NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pisgah, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pisgah, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 114 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 18 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 114
- EF3 or stronger
- 18
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
50 deaths in all
What the records show for Pisgah
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Pisgah; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The record near Pisgah begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 90% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Pisgah. The strongest of the 114 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 8 miles, and it killed 25 people. Of the 114, 16 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 82 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 42. The most recent tornado was on August 20, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 66% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Pisgah. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 43 times since 1960, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 64% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Pisgah.
Compare Pisgah's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pisgah
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 36 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 Pisgah: 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 Pisgah
By decade
- 2020s21(1 EF3+)
- 2010s39(7 EF3+)
- 2000s22(2 EF3+)
- 1990s12(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9(3 EF3+)
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 8 mi | 33.66 mi | 25 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | in town | 46.98 mi | 14 / 50 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 9 mi | 20.24 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF4 | in town | 10.9 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF4 | 25 mi | 16.62 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 19, 1973 | F4 | 16 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | EF3 | 2 mi | 13.48 mi | 4 / 9 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 24 mi | 46.5 mi | 2 / 7 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF3 | 4 mi | 12.34 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 17 mi | 14.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 17 mi | 21.25 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 10 mi | 32.53 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 114, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Pisgah
The Storm Prediction Center has 43 hail reports within 10 miles of Pisgah since 1960, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on March 1, 2017. The most recent report is from June 27, 2025. April and May have the most reports, 10 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Pisgah
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Scottsboro 2 NE, AL, 11 miles west of Pisgah at 636 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. January and March are the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 55.2 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 46 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 72 nights a year. That 55.2 inches is more than at 23 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (21%). Henagar, 6 miles southeast, has its own station (Valley Head 1 SSW, AL): 56.4 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 30 | 5.8 | 6 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 5.7 | 9 |
| Mar | 64 | 39 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 4.3 | 7 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 4.1 | 4 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Dec | 54 | 33 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Year | 71 | 48 | 55.2 | 81 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Scottsboro 2 NE, AL (636 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 Pisgah
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 231 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pisgah: 211 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 6 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $596,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 10, 2014. May has had the most flash floods, 4 of 11. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 131 have had fewer than Pisgah.
July 20, 2000: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Pisgah — 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
Jackson County, which includes Pisgah, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 6 hurricanes, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Thunderstorms, on July 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jackson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $29.4 million a year, the 25th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.5 million (46%), 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.