NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Phil Campbell, 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 Phil Campbell, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Katrina in 2005. Since 1950, 110 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 110
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
159 deaths in all
What the records show for Phil Campbell
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Phil Campbell; the strongest was Frederic in 1979, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre crossed the city. The record near Phil Campbell begins with an unnamed storm in 1879; the most recent system was Katrina in 2005, a tropical storm 43 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 3 systems. 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 Phil Campbell. The highest rating among the 110 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 2 miles. Of the 110, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 75 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 33. The most recent tornado was on February 15, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 69% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Phil Campbell. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 95 times since 1984, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Phil Campbell has more hail reports within 10 miles than 79% of the 323 Alabama cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Phil Campbell
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | overhead | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | overhead | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Phil Campbell: 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 Phil Campbell
By decade
- 2020s17
- 2010s35(3 EF3+)
- 2000s23(1 EF3+)
- 1990s10
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5(3 EF3+)
- 1960s6(2 EF3+)
- 1950s7(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 2 mi | 132 mi | 72 / 145 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 15 mi | 79.5 mi | 28 / 272 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 16 mi | 52 mi | 28 / 267 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 10 mi | 37.3 mi | 23 / 137 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF4 | 24 mi | 16.7 mi | 4 / 23 |
| Feb 4, 1971 | F3 | 6 mi | 34.1 mi | 1 / 13 |
| Feb 20, 1953 | F3 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 10 mi | 31.84 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F3 | 20 mi | 60 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Oct 24, 1967 | F3 | 23 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 9, 1964 | F3 | 11 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 11 mi | 51.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 110, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Phil Campbell
The Storm Prediction Center has 95 hail reports within 10 miles of Phil Campbell since 1984, made on 65 separate days. Of these, 49 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 27, 1996. The most recent report is from April 2, 2025. March has the most reports, 31.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Phil Campbell
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Russellville 4 SSE, AL, 8 miles north of Phil Campbell at 720 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 30°F. December is the wettest at 6.3 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.9 inches; the year adds up to 58.8 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 47% of the year's precipitation (27.5 of 58.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 11 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 41 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 76 nights a year. That 58.8 inches is more than at 70 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (65%). Hackleburg, 9 miles southwest, has its own station (Haleyville, AL): 66.2 inches a year, 7.4 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 30 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Feb | 55 | 33 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Mar | 64 | 40 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.2 | 7 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Sep | 83 | 58 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Oct | 73 | 47 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Dec | 54 | 33 | 6.3 | 8 |
| Year | 71 | 48 | 58.8 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Russellville 4 SSE, AL (720 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 Phil Campbell
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 167 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Phil Campbell: 149 thunderstorm wind reports, 15 flash floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 flood. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 87 mph, on February 15, 2025. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 15. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 183 have had fewer than Phil Campbell.
June 29, 2025: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Phil Campbell — 1 injured.
July 25, 2004: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Phil Campbell — $150,000 damage.
April 20, 2011: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Phil Campbell — $100,000 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
Franklin County, which includes Phil Campbell, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 6 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Franklin County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $17.2 million a year, the 34th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.1 million (36%), is from tornadoes.
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).
Phil Campbell in the notable storm records: The April 27, 2011 EF5 Tornado in Alabama, near Madison
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Phil Campbell
- Spruce Pine, AL8 mi
- Hackleburg, AL9 mi
- Haleyville, AL10 mi
- Russellville, AL12 mi
- Hamilton, AL21 mi
- Double Springs, AL23 mi
- Leighton, AL24 mi
- Red Bay, AL24 mi
- Tuscumbia, AL25 mi
- Town Creek, AL27 mi
- Moulton, AL27 mi
- Guin, AL28 mi
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