NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hanceville, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hanceville, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 193 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 25 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 193
- EF3 or stronger
- 25
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
58 deaths in all
What the records show for Hanceville
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hanceville; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The record near Hanceville begins with an unnamed storm in 1881; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 3 systems. Of the 10 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 79% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Hanceville. The highest rating among the 193 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 9 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 9 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on April 27, 2011, killed 13 people. Of the 193, 17 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 106 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 57. The most recent tornado was on November 25, 2025. Hanceville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 96% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 94 times since 1981, with stones up to 5.38 inches. Hanceville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 78% of the 323 Alabama cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hanceville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Hanceville: 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 Hanceville
By decade
- 2020s27
- 2010s38(5 EF3+)
- 2000s41(3 EF3+)
- 1990s14(1 EF3+)
- 1980s22(4 EF3+)
- 1970s25(3 EF3+)
- 1960s11(4 EF3+)
- 1950s15(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 1 mi | 127.8 mi | 13 / 54 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 9 mi | 46.88 mi | 6 / 48 |
| Apr 24, 1955 | F4 | 23 mi | 8.6 mi | 5 / 20 |
| Nov 17, 1957 | F4 | 24 mi | 7.2 mi | 4 / 15 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 8 mi | 110.6 mi | 3 / 178 |
| Nov 18, 1957 | F4 | 17 mi | 26.1 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Mar 6, 1967 | F4 | 18 mi | 20.9 mi | 2 / 25 |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F4 | 3 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F4 | 23 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 3 mi | 72.6 mi | 7 / 53 |
| Feb 16, 1995 | F3 | 19 mi | 14 mi | 6 / 130 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 21 mi | 44.3 mi | 4 / 38 |
The strongest 12 of 193, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hanceville
The Storm Prediction Center has 94 hail reports within 10 miles of Hanceville since 1981, made on 68 separate days. Of these, 60 were 1 inch across or larger, and 8 reached 2 inches. The largest, 5.38 inches, fell on March 19, 2018. The most recent report is from April 10, 2025. March and May have the most reports, 26 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hanceville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hanceville, AL, 2 miles northeast of Hanceville at 590 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 30°F. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 43% of the year's precipitation (25.4 of 59.1 inches); the other six months are wetter. October has brought the most of the 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal October there has highs of 73°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 46 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 72 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.1 inches a year, most of it in March. That 59.1 inches is more than at 72 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (67%). Cullman, 9 miles north, has its own station (Saint Bernard, AL): 60.3 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 30 | 5.8 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 5.8 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 64 | 39 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 55 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.6 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 54 | 32 | 5.8 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 71 | 48 | 59.1 | 81 | 1.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hanceville, 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 Hanceville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 257 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hanceville: 205 thunderstorm wind reports, 36 flash floods, 8 floods, 6 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $2.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on March 18, 2013. May has had the most flash floods, 12 of 36. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 261 have had fewer than Hanceville.
October 13, 2014: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Hanceville — 2 injured, $100,000 damage.
May 15, 2009: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Hanceville — 1 injured.
August 24, 2007: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Hanceville — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Two trees were blown down in the Garden city community. One of these trees damaged a house.”
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
Cullman County, which includes Hanceville, has been named in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 8 hurricanes, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Thunderstorms, on July 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cullman County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $34.8 million a year, the 21st highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.9 million (43%), 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 Hanceville
- Hayden, AL9 mi
- Cullman, AL9 mi
- Cleveland, AL13 mi
- Bremen, AL14 mi
- Crane Hill, AL15 mi
- Warrior, AL15 mi
- Holly Pond, AL16 mi
- Trafford, AL16 mi
- Vinemont, AL16 mi
- Blountsville, AL16 mi
- Remlap, AL19 mi
- Kimberly, AL19 mi
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