NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rainbow City, 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
13 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rainbow City, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 124 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 23 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 124
- EF3 or stronger
- 23
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
59 deaths in all
What the records show for Rainbow City
None of the 13 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rainbow City; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The record near Rainbow City begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The 1900s and the 1910s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 13 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 69% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Rainbow City. The highest rating among the 124 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 5 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 7 miles. Of the 124, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 65 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 46. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 56% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rainbow City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 87 times since 1967, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Rainbow City has more hail reports within 10 miles than 73% of the 323 Alabama cities.
Compare Rainbow City's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rainbow City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 46 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 Rainbow City: 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 Rainbow City
By decade
- 2020s13(1 EF3+)
- 2010s25(5 EF3+)
- 2000s27(2 EF3+)
- 1990s11(2 EF3+)
- 1980s9(2 EF3+)
- 1970s21(5 EF3+)
- 1960s14(3 EF3+)
- 1950s4(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 7 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 12 mi | 50 mi | 22 / 150 |
| Nov 18, 1957 | F4 | 22 mi | 26.1 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF4 | 20 mi | 16.62 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F4 | 15 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 13 mi | 38.17 mi | 6 / 10 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F3 | 6 mi | 7.3 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Jan 10, 1975 | F3 | 13 mi | 18.8 mi | 1 / 60 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 5 mi | 41.6 mi | 1 / 44 |
| Mar 19, 2018 | EF3 | 9 mi | 35.22 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 16 mi | 11.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 24 mi | 17.7 mi | 0 / 35 |
The strongest 12 of 124, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rainbow City
The Storm Prediction Center has 87 hail reports within 10 miles of Rainbow City since 1967, made on 63 separate days. Of these, 59 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 7, 1985. The most recent report is from April 10, 2025. April has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rainbow City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Gadsden, AL, 7 miles northeast of Rainbow City at 565 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 33°F. January is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 57.8 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 45% of the year's precipitation (26.1 of 57.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. October has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal October there has highs of 75°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 66 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 53 nights a year. That 57.8 inches is more than at 59 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (55%). Steele, 11 miles west, has its own station (Oneonta, AL): 57.2 inches a year, 0.6 less than here, and the same July average high, 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 5.7 | 8 |
| Feb | 57 | 36 | 5.2 | 8 |
| Mar | 66 | 43 | 5.4 | 8 |
| Apr | 75 | 50 | 5.1 | 7 |
| May | 82 | 59 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Sep | 85 | 64 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 75 | 53 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Dec | 56 | 36 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Year | 74 | 52 | 57.8 | 85 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Gadsden, AL (565 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 Rainbow City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 183 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rainbow City: 159 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 flash floods, 3 lightning strikes and 2 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 37, and the NWS estimated $2.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on August 2, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 19. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 208 have had fewer than Rainbow City.
August 3, 2023: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Rainbow City — 20 injured.
June 3, 2001: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Rainbow City — 9 injured, $15,000 damage.
April 27, 2011: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Rainbow City — 2 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Rainbow City's ZIP code 35906 have filed 29 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $242,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 118 Alabama cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 44 have fewer than Rainbow City.
Etowah County, which includes Rainbow City, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 7 hurricanes, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Thunderstorms, on July 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Etowah County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $50.3 million a year, the 12th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $22.9 million (45%), 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.