NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Red Level, 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
48 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Red Level, Alabama since 1851, 11 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Fred in 2021. Since 1950, 83 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 11
- Tropical storms
- 37
- Tornadoes
- 83
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Red Level
The strongest storm to pass near Red Level was Eloise in 1975, a Category 2 hurricane with 106 mph winds when its centre passed 32 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Opal in 1995, whose centre came within 4 miles. The record near Red Level begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Fred in 2021, a tropical storm 72 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 48 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Red Level has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 85% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The strongest of the 83 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on May 3, 1956; its path came within 13 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on March 12, 2001, killed 2 people. Of the 83, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 43 have come since 2000. November has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on December 28, 2024. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 89% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Red Level. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 28 times since 1984, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 85% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Red Level.
Compare Red Level's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Red Level
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | FredAug 17 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | SallySep 16 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2009 | ClaudetteAug 17 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | DennisJul 10 | 56 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 62 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2001 | BarryAug 6 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 22 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1997 | DannyJul 20 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 4 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1994 | AlbertoJul 3 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | JuanOct 31 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 32 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1969 | Unnamed 1969 stormOct 1 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 69 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 26 | 58 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormJul 9 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 13 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 31 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 31 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormOct 6 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 15 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormJul 4 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 29 | 51 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 36 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 18 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 14 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | overhead | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 17 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 2 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 3 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 7 | 51 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 27 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 28 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 37 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 31 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 16 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 19 | 67 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 12 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Red Level: 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 Red Level
By decade
- 2020s13
- 2010s9
- 2000s21
- 1990s16
- 1980s5
- 1970s6
- 1960s8
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 1956 | F3 | 13 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 10, 2024 | EF2 | 15 mi | 24.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2020 | EF2 | 14 mi | 1.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 15, 2016 | EF2 | 15 mi | 2.19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 4, 2015 | EF2 | 18 mi | 14.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2011 | EF2 | 11 mi | 22.95 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 17, 2008 | EF2 | 11 mi | 14.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 2006 | F2 | 20 mi | 15.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 28, 1983 | F2 | 5 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 11, 1979 | F2 | in town | 7.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Mar 31, 1976 | F2 | 14 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 18, 1969 | F2 | 24 mi | 6.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 83, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Red Level
The Storm Prediction Center has 28 hail reports within 10 miles of Red Level since 1984, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on July 22, 2018. The most recent report is from March 25, 2023. March and April have the most reports, 6 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Red Level
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Andalusia 3 W, AL, 9 miles southeast of Red Level at 250 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 61°F and 35°F. August is the wettest at 6.3 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 60.3 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (30.8 of 60.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 48 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (17); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 5.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 80 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 58 nights a year. That 60.3 inches is more than at 83 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (78%). Georgiana, 19 miles northwest, has its own station (Greenville, AL): 60.0 inches a year, 0.3 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 35 | 5.2 | 6 |
| Feb | 65 | 38 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Mar | 72 | 44 | 5.0 | 6 |
| Apr | 78 | 50 | 4.9 | 5 |
| May | 84 | 59 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 5.7 | 8 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 6.2 | 9 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 6.3 | 8 |
| Sep | 87 | 65 | 5.1 | 5 |
| Oct | 79 | 53 | 3.4 | 3 |
| Nov | 70 | 42 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Dec | 63 | 37 | 5.5 | 6 |
| Year | 77 | 53 | 60.3 | 70 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Andalusia 3 W, AL (250 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 Red Level
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 40 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Red Level: 34 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $409,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on April 19, 2020.
April 19, 2020: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Red Level — 2 injured.
March 12, 2001: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Red Level — $200,000 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
Covington County, which includes Red Level, has been named in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 hurricanes, 13 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Sally, on September 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Covington County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $33.1 million a year, the 22nd highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.5 million (53%), is from hurricanes.
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.
Cities near Red Level
- Andalusia, AL10 mi
- Georgiana, AL19 mi
- Brantley, AL21 mi
- Evergreen, AL21 mi
- Opp, AL23 mi
- Greenville, AL27 mi
- Luverne, AL30 mi
- Florala, AL30 mi
- Kinston, AL31 mi
- Elba, AL32 mi
- Laurel Hill, FL34 mi
- Brewton, AL35 mi
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