Coffee County, Alabama Hurricane History
Since 1860, 41 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Coffee County, Alabama — about one every 4.0 years. Of those, 7 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Fred (2021), which passed 35 miles away on 17 August 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentFred (2021) — 35 mi away, 17 August 2021
- Strongest stormEloise (1975) — 91 kt (105 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1903) — 1.4 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles20 of 41
- Peak monthSeptember — 15 storms (37% of all)
- Most active year1887 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1910s — 6 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1860–2021
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred (2021) | 17 Aug 2021 | 35.1 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Sally (2020) | 17 Sep 2020 | 39.2 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Alberto (2018) | 29 May 2018 | 20.1 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Tammy (2005) | 6 Oct 2005 | 17.9 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Hanna (2002) | 15 Sep 2002 | 36.0 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Barry (2001) | 6 Aug 2001 | 41.4 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 12 Jun 2001 | 28.2 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Helene (2000) | 22 Sep 2000 | 16.2 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Georges (1998) | 30 Sep 1998 | 48.5 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Opal (1995) | 5 Oct 1995 | 42.0 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Alberto (1994) | 4 Jul 1994 | 3.4 mi | TS / TD | 22 kt |
| Eloise (1975) | 23 Sep 1975 | 13.7 mi | Cat 1 | 82 kt |
| Becky (1970) | 22 Jul 1970 | 41.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1969) | 22 Sep 1969 | 20.9 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1965) | 15 Jun 1965 | 19.1 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Debbie (1957) | 8 Sep 1957 | 37.5 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Florence (1953) | 27 Sep 1953 | 36.1 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Alice (1953) | 7 Jun 1953 | 35.6 mi | TS / TD | 21 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 9 Jul 1948 | 36.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 31 Aug 1937 | 27.3 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1928) | 15 Aug 1928 | 32.8 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 26 Jun 1923 | 20.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1919) | 2 Oct 1919 | 6.8 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1917) | 29 Sep 1917 | 25.8 mi | Cat 1 | 68 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 4 Sep 1915 | 39.9 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1914) | 18 Sep 1914 | 33.7 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 16 Jul 1912 | 3.7 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | 4 Aug 1911 | 27.8 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1906) | 13 Jun 1906 | 19.2 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1904) | 3 Nov 1904 | 44.0 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1903) | 14 Sep 1903 | 1.4 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1902) | 11 Oct 1902 | 34.1 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 17 Sep 1901 | 22.6 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1899) | 2 Aug 1899 | 3.5 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 3 Aug 1898 | 44.7 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1896) | 7 Jul 1896 | 22.4 mi | Cat 1 | 68 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 23 Sep 1889 | 14.3 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 20 Oct 1887 | 9.4 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 27 Jul 1887 | 2.5 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 10 Sep 1882 | 12.1 mi | Cat 1 | 77 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 12 Aug 1860 | 2.5 mi | TS / TD | 43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 15 Aug 2010 | 49.5 mi | 20 kt |
| Ida (2009) | Post-tropical | 11 Nov 2009 | 48.1 mi | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | Post-tropical | 6 Oct 1934 | 6.8 mi | 30 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Coffee County, Alabama more than once.
- Alberto — 2 passes (1994, 2018)
How Coffee County, Alabama compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Coffee County, Alabama ranks #302 — more exposed than 86.3% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #14 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Eloise (1975) passed 14 miles away on 23 September 1975 as a hurricane, reaching 91 kt (105 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1882) passed 12 miles away on 10 September 1882 as a hurricane, reaching 87 kt (100 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1917) passed 26 miles away on 29 September 1917 as a hurricane, reaching 81 kt (93 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 22 miles away on 7 July 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 76 kt (87 mph) while within 50 miles.
38 of the 41 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 41 storms spread over the 166 years from 1860 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 22 years, between 1860 and 1882. It has been 4 years since the last one; 12 of the 37 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Coffee County, Alabama?
7 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Coffee County, Alabama at hurricane strength since 1860. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 41.
When was the last hurricane in Coffee County, Alabama?
Opal (1995), on 5 October 1995, passing 42 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 Coffee County, Alabama?
Eloise (1975), which reached 91 kt (105 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 14 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Coffee County, Alabama?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.0 years — 41 storms over the 166 years from 1860 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
Coffee County, Alabama borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Covington County, Alabama has 51 on record.