 | 24 mi | 36.56 mi | 2 / 55 |
| Feb 4, 1971 | F3 | 7 mi | 34.1 mi | 1 / 13 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 9 mi | 31.84 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F3 | 24 mi | 60 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Mar 12, 1986 | F3 | 23 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 1982 | F3 | 22 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 9, 1964 | F3 | 19 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 7 mi | 51.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 99, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hackleburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 67 hail reports within 10 miles of Hackleburg since 1975, made on 53 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 27, 1996. The most recent report is from March 15, 2025. March has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hackleburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Haleyville, AL, 12 miles east of Hackleburg at 920 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 33°F. December is the wettest at 6.8 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 4.4 inches; the year adds up to 66.2 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 45% of the year's precipitation (30.1 of 66.2 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 11 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 47 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 57 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.9 inches a year, most of it in January and March. That 66.2 inches is more than at 100 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (93%). Phil Campbell, 9 miles northeast, has its own station (Russellville 4 SSE, AL): 58.8 inches a year, 7.4 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 33 | 5.9 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 56 | 37 | 6.2 | 9 | 0.1 |
| Mar | 65 | 43 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 73 | 50 | 5.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 59 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 52 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 42 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 36 | 6.8 | 9 | 0.2 |
| Year | 72 | 51 | 66.2 | 91 | 0.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Haleyville, AL (920 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 Hackleburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 100 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hackleburg: 89 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $686,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on March 9, 2006. August has had the most flash floods, 5 of 9. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 105 have had fewer than Hackleburg.
April 20, 2011: thunderstorm wind in Hackleburg — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Trees and power lines were blown down across a broad swath in the Hackleburg area, from US-43 on the south side of town, eastward to Boyd Street. Downed trees blocked the road and damaged several structures between AL-172 and CR-12, and near Alabama Street.”
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
Marion County, which includes Hackleburg, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 7 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 5, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Marion County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.6 million a year, the 35th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.1 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).
Hackleburg in the notable storm records: The April 27, 2011 EF5 Tornado in Alabama, near Madison
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.