NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Leighton, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Leighton, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Katrina in 2005. Since 1950, 132 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 132
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
117 deaths in all
What the records show for Leighton
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Leighton; the strongest was Frederic in 1979, a tropical storm with 48 mph winds when its centre passed 4 miles away. The record near Leighton begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Katrina in 2005, a tropical storm 45 miles away. The 1910s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 85% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Leighton. The highest rating among the 132 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 15 miles. Of the 132, 16 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 85 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 31. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Leighton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 51% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 102 times since 1960, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Leighton has more hail reports within 10 miles than 83% of the 323 Alabama cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Leighton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 52 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 Leighton: 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 Leighton
By decade
- 2020s24(1 EF3+)
- 2010s35(3 EF3+)
- 2000s26(1 EF3+)
- 1990s13(2 EF3+)
- 1980s7(2 EF3+)
- 1970s6(2 EF3+)
- 1960s12(5 EF3+)
- 1950s9(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 15 mi | 132 mi | 72 / 145 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 13 mi | 52 mi | 28 / 267 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF4 | 23 mi | 16.7 mi | 4 / 23 |
| May 18, 1995 | F4 | 24 mi | 29 mi | 3 / 32 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 19 mi | 15.56 mi | 2 / 30 |
| Mar 9, 1964 | F3 | 16 mi | 5.2 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Feb 4, 1971 | F3 | 19 mi | 34.1 mi | 1 / 13 |
| Feb 20, 1953 | F3 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 8 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF3 | 19 mi | 3.76 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 25 mi | 31.84 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Jun 26, 1994 | F3 | 22 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F3 | in town | 60 mi | 0 / 16 |
The strongest 12 of 132, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Leighton
The Storm Prediction Center has 102 hail reports within 10 miles of Leighton since 1960, made on 73 separate days. Of these, 56 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently March 15, 2025. The most recent report is from March 15, 2025. March has the most reports, 27.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Leighton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Muscle Shoals Regional Airport, AL, 7 miles northwest of Leighton at 540 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 34°F. December is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 54.5 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 69 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 56 nights a year. That 54.5 inches is more than at 15 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (14%). Town Creek, 7 miles east, has its own station (Courtland 2 WSW, AL): 56.2 inches a year, 1.7 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 34 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Feb | 57 | 37 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Mar | 65 | 44 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Apr | 74 | 52 | 4.8 | 7 |
| May | 82 | 61 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Sep | 86 | 63 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Year | 74 | 52 | 54.5 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Muscle Shoals Regional Airport, AL (540 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 Leighton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 460 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Leighton: 402 thunderstorm wind reports, 30 flash floods, 11 floods, 10 lightning strikes and 7 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $3.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 94 mph, on February 15, 2025. August has had the most flash floods, 9 of 30. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 248 have had fewer than Leighton.
April 10, 2025: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Leighton — 1 killed, 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
July 19, 2016: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Leighton — 1 killed.
June 16, 2010: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Leighton — 1 injured, $25,000 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
Colbert County, which includes Leighton, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 7 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 5, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Colbert County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $34.9 million a year, the 19th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.7 million (39%), 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 Leighton
- Town Creek, AL7 mi
- Muscle Shoals, AL9 mi
- Tuscumbia, AL11 mi
- Sheffield, AL11 mi
- Russellville, AL15 mi
- Florence, AL16 mi
- Killen, AL17 mi
- Rogersville, AL18 mi
- Moulton, AL19 mi
- Hillsboro, AL19 mi
- Spruce Pine, AL22 mi
- Lexington, AL23 mi
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