NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lanett, 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
23 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lanett, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 93 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 23
- Tornadoes
- 93
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
50 deaths in all
What the records show for Lanett
None of the 23 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lanett; the strongest was Eloise in 1975, a tropical storm with 69 mph winds when its centre passed 29 miles away. The record near Lanett begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 61 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 6 systems. None of the 23 systems has come since 2000. Lanett has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 61% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The highest rating among the 93 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 3, 2019, came within 23 miles. Of the 93, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 55 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, 83% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lanett. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 63 times since 1973, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Lanett has more hail reports within 10 miles than 55% of the 323 Alabama cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lanett
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 15 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 4 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 1 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 28 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 13 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 Lanett: 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 Lanett
By decade
- 2020s13(2 EF3+)
- 2010s31(3 EF3+)
- 2000s11
- 1990s8
- 1980s9
- 1970s13(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF4 | 23 mi | 68.04 mi | 23 / 90 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 18 mi | 44.18 mi | 7 / 30 |
| Apr 18, 1953 | F3 | 23 mi | 39.8 mi | 8 / 495 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF3 | 17 mi | 82.31 mi | 7 / 16 |
| Mar 19, 1970 | F3 | 3 mi | 2 mi | 2 / 14 |
| Jan 26, 1974 | F3 | 23 mi | 21.3 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Mar 26, 2023 | EF3 | 3 mi | 21.54 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 29, 2014 | EF3 | 22 mi | 11.45 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Dec 5, 1954 | F3 | 10 mi | 51 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 15 mi | 34.04 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Mar 5, 1989 | F2 | 14 mi | 45.5 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF2 | 25 mi | 23.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 93, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lanett
The Storm Prediction Center has 63 hail reports within 10 miles of Lanett since 1973, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 19, 2006. The most recent report is from June 28, 2022. April has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lanett
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is W Pt, GA, 2 miles northeast of Lanett at 575 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 32°F. December is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 52.6 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 45% of the year's precipitation (23.8 of 52.6 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 23 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (10); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 57 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 56 nights a year. That 52.6 inches is more than at 8 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (7%). Lafayette, 13 miles west, has its own station (Lafayette 2W, AL): 56.4 inches a year, 3.8 more than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 32 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 60 | 35 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Mar | 67 | 41 | 5.3 | 6 |
| Apr | 75 | 48 | 4.6 | 5 |
| May | 82 | 57 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Jun | 88 | 65 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.1 | 4 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 4.4 | 5 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 5.4 | 7 |
| Year | 74 | 50 | 52.6 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at W Pt, GA (575 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 Lanett
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 92 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lanett: 77 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $525,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on March 3, 1999. October 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 Lanett.
June 17, 2016: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Lanett — 1 killed, $100,000 damage.
June 19, 2010: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Lanett — 1 injured.
NWS: “The Troup County 911 Center reported that a female teenager was injured by lightning while boating on West Point Lake.”
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 Lanett's ZIP code 36863 have filed 14 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 2003, and were paid $498,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 21% 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, 13 have fewer than Lanett.
Chambers County, which includes Lanett, 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 Lanett
- West Point, GA4 mi
- Valley, AL7 mi
- Cusseta, AL10 mi
- Lafayette, AL13 mi
- Lagrange, GA15 mi
- Hamilton, GA18 mi
- Pine Mountain, GA19 mi
- Salem, AL20 mi
- Opelika, AL20 mi
- Fortson, GA20 mi
- Roanoke, AL22 mi
- Smiths Station, AL24 mi
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