NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lafayette, 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
21 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lafayette, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 88 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 88
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
27 deaths in all
What the records show for Lafayette
None of the 21 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lafayette; the strongest was Eloise in 1975, a tropical storm with 70 mph winds when its centre passed 17 miles away. The record near Lafayette begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 67 miles away. Of the 21 systems, one has come since 2000. Lafayette has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 57% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The strongest of the 88 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 6 miles, and it killed 7 people. The deadliest, an F3 on April 18, 1953, killed 8 people. Of the 88, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 53 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on May 3, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 86% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lafayette. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1980, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 71% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lafayette.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lafayette
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 15 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 4 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 1 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 28 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lafayette: 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 Lafayette
By decade
- 2020s13(3 EF3+)
- 2010s23(1 EF3+)
- 2000s17
- 1990s7(1 EF3+)
- 1980s10
- 1970s12(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s3(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 6 mi | 44.18 mi | 7 / 30 |
| Apr 18, 1953 | F3 | 22 mi | 39.8 mi | 8 / 495 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF3 | 7 mi | 82.31 mi | 7 / 16 |
| Mar 19, 1970 | F3 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 2 / 14 |
| Jan 26, 1974 | F3 | 16 mi | 21.3 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | EF3 | 16 mi | 20.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 2023 | EF3 | 14 mi | 21.54 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 18, 1996 | F3 | 22 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 5, 1954 | F3 | 15 mi | 51 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 7 mi | 34.04 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Mar 5, 1989 | F2 | 4 mi | 45.5 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF2 | 22 mi | 35.82 mi | 0 / 8 |
The strongest 12 of 88, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lafayette
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Lafayette since 1980, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on March 26, 2023, the most recent report. April has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lafayette
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lafayette 2W, AL, in Lafayette at 740 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 30°F. January and March are the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 56.4 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (24.9 of 56.4 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 21 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 59 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 72 nights a year. That 56.4 inches is more than at 34 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (32%). Lanett, 13 miles east, has its own station (W Pt, GA): 52.6 inches a year, 3.8 less than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 30 | 5.7 | 8 |
| Feb | 60 | 34 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Mar | 68 | 39 | 5.7 | 7 |
| Apr | 75 | 46 | 4.8 | 7 |
| May | 82 | 55 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Jul | 90 | 67 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 75 | 49 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Nov | 65 | 38 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Dec | 58 | 33 | 5.6 | 7 |
| Year | 74 | 48 | 56.4 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lafayette 2W, AL (740 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 Lafayette
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 42 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lafayette: 39 thunderstorm wind reports and 3 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $217,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on March 26, 2023.
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
Chambers County, which includes Lafayette, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 8 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 5, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Chambers County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.9 million a year, the 42nd highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.0 million (55%), 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 Lafayette
- Lanett, AL13 mi
- Cusseta, AL14 mi
- Camp Hill, AL15 mi
- Valley, AL17 mi
- West Point, GA17 mi
- Roanoke, AL18 mi
- Wadley, AL19 mi
- Opelika, AL20 mi
- Auburn University, AL21 mi
- Auburn, AL22 mi
- Dadeville, AL23 mi
- Jacksons Gap, AL24 mi
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