Autauga County, Alabama Hurricane History
Since 1852, 35 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Autauga County, Alabama — about one every 5.0 years. Of those, 3 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Claudette (2021), which passed 28 miles away on 20 June 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentClaudette (2021) — 28 mi away, 20 June 2021
- Strongest stormOpal (1995) — 65 kt (75 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1900) — 3.1 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles19 of 35
- Peak monthSeptember — 10 storms (29% of all)
- Most active year1916 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1900s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1852–2021
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claudette (2021) | 20 Jun 2021 | 28.5 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Zeta (2020) | 29 Oct 2020 | 48.7 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Sally (2020) | 17 Sep 2020 | 43.7 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Alberto (2018) | 29 May 2018 | 10.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Cindy (2005) | 7 Jul 2005 | 15.8 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Ivan (2004) | 16 Sep 2004 | 37.4 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Barry (2001) | 6 Aug 2001 | 42.6 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Danny (1997) | 21 Jul 1997 | 29.2 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Opal (1995) | 5 Oct 1995 | 15.1 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Alberto (1994) | 7 Jul 1994 | 11.9 mi | TS / TD | 10 kt |
| Juan (1985) | 1 Nov 1985 | 14.4 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Eloise (1975) | 23 Sep 1975 | 49.3 mi | Cat 1 | 64 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1969) | 1 Oct 1969 | 15.5 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Irene (1959) | 8 Oct 1959 | 9.5 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Arlene (1959) | 2 Jun 1959 | 22.5 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| King (1950) | 20 Oct 1950 | 24.4 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 10 Jul 1948 | 14.2 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 16 Oct 1947 | 20.3 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1944) | 11 Sep 1944 | 37.9 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 27 Sep 1939 | 17.2 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 17 Aug 1939 | 44.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 30 Jul 1926 | 11.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 18 Oct 1916 | 41.6 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 8 Jul 1916 | 46.1 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 14 Jun 1912 | 22.5 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1907) | 22 Sep 1907 | 8.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1903) | 15 Sep 1903 | 44.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1902) | 11 Oct 1902 | 39.0 mi | TS / TD | 36 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1900) | 14 Sep 1900 | 3.1 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1899) | 2 Aug 1899 | 18.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 1 Sep 1898 | 38.9 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 3 Oct 1893 | 28.9 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1881) | 29 Aug 1881 | 9.6 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 16 Sep 1859 | 26.3 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1852) | 27 Aug 1852 | 23.8 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 3 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here.
| Storm | Status | Closest approach | Distance | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee (2011) | Post-tropical | 6 Sep 2011 | 9.7 mi | 30 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 14 Aug 2010 | 8.0 mi | 16 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | Post-tropical | 16 Oct 1932 | 34.3 mi | 38 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Autauga County, Alabama more than once.
- Alberto — 2 passes (1994, 2018)
How Autauga County, Alabama compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Autauga County, Alabama ranks #407 — more exposed than 81.6% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #24 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Opal (1995) passed 15 miles away on 5 October 1995 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Eloise (1975) passed 49 miles away on 23 September 1975 as a hurricane, reaching 64 kt (74 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1916) passed 42 miles away on 18 October 1916 as a hurricane, reaching 58 kt (67 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Zeta (2020) passed 49 miles away on 29 October 2020 as a tropical storm, reaching 57 kt (66 mph) while within 50 miles.
34 of the 35 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 5.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 35 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 4 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 22 years, between 1859 and 1881. It has been 4 years since the last one; 14 of the 30 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Autauga County, Alabama?
3 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Autauga County, Alabama at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 35.
When was the last hurricane in Autauga County, Alabama?
Opal (1995), on 5 October 1995, passing 15 miles away — 31 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Claudette (2021) in 2021.
What was the strongest storm to affect Autauga County, Alabama?
Opal (1995), which reached 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 15 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Autauga County, Alabama?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 5.0 years — 35 storms over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
Autauga County, Alabama borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Dallas County, Alabama has 35 on record.