NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Headland, 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
51 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Headland, Alabama since 1851, 8 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Fred in 2021. Since 1950, 162 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 8
- Tropical storms
- 43
- Tornadoes
- 162
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Headland
The strongest storm to pass near Headland was Michael in 2018, a Category 3 hurricane with 112 mph winds when its centre passed 37 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1882, whose centre came within 18 miles. The record near Headland begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Fred in 2021, a tropical storm 5 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 7 systems. Of the 51 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Headland has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 80% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The highest rating among the 162 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on December 30, 1973, came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on January 13, 1972, killed 4 people. Of the 162, 18 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 89 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on April 7, 2025. Headland has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 75% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 18 times since 1970, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Headland.
Compare Headland's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Headland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | FredAug 17 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 19 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 10 | 37 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 12 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2008 | FayAug 23 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 7 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1994 | BerylAug 16 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1994 | AlbertoJul 3 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 68 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 44 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 20 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 12 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | KingOct 19 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 7 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 31 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 15 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 10 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 4 | overhead | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 16 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 28 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 14 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 17 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 2 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 3 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 7 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 59 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 20 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 27 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 18 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 67 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 27 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 26 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 35 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 42 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Headland: 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 Headland
By decade
- 2020s36
- 2010s27
- 2000s26
- 1990s18
- 1980s16
- 1970s17(4 EF3+)
- 1960s8
- 1950s14
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 30, 1973 | F3 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Dec 29, 1973 | F3 | in town | 15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 29, 1973 | F3 | 23 mi | 11.6 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Jan 13, 1972 | F3 | 16 mi | 16.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jan 13, 1972 | F2 | 25 mi | 6.3 mi | 4 / 88 |
| Jan 9, 2024 | EF2 | 18 mi | 34.76 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Apr 19, 2020 | EF2 | 3 mi | 5.18 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Nov 5, 2002 | F2 | 13 mi | 6 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Jun 14, 2023 | EF2 | 22 mi | 18.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 2, 2017 | EF2 | 19 mi | 4.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 2, 2017 | EF2 | 17 mi | 7.82 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 22, 2005 | F2 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 162, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Headland
The Storm Prediction Center has 18 hail reports within 10 miles of Headland since 1970, made on 14 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently March 27, 2011. The most recent report is from August 21, 2015. March has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Headland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Headland, AL, 2 miles southwest of Headland at 370 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 61°F and 38°F. July is the wettest at 6.7 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 56.9 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (28.7 of 56.9 inches). September has brought the most of the 51 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (18); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 90 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 33 nights a year. That 56.9 inches is more than at 46 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (43%). Midland City, 11 miles southwest, has its own station (Dothan Regional Airport, AL): 54.0 inches a year, 2.9 less than here, and the same July average high, 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 38 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Feb | 65 | 41 | 5.2 | 6 |
| Mar | 72 | 47 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Apr | 79 | 54 | 4.6 | 5 |
| May | 87 | 63 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 5.2 | 8 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 6.7 | 10 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Oct | 80 | 56 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Nov | 70 | 47 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Dec | 63 | 41 | 5.1 | 6 |
| Year | 78 | 55 | 56.9 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Headland, AL (370 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 Headland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 169 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Headland: 142 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events, 2 lightning strikes and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $647,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on April 19, 2020. June has had the most flash floods, 6 of 22. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 221 have had fewer than Headland.
July 6, 2005: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Headland — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “A half dozen trees were toppled. Three barns were damaged and one destroyed.”
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
Henry County, which includes Headland, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 11 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on July 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Henry County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.5 million a year, the 53rd highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.0 million (35%), 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 Headland
- Midland City, AL11 mi
- Columbia, AL11 mi
- Cowarts, AL12 mi
- Dothan, AL13 mi
- Ashford, AL15 mi
- Abbeville, AL16 mi
- Ozark, AL19 mi
- Newton, AL19 mi
- Blakely, GA22 mi
- Cottonwood, AL23 mi
- Fort Rucker, AL23 mi
- Slocomb, AL24 mi
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