NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Jackson, 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
55 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Jackson, Alabama since 1851, 9 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 58 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 9
- Tropical storms
- 46
- Tornadoes
- 58
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Jackson
The strongest storm to pass near Jackson was Frederic in 1979, a Category 1 hurricane with 93 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Ivan in 2004, whose centre came within 12 miles. The record near Jackson begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a Category 1 hurricane 37 miles away. The 1910s and the 1930s were the busiest decades, with 6 systems each. Of the 55 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Jackson has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 82% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The highest rating among the 58 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on November 30, 2022, came within 19 miles. Of the 58, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 32 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on March 15, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Jackson. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 32 times since 1975, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Jackson.
Compare Jackson's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Jackson
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 37 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | SallySep 16 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2018 | GordonSep 5 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | NateOct 8 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | DennisJul 11 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 12 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | GeorgesSep 29 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 20 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 70 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 3 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1985 | JuanOct 31 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 42 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | EthelSep 16 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1959 | IreneOct 8 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 8 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 11 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 13 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormJun 16 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 1 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormOct 6 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormJun 26 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormJul 4 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 39 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 6 | 63 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 12 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 27 | 66 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 3 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormAug 17 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormAug 8 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 15 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 28 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 3 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 1 | overhead | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 16 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 12 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 15 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 12 | 32 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 16 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 26 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Jackson: 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 Jackson
By decade
- 2020s12(1 EF3+)
- 2010s11
- 2000s9
- 1990s4
- 1980s9(1 EF3+)
- 1970s7
- 1960s3
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 30, 2022 | EF3 | 19 mi | 20.06 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 24, 1984 | F3 | 1 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 23, 1953 | F3 | 4 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 12, 2025 | EF2 | 17 mi | 11.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 14, 2022 | EF2 | 23 mi | 2.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 14, 2022 | EF2 | 23 mi | 3.36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 2022 | EF2 | 23 mi | 9.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 25, 2012 | EF2 | 8 mi | 24.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2011 | EF2 | 12 mi | 0.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2011 | EF2 | 23 mi | 0.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F2 | 10 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 24, 1984 | F2 | 10 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 58, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Jackson
The Storm Prediction Center has 32 hail reports within 10 miles of Jackson since 1975, made on 25 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently May 13, 2024. The most recent report is from May 13, 2024. May has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Jackson
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Jackson, AL, 3 miles northwest of Jackson at 220 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 36°F. June is the wettest at 6.3 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.8 inches; the year adds up to 60.4 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (29.5 of 60.4 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 55 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 79 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 46 nights a year. That 60.4 inches is more than at 84 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (79%). Grove Hill, 15 miles northeast, has its own station (Whatley, AL): 61.4 inches a year, 1.0 more than here, and the same July average high, 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 36 | 5.7 | 7 |
| Feb | 64 | 39 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 71 | 45 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Apr | 78 | 51 | 4.7 | 6 |
| May | 85 | 60 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 6.3 | 8 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 5.4 | 9 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 5.2 | 8 |
| Sep | 87 | 65 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Oct | 79 | 53 | 3.8 | 4 |
| Nov | 69 | 43 | 4.4 | 5 |
| Dec | 62 | 38 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Year | 77 | 53 | 60.4 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Jackson, AL (220 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 Jackson
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 98 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Jackson: 79 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 5 lightning strikes, 1 flood and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on March 30, 2022. September has had the most flash floods, 3 of 12. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 144 have had fewer than Jackson.
January 2, 2017: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Jackson — $1.2 million damage.
NWS: “Significant flash flooding occurred near the Leroy area of Washington County. The flash flooding was the result of over 6 inches of rain falling over just a couple of hours of time, with most of the rainfall occurring in just 90 minutes.”
January 2, 2017: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Jackson — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Significant flash flooding occurred in the Jackson, AL area due to 5 to 7 inches of rain falling over a very short period of time. 5 1/2 inches were measured in just 90 minutes.”
June 5, 1998: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Jackson — $500,000 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 Jackson's ZIP code 36545 have filed 20 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $293,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 70% 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, 28 have fewer than Jackson.
Clarke County, which includes Jackson, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Zeta, on December 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Clarke County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.3 million a year, the 39th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.4 million (41%), is from hurricanes.
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 Jackson
- Grove Hill, AL15 mi
- Mcintosh, AL22 mi
- Chatom, AL23 mi
- Frisco City, AL28 mi
- Millry, AL29 mi
- Mount Vernon, AL30 mi
- Thomasville, AL30 mi
- Monroeville, AL33 mi
- Atmore, AL37 mi
- Citronelle, AL37 mi
- Buckatunna, MS39 mi
- Pine Hill, AL39 mi
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