NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Prattville, 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
26 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Prattville, Alabama since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 138 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 25
- Tornadoes
- 138
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
29 deaths in all
What the records show for Prattville
The strongest storm to pass near Prattville was Eloise in 1975, a Category 1 hurricane with 83 mph winds when its centre passed 38 miles away. The record near Prattville begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 54 miles away. Of the 26 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Prattville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 63% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The strongest of the 138 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 20 miles, and it killed 7 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on January 12, 2023, killed 7 people. Of the 138, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 95 have come since 2000. March and April have had the most tornadoes, 27 each. The most recent tornado was on March 15, 2025. Prattville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 56% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 74 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Prattville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 65% of the 323 Alabama cities.
Compare Prattville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Prattville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | SallySep 17 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 38 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 15 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 14 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 2 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 1 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 20 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 28 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 16 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Prattville: 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 Prattville
By decade
- 2020s23(2 EF3+)
- 2010s42(2 EF3+)
- 2000s30(1 EF3+)
- 1990s14
- 1980s10(2 EF3+)
- 1970s11(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 20 mi | 44.18 mi | 7 / 30 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF3 | 9 mi | 82.31 mi | 7 / 16 |
| May 3, 1984 | F3 | 8 mi | 7 mi | 5 / 37 |
| Apr 15, 2011 | EF3 | 8 mi | 9.29 mi | 3 / 4 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | EF3 | 25 mi | 24.33 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Dec 6, 1983 | F3 | 25 mi | 13 mi | 1 / 19 |
| Feb 17, 2008 | EF3 | 3 mi | 14.65 mi | 0 / 50 |
| Nov 25, 1979 | F3 | 15 mi | 10.2 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Mar 12, 1976 | F3 | 11 mi | 16.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Nov 30, 2022 | EF2 | 9 mi | 9.85 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Mar 6, 1996 | F2 | 23 mi | 4 mi | 2 / 17 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF2 | 23 mi | 23.22 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 138, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Prattville
The Storm Prediction Center has 74 hail reports within 10 miles of Prattville since 1962, made on 51 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 11, 2007. The most recent report is from July 4, 2025. April has the most reports, 28.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Prattville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Montgomery Airport, AL, 13 miles south of Prattville at 202 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 37°F. March is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 51.3 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 46% of the year's precipitation (23.7 of 51.3 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 26 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 93 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 37 nights a year. That 51.3 inches is more than at 3 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (3%). Deatsville, 11 miles northeast, has its own station (Clanton, AL): 60.0 inches a year, 8.7 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 37 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Feb | 65 | 40 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Mar | 72 | 47 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Apr | 79 | 53 | 4.0 | 5 |
| May | 86 | 61 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Jun | 92 | 69 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Aug | 94 | 71 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Oct | 80 | 55 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Nov | 70 | 43 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Dec | 62 | 39 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Year | 78 | 54 | 51.3 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Montgomery Airport, AL (202 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 Prattville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 158 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Prattville: 125 thunderstorm wind reports, 26 flash floods, 5 lightning strikes and 2 floods. They killed 2 people and injured 5, and the NWS estimated $7.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on March 3, 1999. May has had the most flash floods, 9 of 26. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 233 have had fewer than Prattville.
March 3, 1999: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Prattville — 1 killed, $135,000 damage.
July 23, 2015: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Prattville — 1 killed.
April 25, 2003: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Prattville — 3 injured, $1.0 million 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Prattville's 2 ZIP codes have filed 63 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2009, with 13. 24% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 118 Alabama cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 72 have fewer than Prattville.
Autauga County, which includes Prattville, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 7 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on January 15, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Autauga County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.8 million a year, the 30th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.0 million (56%), 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.