Butler County, Alabama Hurricane History
Since 1852, 35 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Butler County, Alabama — about one every 5.0 years. Of those, 5 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Sally (2020), which passed 7 miles away on 17 September 2020.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentSally (2020) — 7 mi away, 17 September 2020
- Strongest stormEloise (1975) — 82 kt (94 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordOpal (1995) — 5.0 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles17 of 35
- Peak monthSeptember and October — 9 storms (26% of all)
- Most active year1887 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1910s and 2000s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1852–2020
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 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 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sally (2020) | 17 Sep 2020 | 6.8 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Alberto (2018) | 29 May 2018 | 9.8 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Claudette (2009) | 17 Aug 2009 | 48.8 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Hanna (2002) | 15 Sep 2002 | 5.9 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Barry (2001) | 6 Aug 2001 | 13.1 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 12 Jun 2001 | 12.0 mi | TS / TD | 22 kt |
| Danny (1997) | 21 Jul 1997 | 38.8 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Opal (1995) | 5 Oct 1995 | 5.0 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Alberto (1994) | 4 Jul 1994 | 44.7 mi | TS / TD | 22 kt |
| Juan (1985) | 1 Nov 1985 | 19.0 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Eloise (1975) | 23 Sep 1975 | 41.5 mi | Cat 1 | 82 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1969) | 1 Oct 1969 | 14.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Irene (1959) | 8 Oct 1959 | 14.9 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 9 Jul 1948 | 5.4 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1944) | 11 Sep 1944 | 11.3 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 1 Sep 1937 | 27.5 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 1 Aug 1936 | 43.8 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 26 Jun 1923 | 19.7 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1919) | 2 Oct 1919 | 43.7 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1919) | 4 Jul 1919 | 49.8 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 18 Oct 1916 | 32.2 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 16 Jul 1912 | 23.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1903) | 14 Sep 1903 | 40.1 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1902) | 11 Oct 1902 | 16.6 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1900) | 14 Sep 1900 | 41.4 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1899) | 2 Aug 1899 | 27.4 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 3 Aug 1898 | 34.0 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 3 Oct 1893 | 14.9 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 23 Sep 1889 | 42.2 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 19 Oct 1887 | 28.9 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 27 Jul 1887 | 47.5 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 16 Oct 1879 | 35.4 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 12 Aug 1860 | 30.4 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 16 Sep 1859 | 15.4 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1852) | 27 Aug 1852 | 22.9 mi | TS / TD | 45 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 | 5 Sep 2011 | 41.3 mi | 33 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 14 Aug 2010 | 35.3 mi | 18 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | Post-tropical | 6 Oct 1934 | 36.8 mi | 30 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Butler County, Alabama more than once.
- Alberto — 2 passes (1994, 2018)
How Butler County, Alabama compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Butler County, Alabama ranks #408 — more exposed than 81.5% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #25 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Eloise (1975) passed 41 miles away on 23 September 1975 as a hurricane, reaching 82 kt (94 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Opal (1995) passed 5 miles away on 5 October 1995 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1916) passed 32 miles away on 18 October 1916 as a hurricane, reaching 72 kt (83 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 15 miles away on 3 October 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 61 kt (70 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. 3 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 19 years, between 1860 and 1879. It has been 5 years since the last one; 13 of the 31 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Butler County, Alabama?
5 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Butler 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 Butler County, Alabama?
Opal (1995), on 5 October 1995, passing 5 miles away — 31 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Sally (2020) in 2020.
What was the strongest storm to affect Butler County, Alabama?
Eloise (1975), which reached 82 kt (94 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 41 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Butler 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
Butler County, Alabama borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Covington County, Alabama has 51 on record.