NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Union Grove, 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 Union Grove, Alabama since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 196 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 28 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 196
- EF3 or stronger
- 28
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
82 deaths in all
What the records show for Union Grove
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Union Grove; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 54 miles away. The record near Union Grove 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 Union Grove. The highest rating among the 196 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 8 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 2 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on November 15, 1989, killed 21 people. Of the 196, 13 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 113 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 64. The most recent tornado was on May 27, 2025. Union Grove has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 97% of the 323 Alabama cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 96 times since 1965, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Union Grove has more hail reports within 10 miles than 80% of the 323 Alabama cities.
Compare Union Grove's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Union Grove
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanNov 1 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 7 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 Union Grove: 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 Union Grove
By decade
- 2020s30
- 2010s50(5 EF3+)
- 2000s33(2 EF3+)
- 1990s14(1 EF3+)
- 1980s20(6 EF3+)
- 1970s21(6 EF3+)
- 1960s13(2 EF3+)
- 1950s15(6 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 1989 | F4 | 17 mi | 18.5 mi | 21 / 463 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 14 mi | 127.8 mi | 13 / 54 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 2 mi | 46.88 mi | 6 / 48 |
| Apr 24, 1955 | F4 | 22 mi | 8.6 mi | 5 / 20 |
| Mar 22, 1952 | F4 | 19 mi | 21.6 mi | 4 / 50 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 15 mi | 110.6 mi | 3 / 178 |
| Nov 18, 1957 | F4 | 20 mi | 26.1 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F4 | 17 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 20 mi | 72.6 mi | 7 / 53 |
| Feb 16, 1995 | F3 | 12 mi | 14 mi | 6 / 130 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 17 mi | 46.5 mi | 2 / 7 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | in town | 38.8 mi | 2 / 90 |
The strongest 12 of 196, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Union Grove
The Storm Prediction Center has 96 hail reports within 10 miles of Union Grove since 1965, made on 59 separate days. Of these, 57 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 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 May 8, 2025. April has the most reports, 36.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Union Grove
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL, 10 miles northeast of Union Grove at 590 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 30°F. December is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and August and October the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 58.0 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 49 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 78 nights a year. That 58.0 inches is more than at 64 of the 107 Alabama stations used on this site (60%). Arab, 7 miles south, has its own station (Guntersville, AL): 56.9 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 30 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 5.5 | 9 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 5.1 | 8 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Oct | 74 | 47 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 6.2 | 9 |
| Year | 71 | 48 | 58.0 | 84 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL (590 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 Union Grove
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 277 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Union Grove: 222 thunderstorm wind reports, 39 flash floods, 9 floods, 5 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 3 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $3.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on March 13, 2006. March has had the most flash floods, 8 of 39. Of the 321 Alabama cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 270 have had fewer than Union Grove.
December 25, 2015: flood 5 miles from the centre of Union Grove — 1 killed.
NWS: “From WHNT News Article: Madison County Coroner has identified a man who drowned Sunday afternoon in the New Hope area. m.”
October 6, 2021: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Union Grove — 1 killed.
October 6, 2021: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Union Grove — 1 killed.
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
Marshall County, which includes Union Grove, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 6 hurricanes, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Thunderstorms, on July 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Marshall 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 $50.2 million a year, the 13th highest of 67 Alabama counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $20.0 million (40%), 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.