NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Leesburg, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Leesburg, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 117 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 21 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 117
- EF3 or stronger
- 21
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
82 deaths in all
What the records show for Leesburg
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Leesburg; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 15 miles away. The record near Leesburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. Of the 11 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 76% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Leesburg. The strongest of the 117 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 18 miles, and it killed 25 people. Of the 117, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 63 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 48. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 60% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Leesburg. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 76 times since 1956, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Leesburg has more hail reports within 10 miles than 67% of the 323 Alabama cities.
Compare Leesburg's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Leesburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 53 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 Leesburg: 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 Leesburg
By decade
- 2020s16(1 EF3+)
- 2010s30(7 EF3+)
- 2000s17(1 EF3+)
- 1990s18(3 EF3+)
- 1980s9(2 EF3+)
- 1970s15(3 EF3+)
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 18 mi | 33.66 mi | 25 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 16 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 19 mi | 50 mi | 22 / 150 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF4 | 8 mi | 16.62 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 19, 1973 | F4 | 19 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 19 mi | 38.17 mi | 6 / 10 |
| Mar 19, 2018 | EF3 | 25 mi | 35.22 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 12 mi | 11.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 17 mi | 21.25 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 21 mi | 17.7 mi | 0 / 35 |
| Dec 16, 2000 | F3 | 5 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 19 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 20 |
The strongest 12 of 117, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Leesburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 76 hail reports within 10 miles of Leesburg since 1956, made on 44 separate days. Of these, 49 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 2, 2003. The most recent report is from April 10, 2025. April has the most reports, 27.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Leesburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Gadsden 19 N, AL, 13 miles northwest of Leesburg at 1,152 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 31°F. December is the wettest at 6.1 inches of precipitation on average and August and October the driest at 3.9 inches; the year adds up to 57.8 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 45% of the year's precipitation (26.1 of 57.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. October has brought the most of the 11 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal October there has highs of 71°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 26 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 67 nights a year. That 57.8 inches is more than at 59 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (55%). Cedar Bluff, 9 miles east, has its own station (Summerville, GA): 58.3 inches a year, 0.5 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 31 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 54 | 34 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Mar | 61 | 41 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Apr | 70 | 48 | 5.2 | 7 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Jul | 87 | 67 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Aug | 86 | 66 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Sep | 81 | 59 | 4.5 | 4 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 52 | 34 | 6.1 | 8 |
| Year | 69 | 49 | 57.8 | 80 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Gadsden 19 N, AL (1,152 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 Leesburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 181 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Leesburg: 156 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 6 floods, 4 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $590,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on March 14, 2019. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 170 have had fewer than Leesburg.
April 3, 2018: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Leesburg — 1 injured.
NWS: “Large tree on home with one injury.”
August 20, 2025: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Leesburg — 1 injured.
NWS: “A tree fell on a kayaker on Terrapin Creek near County Road 336, resulting in an injury. Nearby, a tree was downed at CR 14 and CR 523 as well.”
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
Cherokee County, which includes Leesburg, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 8 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Zeta, on December 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cherokee County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.1 million a year, the 36th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.2 million (57%), 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.