NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Steele, 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
14 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Steele, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 139 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 20 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 139
- EF3 or stronger
- 20
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
73 deaths in all
What the records show for Steele
None of the 14 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Steele; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 17 miles away. The record near Steele begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 4 systems. Of the 14 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 323 Alabama cities on this site, 64% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Steele. The highest rating among the 139 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 5 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 25 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on April 27, 2011, killed 22 people. Of the 139, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 75 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 52. The most recent tornado was on February 16, 2025. Steele has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 56% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 31 times since 1973, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 82% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Steele.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Steele
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 37 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 Steele: 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 Steele
By decade
- 2020s15(1 EF3+)
- 2010s32(6 EF3+)
- 2000s28(2 EF3+)
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s12(2 EF3+)
- 1970s22(4 EF3+)
- 1960s11(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 8 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 14 mi | 50 mi | 22 / 150 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 25 mi | 127.8 mi | 13 / 54 |
| Nov 18, 1957 | F4 | 15 mi | 26.1 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F4 | 8 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF3 | 17 mi | 38.17 mi | 6 / 10 |
| Jan 23, 2012 | EF3 | 20 mi | 15.69 mi | 1 / 75 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F3 | 4 mi | 7.3 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Jan 10, 1975 | F3 | 12 mi | 18.8 mi | 1 / 60 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 1 mi | 41.6 mi | 1 / 44 |
| Mar 19, 2018 | EF3 | 18 mi | 35.22 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 21 mi | 11.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 139, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Steele
The Storm Prediction Center has 31 hail reports within 10 miles of Steele since 1973, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently March 19, 2018. The most recent report is from April 10, 2025. April has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Steele
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Oneonta, AL, 10 miles west of Steele at 1,100 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 33°F. December is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 57.2 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 45% of the year's precipitation (25.5 of 57.2 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 52 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 65 nights a year. That 57.2 inches is more than at 53 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (50%). Rainbow City, 11 miles east, has its own station (Gadsden, AL): 57.8 inches a year, 0.6 more than here, and the same July average high, 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 57 | 35 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Apr | 74 | 50 | 5.6 | 7 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 4.1 | 4 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 3.4 | 4 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Dec | 55 | 35 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Year | 73 | 51 | 57.2 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Oneonta, AL (1,100 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 Steele
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 83 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Steele: 77 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on August 2, 2008.
April 24, 2010: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Steele — 1 killed, $2,000 damage.
February 27, 1999: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Steele — 1 injured, $800,000 damage.
February 27, 1999: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Steele — $240,000 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
St. Clair County, which includes Steele, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 8 hurricanes, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives St. Clair County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $32.6 million a year, the 23rd highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.6 million (54%), 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 Steele
- Ashville, AL6 mi
- Rainbow City, AL11 mi
- Altoona, AL11 mi
- Southside, AL12 mi
- Oneonta, AL12 mi
- Attalla, AL13 mi
- Ragland, AL14 mi
- Ohatchee, AL15 mi
- Springville, AL15 mi
- Gadsden, AL17 mi
- Glencoe, AL18 mi
- Boaz, AL20 mi
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