Hale County, Alabama Tropical Cyclone History

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

Since 1855, 37 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Hale County, Alabama — about one every 4.6 years. Of those, 2 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Claudette (2021), which passed 16 miles away on 20 June 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 · 1TS / TD · 36

The 37 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentClaudette (2021) — 16 mi away, 20 June 2021
Strongest stormZeta (2020) — 64 kt (74 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordArlene (1959) — 3.4 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles15 of 37
Peak monthSeptember — 10 storms (27% of all)
Most active year2005 — 3 storms
Most active decade2000s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1855–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Hale County, Alabama, September is the most active month, with 10 of the 37 recorded storms (27%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 70% of all activity. The 2000s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 0 of the 37 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	8	8	10	5	1	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: 7 storms in 1950–1987 against 14 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	1	1	1	2	3	4	1	2	0	2	1	3	1	2	8	2	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Claudette (2021)	20 Jun 2021	16.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Zeta (2020)	29 Oct 2020	7.9 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Alberto (2018)	29 May 2018	40.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Nate (2017)	8 Oct 2017	7.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Claudette (2009)	17 Aug 2009	33.7 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Fay (2008)	26 Aug 2008	38.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Dennis (2005)	11 Jul 2005	49.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Cindy (2005)	7 Jul 2005	34.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Arlene (2005)	12 Jun 2005	5.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Ivan (2004)	16 Sep 2004	21.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Bill (2003)	1 Jul 2003	24.8 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Barry (2001)	6 Aug 2001	5.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Danny (1997)	21 Jul 1997	29.4 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Alberto (1994)	7 Jul 1994	40.0 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Juan (1985)	1 Nov 1985	45.5 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Frederic (1979)	13 Sep 1979	48.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Babe (1977)	7 Sep 1977	36.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Edith (1971)	17 Sep 1971	14.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1969)	1 Oct 1969	43.8 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Arlene (1959)	1 Jun 1959	3.4 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Baker (1950)	31 Aug 1950	28.9 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	27 Sep 1939	34.7 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	15 Aug 1939	10.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	30 Jul 1926	8.0 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	5 Jul 1919	31.6 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	18 Oct 1916	13.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	8 Jul 1916	46.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	14 Jun 1912	18.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	22 Sep 1907	37.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	16 Aug 1901	45.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	14 Sep 1900	46.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	17 Aug 1895	29.4 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	13 Sep 1892	5.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	29 Aug 1881	26.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	16 Oct 1879	13.4 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	16 Sep 1860	27.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1855)	17 Sep 1855	42.8 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
Lee (2011)	Post-tropical	5 Sep 2011	47.1 mi	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	Post-tropical	16 Oct 1932	21.0 mi	39 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1855–2025. 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

3 named storms in this record passed Hale County, Alabama more than once.

Alberto — 2 passes (1994, 2018)
Arlene — 2 passes (1959, 2005)
Claudette — 2 passes (2009, 2021)

How Hale County, Alabama compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Hale County, Alabama ranks #380 — more exposed than 82.8% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #22 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Zeta (2020) passed 8 miles away on 29 October 2020 as a tropical storm, reaching 64 kt (74 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Frederic (1979) passed 49 miles away on 13 September 1979 as a hurricane, reaching 58 kt (67 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1916) passed 13 miles away on 18 October 1916 as a hurricane, reaching 58 kt (67 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Ivan (2004) passed 22 miles away on 16 September 2004 as a tropical storm, reaching 56 kt (64 mph) while within 50 miles.

34 of the 37 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 37 storms spread over the 171 years from 1855 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 4 years since the last one; 15 of the 32 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Hale County, Alabama?

2 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Hale County, Alabama at hurricane strength since 1855. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 37.

When was the last hurricane in Hale County, Alabama?

Frederic (1979), on 13 September 1979, passing 49 miles away — 47 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Claudette (2021) in 2021.

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

Zeta (2020), which reached 64 kt (74 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 8 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Hale County, Alabama?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.6 years — 37 storms over the 171 years from 1855 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

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

Marengo County, Alabama40 storms within 50 mi Perry County, Alabama34 storms within 50 mi Greene County, Alabama33 storms within 50 mi Bibb County, Alabama33 storms within 50 mi Tuscaloosa County, Alabama30 storms within 50 mi