NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Somerville, 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 Somerville, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 210 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 31 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 210
- EF3 or stronger
- 31
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
225 deaths in all
What the records show for Somerville
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Somerville; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 66 miles away. The record near Somerville begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 2 systems. 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 Somerville. The highest rating among the 210 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 18 miles. Of the 210, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 128 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 61. The most recent tornado was on May 27, 2025. Somerville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than any other of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 52 times since 1957, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Somerville.
Compare Somerville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Somerville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 6 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 Somerville: 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 Somerville
By decade
- 2020s33
- 2010s52(6 EF3+)
- 2000s43(2 EF3+)
- 1990s15(2 EF3+)
- 1980s19(6 EF3+)
- 1970s21(8 EF3+)
- 1960s12(2 EF3+)
- 1950s15(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 18 mi | 132 mi | 72 / 145 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 14 mi | 79.5 mi | 28 / 272 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 20 mi | 52 mi | 28 / 267 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 23 mi | 83.3 mi | 16 / 190 |
| Nov 15, 1989 | F4 | 13 mi | 18.5 mi | 21 / 463 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 24 mi | 127.8 mi | 13 / 54 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 13 mi | 46.88 mi | 6 / 48 |
| Apr 24, 1955 | F4 | 11 mi | 8.6 mi | 5 / 20 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF4 | 18 mi | 16.7 mi | 4 / 23 |
| Mar 22, 1952 | F4 | 12 mi | 21.6 mi | 4 / 50 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 15 mi | 110.6 mi | 3 / 178 |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F4 | 24 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 6 |
The strongest 12 of 210, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Somerville
The Storm Prediction Center has 52 hail reports within 10 miles of Somerville since 1957, made on 43 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on October 8, 2014. The most recent report is from May 25, 2025. April has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Somerville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Huntsville International Airport, AL, 11 miles north of Somerville at 624 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 33°F. December is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 54.6 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 62 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 56 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.4 inches a year, most of it in February. That 54.6 inches is more than at 17 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (16%). Laceys Spring, 8 miles east, has its own station (Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL): 58.0 inches a year, 3.4 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Feb | 57 | 36 | 5.1 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 66 | 43 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 3.5 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 5.9 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Year | 74 | 52 | 54.6 | 79 | 2.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Huntsville International Airport, AL (624 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 Somerville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 218 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Somerville: 194 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 7 floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $922,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on October 13, 2014. April has had the most flash floods, 4 of 14. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 170 have had fewer than Somerville.
April 19, 2009: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Somerville — 1 killed, $41,000 damage.
September 22, 2025: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Somerville — 1 injured, $3,000 damage.
NWS: “Multiple trees were knocked down along Cain Road at East Upper River Road. One tree fell onto an SUV, breaking glass producing minor cuts to an occupant.”
April 20, 2011: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Somerville — 1 injured.
NWS: “A bowing line segment of severe thunderstorms created damaging straight-line winds. The winds blew a tree on a house and caused 1 injury.”
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
Morgan County, which includes Somerville, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 6 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 5, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Morgan County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $65.1 million a year, the 8th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $24.4 million (37%), 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 Somerville
- Laceys Spring, AL8 mi
- Eva, AL10 mi
- Hartselle, AL11 mi
- Falkville, AL13 mi
- Union Grove, AL14 mi
- Decatur, AL14 mi
- Baileyton, AL15 mi
- Madison, AL15 mi
- Joppa, AL16 mi
- Vinemont, AL18 mi
- Arab, AL18 mi
- Huntsville, AL18 mi
All Alabama cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Somerville with another place →