Bullock County, Alabama Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 38 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Bullock County, Alabama — about one every 4.6 years. Of those, 3 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Fred (2021), which passed 23 miles away on 17 August 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

4.6

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.

How strong they get

Cat 1 · 4TS / TD · 34

The 38 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 4 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentFred (2021) — 23 mi away, 17 August 2021
Strongest stormEloise (1975) — 82 kt (94 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1947) — 3.8 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles16 of 38
Peak monthSeptember — 14 storms (37% of all)
Most active year1887 — 2 storms
Most active decade1880s and 1900s — 5 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1852–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Bullock County, Alabama, September is the most active month, with 14 of the 38 recorded storms (37%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 71% of all activity. The 1880s and 1900s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 5 storms. 0 of the 38 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	0	5	6	6	14	7	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 6 storms in 1950–1987 against 9 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	1	0	5	3	5	2	3	0	2	3	1	2	0	2	4	1	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Fred (2021)	17 Aug 2021	22.6 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Sally (2020)	17 Sep 2020	12.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Irma (2017)	12 Sep 2017	44.1 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Frances (2004)	7 Sep 2004	31.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Hanna (2002)	15 Sep 2002	8.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Allison (2001)	12 Jun 2001	8.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Helene (2000)	22 Sep 2000	39.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Opal (1995)	5 Oct 1995	45.8 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Alberto (1994)	4 Jul 1994	4.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Eloise (1975)	23 Sep 1975	11.0 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Becky (1970)	22 Jul 1970	18.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	15 Jun 1965	46.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Debbie (1957)	9 Sep 1957	46.4 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	14.1 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	37.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	10 Jul 1948	47.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	16 Oct 1947	3.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	15 Aug 1928	6.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	24.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	26 Jun 1923	25.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	41.8 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	4 Sep 1915	27.4 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	13 Jun 1906	6.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	14 Sep 1903	14.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	11 Oct 1902	22.9 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	18 Sep 1901	42.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	14 Jun 1901	46.1 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	2 Aug 1899	34.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	8 Jul 1896	42.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	3 Oct 1893	27.4 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	23 Sep 1889	26.7 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	20 Oct 1887	30.4 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	28 Jul 1887	9.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	10 Sep 1882	35.1 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	16.3 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	49.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	16 Sep 1859	30.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	27 Aug 1852	25.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 2 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
Five (2010)	Remnant low	15 Aug 2010	42.6 mi	15 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	Post-tropical	6 Oct 1934	44.8 mi	30 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1852–2025. 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.

How Bullock County, Alabama compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Bullock County, Alabama ranks #357 — more exposed than 83.8% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #18 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Eloise (1975) passed 11 miles away on 23 September 1975 as a hurricane, reaching 82 kt (94 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1882) passed 35 miles away on 10 September 1882 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Opal (1995) passed 46 miles away on 5 October 1995 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 42 miles away on 8 July 1896 as a tropical storm, reaching 64 kt (74 mph) while within 50 miles.

37 of the 38 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 4.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 38 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 3 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 21 years, between 1860 and 1881. It has been 4 years since the last one; 12 of the 34 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Bullock County, Alabama?

3 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Bullock County, Alabama at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 38.

When was the last hurricane in Bullock County, Alabama?

Opal (1995), on 5 October 1995, passing 46 miles away — 31 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Fred (2021) in 2021.

What was the strongest storm to affect Bullock County, Alabama?

Eloise (1975), which reached 82 kt (94 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 11 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Bullock County, Alabama?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.6 years — 38 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

Bullock County, Alabama borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Pike County, Alabama has 40 on record.

Pike County, Alabama40 storms within 50 mi Barbour County, Alabama39 storms within 50 mi Russell County, Alabama38 storms within 50 mi Macon County, Alabama35 storms within 50 mi Montgomery County, Alabama33 storms within 50 mi