Bibb County, Alabama Tropical Cyclone History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Bibb County, Alabama as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1879, 33 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Bibb County, Alabama — about one every 4.5 years. Of those, 2 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Claudette (2021), which passed 15 miles away on 20 June 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

4.5

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

Key facts

Most recentClaudette (2021) — 15 mi away, 20 June 2021
Strongest stormZeta (2020) — 60 kt (69 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1881) — 4.1 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles16 of 33
Peak monthSeptember and October — 8 storms (24% of all)
Most active year1916 — 2 storms
Most active decade2000s — 6 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1879–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Bibb County, Alabama, September and October are tied as the most active months, with 8 of the 33 recorded storms (24%). Activity concentrates in July, September and October, together 70% of all storms. The 2000s was the most active decade on record, with 6 storms. 0 of the 33 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	1	4	7	4	8	8	1	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1870s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 7 storms in 1950–1987 against 13 in 1988–2025.

1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	1	2	2	3	1	2	1	3	1	2	1	3	6	2	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Claudette (2021)	20 Jun 2021	15.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Zeta (2020)	29 Oct 2020	21.2 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Alberto (2018)	29 May 2018	7.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Nate (2017)	8 Oct 2017	26.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Fay (2008)	26 Aug 2008	45.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Cindy (2005)	7 Jul 2005	28.5 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Arlene (2005)	12 Jun 2005	36.4 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Ivan (2004)	16 Sep 2004	5.9 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Bill (2003)	1 Jul 2003	27.8 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Barry (2001)	6 Aug 2001	39.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Danny (1997)	22 Jul 1997	6.4 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Opal (1995)	5 Oct 1995	49.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Alberto (1994)	7 Jul 1994	7.5 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Juan (1985)	1 Nov 1985	19.8 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Babe (1977)	7 Sep 1977	41.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Edith (1971)	17 Sep 1971	13.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1969)	2 Oct 1969	13.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Irene (1959)	8 Oct 1959	49.6 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Arlene (1959)	2 Jun 1959	15.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
King (1950)	20 Oct 1950	37.2 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	10 Jul 1948	47.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	27 Sep 1939	28.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	16 Aug 1939	5.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	30 Jul 1926	15.5 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	18 Oct 1916	21.3 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	8 Jul 1916	17.4 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	14 Jun 1912	25.2 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	22 Sep 1907	35.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	14 Sep 1900	41.6 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	1 Sep 1898	31.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	13 Sep 1892	21.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	29 Aug 1881	4.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	16 Oct 1879	46.8 mi	TS / TD	32 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
Beta (2020)	Post-tropical	25 Sep 2020	48.7 mi	20 kt
Lee (2011)	Post-tropical	5 Sep 2011	45.6 mi	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	Post-tropical	16 Oct 1932	8.1 mi	37 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1879–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

Storms that came back

2 named storms in this record passed Bibb County, Alabama more than once.

Alberto — 2 passes (1994, 2018)
Arlene — 2 passes (1959, 2005)

How Bibb County, Alabama compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Bibb County, Alabama ranks #445 — more exposed than 79.8% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #31 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.

Notable storms

TS / TD Zeta (2020) passed 21 miles away on 29 October 2020 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1916) passed 21 miles away on 18 October 1916 as a hurricane, reaching 58 kt (67 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Opal (1995) passed 50 miles away on 5 October 1995 as a hurricane, reaching 55 kt (63 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Ivan (2004) passed 6 miles away on 16 September 2004 as a tropical storm, reaching 50 kt (58 mph) while within 50 miles.

31 of the 33 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 4.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 33 storms spread over the 147 years from 1879 to 2025. 4 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while stretches of a decade or more have passed with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 13 years, between 1926 and 1939. It has been 4 years since the last one; 13 of the 28 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Bibb County, Alabama?

2 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Bibb County, Alabama at hurricane strength since 1879. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 33.

When was the last hurricane in Bibb County, Alabama?

Opal (1995), on 5 October 1995, passing 50 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 Bibb County, Alabama?

Zeta (2020), which reached 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 21 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Bibb County, Alabama?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.5 years — 33 storms over the 147 years from 1879 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Bibb County, Alabama borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Hale County, Alabama has 37 on record.

Hale County, Alabama37 storms within 50 mi Perry County, Alabama34 storms within 50 mi Chilton County, Alabama32 storms within 50 mi Shelby County, Alabama30 storms within 50 mi Tuscaloosa County, Alabama30 storms within 50 mi Jefferson County, Alabama25 storms within 50 mi