NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hartselle, 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 Hartselle, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 188 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 29 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 188
- EF3 or stronger
- 29
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
201 deaths in all
What the records show for Hartselle
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hartselle; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 63 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Hartselle begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; 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 Hartselle. The highest rating among the 188 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 15 miles. Of the 188, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 116 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 50. The most recent tornado was on May 27, 2025. Hartselle has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 93% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 90 times since 1957, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Hartselle has more hail reports within 10 miles than 77% of the 323 Alabama cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hartselle
Of the 10 tracks on the map, 6 were moving northeast as they passed Hartselle, 3 north and 1 southeast. Zeta (2020), the strongest pass, was heading northeast; its centre passed 70 miles southeast of Hartselle. None made landfall within 75 miles of Hartselle; 8 of the 10 were hurricanes at their peak, none at their closest to the city. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 1 came near Hartselle: 0.3 a decade, against 0.6 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 15 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 Hartselle: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Hartselle
By decade
- 2020s27(1 EF3+)
- 2010s47(5 EF3+)
- 2000s42(1 EF3+)
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s18(6 EF3+)
- 1970s15(8 EF3+)
- 1960s10(2 EF3+)
- 1950s16(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 15 mi | 132 mi | 72 / 145 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 5 mi | 79.5 mi | 28 / 272 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 17 mi | 52 mi | 28 / 267 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 19 mi | 83.3 mi | 16 / 190 |
| Nov 15, 1989 | F4 | 22 mi | 18.5 mi | 21 / 463 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 18 mi | 46.88 mi | 6 / 48 |
| Apr 24, 1955 | F4 | 5 mi | 8.6 mi | 5 / 20 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF4 | 11 mi | 16.7 mi | 4 / 23 |
| Mar 22, 1952 | F4 | 11 mi | 21.6 mi | 4 / 50 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 18 mi | 110.6 mi | 3 / 178 |
| Feb 16, 1995 | F3 | 24 mi | 14 mi | 6 / 130 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 7 mi | 46.5 mi | 2 / 7 |
The strongest 12 of 188, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hartselle
The Storm Prediction Center has 90 hail reports within 10 miles of Hartselle since 1957, made on 62 separate days. Of these, 50 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 7, 1984. The most recent report is from May 25, 2025. April has the most reports, 28.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hartselle
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Decatur Pryor Field, AL, 15 miles north of Hartselle at 592 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 32°F. December is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 49.7 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 43% of the year's precipitation (21.2 of 49.7 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 75°F and 3.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 64 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 62 nights a year. That 49.7 inches is more than at 1 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (1%). Falkville, 8 miles south, has its own station (Cullman 3 ENE, AL): 58.6 inches a year, 8.9 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 32 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Feb | 55 | 35 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Apr | 73 | 50 | 4.5 | 7 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Sep | 85 | 61 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Nov | 62 | 39 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Dec | 54 | 35 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Year | 72 | 51 | 49.7 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Decatur Pryor Field, AL (592 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 Hartselle
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 421 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hartselle: 329 thunderstorm wind reports, 58 flash floods, 23 floods, 10 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $5.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 19, 2006. May has had the most flash floods, 14 of 58. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 297 have had fewer than Hartselle.
April 19, 2009: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Hartselle — 1 killed, $41,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds downed two large trees onto a mobile home at 531 South Bethel Road. Tragically, the occupant was killed by the fallen trees.”
April 10, 2025: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Hartselle — 2 injured, $50,000 damage.
NWS: “Trees fell onto a home on Ironman Road injuring two occupants. One suffered severe cuts and a concussion and was treated a local hospital.”
May 1, 2009: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Hartselle — 1 injured, $25,000 damage.
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Hartselle's ZIP code 35640 have filed 43 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $829,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2009, with 17. 23% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 118 Alabama cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 64 have fewer than Hartselle.
Morgan County, which includes Hartselle, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 6 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 5, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Morgan County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for 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 $65.1 million a year, the 8th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $24.4 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).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Hartselle
- Falkville, AL8 mi
- Decatur, AL9 mi
- Somerville, AL11 mi
- Danville, AL11 mi
- Vinemont, AL13 mi
- Trinity, AL14 mi
- Eva, AL15 mi
- Laceys Spring, AL19 mi
- Cullman, AL20 mi
- Moulton, AL20 mi
- Addison, AL20 mi
- Baileyton, AL20 mi
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