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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Prichard, AL

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

71 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Prichard, Alabama since 1851, 23 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 160 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
23

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
48

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
160

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
3

1 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Prichard

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Prichard, Alabama, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2020ZetaOct 2961 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
2020SallySep 1633 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 2
2018GordonSep 534 miTropical storm (67 mph)Tropical storm
2017NateOct 837 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 1
2011LeeSep 552 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2009IdaNov 1030 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 2
2005DennisJul 1043 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 4
2005CindyJul 640 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 1
2005ArleneJun 1132 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
2004IvanSep 1616 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 5
2002HannaSep 14overheadTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
2001AllisonJun 1126 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1998GeorgesSep 2911 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 4
1997DannyJul 1926 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
1995OpalOct 465 miCategory 3 (112 mph)Category 4
1995ErinAug 317 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 2
1994JohnSep 844 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 5
1985JuanOct 3132 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 1
1985ElenaSep 250 miCategory 3 (116 mph)Category 3
1979FredericSep 1322 miCategory 3 (113 mph)Category 4
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1566 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1964HildaOct 412 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 4
1960EthelSep 1658 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 3
1959IreneOct 830 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1956FlossySep 2464 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 1
1955Unnamed 1955 stormAug 2771 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1950BakerAug 3111 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 2
1948Unnamed 1948 stormJul 955 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 827 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1944Unnamed 1944 stormSep 111 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1939Unnamed 1939 stormSep 2644 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1939Unnamed 1939 stormAug 1356 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 1
1939Unnamed 1939 stormJun 1613 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1936Unnamed 1936 stormJul 3163 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormOct 649 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1932Unnamed 1932 stormOct 1656 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1932Unnamed 1932 stormSep 118 miCategory 1 (79 mph)Category 1
1926Unnamed 1926 stormSep 2130 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 4
1923Unnamed 1923 stormOct 1855 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
1923Unnamed 1923 stormJun 2610 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1919Unnamed 1919 stormJul 453 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1917Unnamed 1917 stormSep 2873 miCategory 3 (115 mph)Category 4
1916Unnamed 1916 stormOct 1843 miCategory 2 (102 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 527 miCategory 2 (107 mph)Category 3
1914Unnamed 1914 stormSep 1828 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1912Unnamed 1912 stormSep 1424 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 1
1911Unnamed 1911 stormAug 1214 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 1
1907Unnamed 1907 stormSep 2145 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormSep 2741 miCategory 2 (102 mph)Category 3
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1055 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1901Unnamed 1901 stormAug 1521 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 1
1900Unnamed 1900 stormSep 1335 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1898Unnamed 1898 stormAug 374 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1895Unnamed 1895 stormAug 1629 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormAug 85 miTropical storm (48 mph)Tropical storm
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 215 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 4
1892Unnamed 1892 stormSep 1248 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2338 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 2
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 196 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 1
1887Unnamed 1887 stormJun 1452 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1885Unnamed 1885 stormSep 2810 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1881Unnamed 1881 stormAug 317 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1880Unnamed 1880 stormAug 3144 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 2
1879Unnamed 1879 stormOct 1669 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1877Unnamed 1877 stormSep 1950 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormJul 1154 miTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
1860Unnamed 1860 stormSep 1557 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 2
1860Unnamed 1860 stormAug 1213 miCategory 1 (89 mph)Category 3
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 1616 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 1
1855Unnamed 1855 stormSep 1663 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 3
1852Unnamed 1852 stormAug 2617 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 3

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Prichard: 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 Prichard

By decade

  • 2020s42
  • 2010s15
  • 2000s23
  • 1990s13(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s20
  • 1970s28
  • 1960s12(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s7(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Prichard, Alabama
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Nov 21, 1997F36 mi1 mi0 / 0
Nov 3, 1968F33 mi70.4 mi0 / 18
Apr 18, 1950F34 mi14 mi0 / 15
Jan 12, 2023EF221 mi11.65 mi0 / 0
Dec 25, 2012EF21 mi5.15 mi0 / 0
Mar 9, 2011EF224 mi2.05 mi0 / 0
Mar 9, 2011EF214 mi0.91 mi0 / 4
Nov 6, 2000F219 mi1.5 mi0 / 2
Jul 2, 1989F216 mi1 mi0 / 0
Feb 10, 1981F220 mi1.5 mi0 / 62
May 19, 1980F210 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Apr 13, 1980F220 mi0.1 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 160, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Prichard while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

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