NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Scottsboro, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Scottsboro, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 136 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 21 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 136
- EF3 or stronger
- 21
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
81 deaths in all
What the records show for Scottsboro
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Scottsboro; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The record near Scottsboro begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 90% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Scottsboro. The strongest of the 136 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 25 people. Of the 136, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 89 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 40. The most recent tornado was on August 20, 2025. Scottsboro has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 54% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1976, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 59% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Scottsboro.
Compare Scottsboro's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Scottsboro
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 23 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 Scottsboro: 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 Scottsboro
By decade
- 2020s28(1 EF3+)
- 2010s37(7 EF3+)
- 2000s24(2 EF3+)
- 1990s17(2 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13(3 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 17 mi | 33.66 mi | 25 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 1989 | F4 | 19 mi | 18.5 mi | 21 / 463 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 6 mi | 46.98 mi | 14 / 50 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 20 mi | 46.88 mi | 6 / 48 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 13 mi | 20.24 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF4 | 13 mi | 10.9 mi | 1 / 12 |
| May 18, 1995 | F4 | 14 mi | 39 mi | 1 / 55 |
| May 19, 1973 | F4 | 23 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | EF3 | 17 mi | 13.48 mi | 4 / 9 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 14 mi | 46.5 mi | 2 / 7 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 20 mi | 38.8 mi | 2 / 90 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF3 | 13 mi | 12.34 mi | 0 / 7 |
The strongest 12 of 136, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Scottsboro
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Scottsboro since 1976, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently April 10, 2009. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. April and May have the most reports, 12 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Scottsboro
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Scottsboro, AL, 1 mile northeast of Scottsboro at 615 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 29°F. December is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 59.9 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 57 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 75 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.3 inches a year, most of it in February. That 59.9 inches is more than at 75 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (70%). Hollywood, 9 miles northeast, has its own station (Scottsboro 2 NE, AL): 55.2 inches a year, 4.7 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 29 | 6.1 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.6 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 55 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 37 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 54 | 32 | 6.2 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Year | 72 | 48 | 59.9 | 82 | 1.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Scottsboro, AL (615 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 Scottsboro
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 333 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Scottsboro: 301 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 floods, 13 flash floods, 4 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $1.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 87 mph, on May 8, 2024. March has had the most flash floods, 4 of 13. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 162 have had fewer than Scottsboro.
August 5, 2005: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Scottsboro — 2 injured, $100,000 damage.
NWS: “A downburst struck the Jackson County Park Campground. Several trees and power poles were blown down.”
July 20, 2000: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Scottsboro — 1 injured, $25,000 damage.
June 21, 2019: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Scottsboro — 1 injured.
NWS: “A tree was knocked down onto CR 114. A vehicle ran into the tree a bit later and the occupant was injured.”
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 Scottsboro's 2 ZIP codes have filed 42 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $441,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 17% 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, 60 have fewer than Scottsboro.
Jackson County, which includes Scottsboro, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 6 hurricanes, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Thunderstorms, on July 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jackson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $29.4 million a year, the 25th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.5 million (46%), 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.
Cities near Scottsboro
- Woodville, AL9 mi
- Hollywood, AL9 mi
- Section, AL10 mi
- Dutton, AL10 mi
- Pisgah, AL16 mi
- Grant, AL16 mi
- Fyffe, AL17 mi
- Sylvania, AL17 mi
- Rainsville, AL18 mi
- Gurley, AL18 mi
- Henagar, AL20 mi
- Stevenson, AL20 mi
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