NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Mc Calla, 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
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Mc Calla, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 149 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 20 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 149
- EF3 or stronger
- 20
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
231 deaths in all
What the records show for Mc Calla
None of the 17 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Mc Calla; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 67 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The record near Mc Calla begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 4 systems. Of the 17 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 54% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Mc Calla. The highest rating among the 149 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 8, 1998, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on April 27, 2011, killed 64 people. Of the 149, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 88 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 43. The most recent tornado was on November 25, 2025. Mc Calla has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 64% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 41 times since 1955, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 67% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Mc Calla.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Mc Calla
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | overhead | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 16 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 17 | 72 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 Mc Calla: 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 Mc Calla
By decade
- 2020s25(3 EF3+)
- 2010s38(4 EF3+)
- 2000s25(1 EF3+)
- 1990s11(1 EF3+)
- 1980s15
- 1970s15(3 EF3+)
- 1960s12(4 EF3+)
- 1950s8(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 1966 | F5 | 19 mi | 202.5 mi | 58 / 518 |
| Apr 8, 1998 | F5 | 14 mi | 30.3 mi | 32 / 259 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F5 | 19 mi | 14.7 mi | 22 / 130 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 10 mi | 80.68 mi | 64 / 1500 |
| Apr 15, 1956 | F4 | 17 mi | 21.3 mi | 25 / 200 |
| Dec 16, 2000 | F4 | 18 mi | 18 mi | 11 / 144 |
| May 27, 1973 | F4 | 24 mi | 139.1 mi | 7 / 199 |
| Feb 23, 1975 | F4 | 20 mi | 14.4 mi | 1 / 49 |
| Mar 5, 1963 | F4 | 10 mi | 14.9 mi | 0 / 35 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 11 mi | 72.13 mi | 7 / 50 |
| May 6, 1967 | F3 | 20 mi | 4.3 mi | 1 / 25 |
| Feb 13, 1952 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 26 |
The strongest 12 of 149, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Mc Calla
The Storm Prediction Center has 41 hail reports within 10 miles of Mc Calla since 1955, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently March 30, 2002. The most recent report is from November 25, 2025. March has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Mc Calla
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bessemer 3 WSW, AL, 10 miles northeast of Mc Calla at 445 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 34°F. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (24.6 of 55.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 80 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 57 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.2 inches a year, most of it in March. That 55.7 inches is more than at 29 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (27%). Vance, 10 miles southwest, has its own station (Bankhead L&D, AL): 60.3 inches a year, 4.6 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 34 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 61 | 37 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 68 | 43 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.7 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 87 | 64 | 3.5 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 77 | 53 | 3.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 58 | 37 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Year | 75 | 52 | 55.7 | 78 | 1.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bessemer 3 WSW, AL (445 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 Mc Calla
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 62 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Mc Calla: 50 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods and 1 flood. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $54,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on May 27, 2024. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 131 have had fewer than Mc Calla.
May 27, 2024: thunderstorm wind in Mc Calla — 1 killed.
NWS: “A line of severe thunderstorms with winds estimated at 60-70 mph moved through southern portions of Jefferson County, with widespread tree and power line damage. Some trees landed on homes.”
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
Tuscaloosa County, which includes Mc Calla, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 9 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on May 21, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Tuscaloosa County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $83.1 million a year, the 7th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $40.7 million (49%), 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 Mc Calla
- Woodstock, AL7 mi
- Vance, AL10 mi
- Bessemer, AL11 mi
- West Blocton, AL11 mi
- Brookwood, AL12 mi
- Hueytown, AL12 mi
- Helena, AL13 mi
- Maylene, AL14 mi
- Adger, AL14 mi
- Midfield, AL16 mi
- Pleasant Grove, AL16 mi
- Alabaster, AL17 mi
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