NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Saraland, AL
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
69 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Saraland, Alabama since 1851, 21 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 146 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 21
- Tropical storms
- 48
- Tornadoes
- 146
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Saraland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 57 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | SallySep 16 | 37 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2018 | GordonSep 5 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | NateOct 8 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2009 | IdaNov 10 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2005 | DennisJul 10 | 41 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | CindyJul 6 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | ArleneJun 11 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 18 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | HannaSep 14 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | GeorgesSep 29 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 19 | 32 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 4 | 68 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 3 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1994 | JohnSep 8 | 37 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | JuanOct 31 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 56 mi | Category 3 (116 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 23 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | EthelSep 16 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1959 | IreneOct 8 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 24 | 71 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 12 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormJul 9 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 8 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 11 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormSep 26 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 13 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormJun 16 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 31 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormOct 6 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1 | 20 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 21 | 37 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormJun 26 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormJul 4 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 45 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 5 | 28 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 18 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 14 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 12 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 27 | 42 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 10 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 15 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 13 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 3 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormAug 16 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormAug 8 | overhead | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 2 | 10 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | overhead | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJun 14 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 28 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 3 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 31 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 16 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 19 | 56 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 15 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 12 | 7 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 16 | 61 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 26 | 13 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Saraland: 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 Saraland
By decade
- 2020s39
- 2010s15
- 2000s19
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s20
- 1970s27(1 EF3+)
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 21, 1997 | F3 | 2 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 27, 1976 | F3 | 22 mi | 13.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 3, 1968 | F3 | 3 mi | 70.4 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Apr 18, 1950 | F3 | in town | 14 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF2 | 14 mi | 11.65 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 25, 2012 | EF2 | 7 mi | 5.15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 9, 2011 | EF2 | 19 mi | 0.91 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Nov 6, 2000 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 2, 1989 | F2 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 10, 1981 | F2 | 19 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 62 |
| May 19, 1980 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 1980 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 146, 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 Saraland 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.