NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Selma, 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
27 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Selma, Alabama since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 91 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 26
- Tornadoes
- 91
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
15 deaths in all
What the records show for Selma
The strongest storm to pass near Selma was Eloise in 1975, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The record near Selma begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 37 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 4 systems. Of the 27 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Selma has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 63% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The strongest of the 91 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on March 1, 2007; its path came within 24 miles, and it killed 1 person. The deadliest, an EF3 on January 12, 2023, killed 7 people. Of the 91, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 59 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 30. The most recent tornado was on April 6, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 84% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Selma. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 53 times since 1959, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 54% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Selma.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Selma
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | SallySep 17 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2017 | NateOct 8 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | DennisJul 11 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 68 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 13 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 1 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 3 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 16 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 16 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Selma: 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 Selma
By decade
- 2020s16(3 EF3+)
- 2010s24
- 2000s19(1 EF3+)
- 1990s7(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s10(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2007 | EF4 | 24 mi | 6.08 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF3 | 18 mi | 82.31 mi | 7 / 16 |
| Mar 6, 1996 | F3 | 4 mi | 19 mi | 4 / 40 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | EF3 | 13 mi | 24.33 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Dec 6, 1983 | F3 | in town | 13 mi | 1 / 19 |
| Mar 30, 2022 | EF3 | 23 mi | 29.24 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 12, 1976 | F3 | 12 mi | 16.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Dec 11, 1961 | F3 | 22 mi | 9.4 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF2 | 2 mi | 23.22 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 30, 2022 | EF2 | 18 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 17, 2021 | EF2 | 24 mi | 5.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 17, 2021 | EF2 | 4 mi | 5.08 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 91, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Selma
The Storm Prediction Center has 53 hail reports within 10 miles of Selma since 1959, made on 43 separate days. Of these, 32 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 25, 2003. The most recent report is from May 10, 2025. April has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Selma
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Selma, AL, 1 mile south of Selma at 147 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 59°F and 36°F. February and March are the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 54.7 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 46% of the year's precipitation (24.9 of 54.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 81 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 40 nights a year. That 54.7 inches is more than at 19 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (18%). Autaugaville, 19 miles east, has its own station (Selma 6 SSE, AL): 53.6 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 36 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Feb | 63 | 39 | 5.4 | 7 |
| Mar | 71 | 46 | 5.4 | 7 |
| Apr | 78 | 52 | 4.6 | 5 |
| May | 85 | 61 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Sep | 89 | 67 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Oct | 80 | 55 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Nov | 69 | 43 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Dec | 61 | 38 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Year | 78 | 54 | 54.7 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Selma, AL (147 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 Selma
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 87 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Selma: 78 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $454,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 29, 1998. April has had the most flash floods, 3 of 8. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 93 have had fewer than Selma.
April 22, 1997: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Selma — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm wind blew off part of a garage roof and knocked several trees down and onto roofs. One man sustained a broken hip and leg in the storm when a tree fell onto the garage that he was standing in.”
February 18, 2009: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Selma — $140,000 damage.
NWS: “A church was destroyed when winds estimated around 70 mph lifted off its roof and shifted it about 10 feet. Several trees in the same area were snapped and uprooted.”
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 Selma's 2 ZIP codes have filed 179 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.9 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1990: 87 claims (49% of all) and $979,000. 58% 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, 95 have fewer than Selma.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1990 | 87 | $979,000 |
Dallas County, which includes Selma, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 10 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on January 15, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Dallas County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.5 million a year, the 33rd highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.2 million (55%), 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 Selma
- Autaugaville, AL19 mi
- Marion, AL25 mi
- Hayneville, AL27 mi
- Maplesville, AL27 mi
- Uniontown, AL28 mi
- Prattville, AL31 mi
- Camden, AL32 mi
- Brent, AL36 mi
- Clanton, AL37 mi
- Thorsby, AL38 mi
- Centreville, AL38 mi
- Millbrook, AL38 mi
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