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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Tallassee, 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 Tallassee, Alabama since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Fred in 2021. Since 1950, 124 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
1

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
26

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
124

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
8

29 deaths in all

What the records show for Tallassee

The strongest storm to pass near Tallassee was Eloise in 1975, a Category 1 hurricane with 79 mph winds when its centre passed 6 miles away. The record near Tallassee begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Fred in 2021, a tropical storm 66 miles away. The 1880s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 27 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Tallassee has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 63% of the 323 Alabama cities on this site. The highest rating among the 124 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on April 18, 1953, killed 8 people. Of the 124, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 87 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 28. The most recent tornado was on March 15, 2025. Of the 323 Alabama cities, 56% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Tallassee. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1978, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 323 Alabama cities, 71% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Tallassee.

Compare Tallassee's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Tallassee

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Tallassee, Alabama, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021FredAug 1766 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2020ZetaOct 2969 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 3
2004IvanSep 1673 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 5
1995OpalOct 526 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 4
1985JuanNov 155 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 1
1975EloiseSep 236 miCategory 1 (79 mph)Category 3
1932Unnamed 1932 stormOct 1668 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1536 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 860 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 3
1915Unnamed 1915 stormSep 443 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 2
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 1431 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormSep 2232 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormJun 1312 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 157 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 113 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1901Unnamed 1901 stormSep 1875 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1899Unnamed 1899 stormAug 273 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1898Unnamed 1898 stormSep 140 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1896Unnamed 1896 stormJul 872 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 2
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 35 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 4
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2358 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 2074 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1887Unnamed 1887 stormJul 2835 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 1065 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 3
1881Unnamed 1881 stormAug 2810 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 2
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 164 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1852Unnamed 1852 stormAug 278 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Tallassee: 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 Tallassee

By decade

  • 2020s28(2 EF3+)
  • 2010s27(1 EF3+)
  • 2000s32
  • 1990s12(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s10
  • 1970s9(2 EF3+)
  • 1960s3(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s3(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Tallassee, Alabama
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Apr 27, 2011EF412 mi44.18 mi7 / 30
Apr 18, 1969F423 mi52.4 mi2 / 14
Apr 18, 1953F320 mi39.8 mi8 / 495
Jan 12, 2023EF318 mi82.31 mi7 / 16
Mar 15, 2025EF322 mi20.45 mi0 / 0
Mar 18, 1996F39 mi24 mi0 / 0
Nov 25, 1979F318 mi10.2 mi0 / 20
Mar 12, 1976F38 mi4.9 mi0 / 15
Nov 30, 2022EF216 mi9.85 mi2 / 2
Mar 6, 1996F215 mi4 mi2 / 17
Mar 2, 2012EF222 mi34.04 mi1 / 4
Mar 27, 2023EF28 mi15.41 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 124, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Tallassee

The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Tallassee since 1978, made on 32 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 November 25, 2025. April has the most reports, 12.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Tallassee

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Milstead, AL, 8 miles south of Tallassee at 215 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 34°F. March is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 54.1 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 45% of the year's precipitation (24.6 of 54.1 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 27 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (10); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 66 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 54 nights a year. That 54.1 inches is more than at 14 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (13%). Eclectic, 12 miles northwest, has its own station (Rockford 3 ESE, AL): 60.2 inches a year, 6.1 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Milstead, AL
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"
Jan57345.17
Feb61364.77
Mar68425.36
Apr75494.65
May83594.76
Jun88664.27
Jul90705.07
Aug90694.46
Sep86643.65
Oct77523.13
Nov67414.35
Dec59365.16
Year755154.171

Averages for 1991–2020 at Milstead, AL (215 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.

Alabama weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Tallassee

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 105 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Tallassee: 98 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 flood. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $618,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on August 22, 2010.

  • November 24, 2004: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Tallassee — 1 injured, $85,000 damage.

    NWS: “Numerous trees and power lines were blown down or snapped off throughout Tallassee. One man suffered minor injuries when a tree landed on his moving vehicle.”

  • June 15, 2017: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Tallassee — 1 injured.

    NWS: “Cinder block wall collapsed and fell on woman causing one injury.”

  • April 12, 2020: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Tallassee — 1 injured.

    NWS: “Several trees uprooted along lower Tuskegee Road. One large tree on residence with one 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

Elmore County, which includes Tallassee, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 8 severe storms, 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 Elmore 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; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $28.7 million a year, the 26th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $18.8 million (66%), 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 Tallassee