NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sheffield, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Sheffield, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Katrina in 2005. Since 1950, 117 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 117
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
37 deaths in all
What the records show for Sheffield
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Sheffield; the strongest was Frederic in 1979, a tropical storm with 48 mph winds when its centre passed 15 miles away. The record near Sheffield begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Katrina in 2005, a tropical storm 35 miles away. The 1910s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 85% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Sheffield. The strongest of the 117 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 23 miles, and it killed 28 people. Of the 117, 20 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 76 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 60% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Sheffield. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 141 times since 1960, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Sheffield has more hail reports within 10 miles than 93% of the 323 Alabama cities.
Compare Sheffield's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sheffield
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 63 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 Sheffield: 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 Sheffield
By decade
- 2020s21
- 2010s30
- 2000s25
- 1990s11(2 EF3+)
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1960s11(5 EF3+)
- 1950s9(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 23 mi | 52 mi | 28 / 267 |
| May 18, 1995 | F4 | 21 mi | 29 mi | 3 / 32 |
| Mar 9, 1964 | F3 | 19 mi | 5.2 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Feb 20, 1953 | F3 | 4 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Jun 26, 1994 | F3 | 19 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F3 | 8 mi | 60 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Oct 24, 1967 | F3 | 6 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Oct 24, 1967 | F3 | 4 mi | 11.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 17, 1965 | F3 | 2 mi | 29.8 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Mar 9, 1964 | F3 | 14 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 16, 2019 | EF2 | 18 mi | 18.46 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1958 | F2 | 11 mi | 19.2 mi | 1 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 117, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sheffield
The Storm Prediction Center has 141 hail reports within 10 miles of Sheffield since 1960, made on 86 separate days. Of these, 80 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 March 15, 2025. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. March has the most reports, 39.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sheffield
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Muscle Shoals Regional Airport, AL, 5 miles east of Sheffield at 540 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 34°F. December is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 54.5 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 69 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 56 nights a year. That 54.5 inches is more than at 15 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (14%). Killen, 14 miles northeast, has its own station (Lexington, AL): 58.6 inches a year, 4.1 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 34 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Feb | 57 | 37 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Mar | 65 | 44 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Apr | 74 | 52 | 4.8 | 7 |
| May | 82 | 61 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Sep | 86 | 63 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Year | 74 | 52 | 54.5 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Muscle Shoals Regional Airport, AL (540 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 Sheffield
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 1,027 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sheffield: 863 thunderstorm wind reports, 108 flash floods, 25 lightning strikes, 23 floods and 8 heavy rain events. They killed 5 people and injured 10, and the NWS estimated $21.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on March 24, 2023. August has had the most flash floods, 24 of 108. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 318 have had fewer than Sheffield.
October 24, 2010: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Sheffield — 1 killed, 2 injured.
April 10, 2025: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Sheffield — 1 killed, 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
August 4, 2011: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Sheffield — 1 killed, $125,000 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 Sheffield's ZIP code 35660 have filed 14 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $364,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 118 Alabama cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 13 have fewer than Sheffield.
Colbert County, which includes Sheffield, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 7 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 5, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Colbert County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $34.9 million a year, the 19th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.7 million (39%), 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.