Crenshaw County, Alabama Hurricane History
Since 1852, 36 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Crenshaw County, Alabama — about one every 4.8 years. Of those, 4 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Sally (2020), which passed 10 miles away on 17 September 2020.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentSally (2020) — 10 mi away, 17 September 2020
- Strongest stormEloise (1975) — 91 kt (105 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordAllison (2001) — 1.0 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles15 of 36
- Peak monthSeptember — 10 storms (28% of all)
- Most active year1887 — 2 storms
- Most active decade2000s — 5 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 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 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 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sally (2020) | 17 Sep 2020 | 9.5 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Alberto (2018) | 29 May 2018 | 11.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Tammy (2005) | 6 Oct 2005 | 47.8 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Hanna (2002) | 15 Sep 2002 | 7.2 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Barry (2001) | 6 Aug 2001 | 30.6 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 12 Jun 2001 | 1.0 mi | TS / TD | 21 kt |
| Helene (2000) | 22 Sep 2000 | 46.0 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Opal (1995) | 5 Oct 1995 | 16.4 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Alberto (1994) | 4 Jul 1994 | 24.1 mi | TS / TD | 21 kt |
| Juan (1985) | 1 Nov 1985 | 40.2 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Eloise (1975) | 23 Sep 1975 | 20.9 mi | Cat 1 | 82 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1969) | 1 Oct 1969 | 33.1 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1969) | 22 Sep 1969 | 47.5 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1965) | 15 Jun 1965 | 48.7 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Irene (1959) | 8 Oct 1959 | 34.7 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 9 Jul 1948 | 16.5 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 16 Oct 1947 | 43.4 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1944) | 11 Sep 1944 | 32.3 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 31 Aug 1937 | 37.0 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1928) | 15 Aug 1928 | 46.8 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 26 Jun 1923 | 10.2 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1919) | 2 Oct 1919 | 24.6 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 16 Jul 1912 | 24.0 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1906) | 13 Jun 1906 | 36.7 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1903) | 14 Sep 1903 | 18.8 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1902) | 11 Oct 1902 | 4.9 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1899) | 2 Aug 1899 | 9.3 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 3 Aug 1898 | 47.5 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 3 Oct 1893 | 28.7 mi | TS / TD | 54 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 23 Sep 1889 | 30.6 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 20 Oct 1887 | 20.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 27 Jul 1887 | 28.1 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 10 Sep 1882 | 41.1 mi | Cat 1 | 73 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 12 Aug 1860 | 27.2 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 16 Sep 1859 | 32.5 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1852) | 27 Aug 1852 | 34.5 mi | TS / TD | 43 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 | 14 Aug 2010 | 49.2 mi | 17 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | Post-tropical | 6 Oct 1934 | 23.8 mi | 30 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Crenshaw County, Alabama more than once.
- Alberto — 2 passes (1994, 2018)
How Crenshaw County, Alabama compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Crenshaw County, Alabama ranks #393 — more exposed than 82.2% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #23 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Eloise (1975) passed 21 miles away on 23 September 1975 as a hurricane, reaching 91 kt (105 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1882) passed 41 miles away on 10 September 1882 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Opal (1995) passed 16 miles away on 5 October 1995 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1887) passed 28 miles away on 27 July 1887 as a hurricane, reaching 62 kt (71 mph) while within 50 miles.
34 of the 36 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.8 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 36 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 22 years, between 1860 and 1882. It has been 5 years since the last one; 12 of the 32 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Crenshaw County, Alabama?
4 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Crenshaw County, Alabama at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 36.
When was the last hurricane in Crenshaw County, Alabama?
Opal (1995), on 5 October 1995, passing 16 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 Crenshaw County, Alabama?
Eloise (1975), which reached 91 kt (105 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 21 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Crenshaw County, Alabama?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.8 years — 36 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
Crenshaw County, Alabama borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Covington County, Alabama has 51 on record.