Houston County, Alabama Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 56 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Houston County, Alabama — about one every 3.1 years. Of those, 11 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 41 miles away on 11 November 2022.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

3.1

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 4 · 1Cat 2 · 4Cat 1 · 5TS / TD · 46

The 56 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 41 mi away, 11 November 2022
Strongest stormMichael (2018) — 116 kt (133 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1928) — 2.3 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Michael (2018) — 29.6 miles
Passes within 25 miles23 of 56
Peak monthSeptember — 22 storms (39% of all)
Most active year1871 — 2 storms
Most active decade1900s and 1910s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
Record span1851–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Houston County, Alabama, September is the most active month, with 22 of the 56 recorded storms (39%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 75% of all activity. The 1900s and 1910s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 7 storms. 1 of the 56 storms was major hurricane (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	6	6	12	22	8	2	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: 10 storms in 1950–1987 against 10 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	1	4	5	3	7	7	4	1	2	4	3	3	0	4	3	1	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	11 Nov 2022	41.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Fred (2021)	17 Aug 2021	6.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Michael (2018)	10 Oct 2018	29.6 mi	Cat 3	108 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	17.8 mi	TS / TD	18 kt
Frances (2004)	7 Sep 2004	27.9 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Helene (2000)	22 Sep 2000	25.3 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Georges (1998)	30 Sep 1998	32.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	41.3 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Beryl (1994)	16 Aug 1994	14.6 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Alberto (1994)	4 Jul 1994	45.9 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Eloise (1975)	23 Sep 1975	47.5 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Agnes (1972)	20 Jun 1972	25.1 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Becky (1970)	22 Jul 1970	6.4 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Unnamed Storm (1969)	22 Sep 1969	41.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	15 Jun 1965	23.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Dora (1964)	12 Sep 1964	35.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Debbie (1957)	8 Sep 1957	6.8 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Flossy (1956)	25 Sep 1956	20.5 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Florence (1953)	27 Sep 1953	6.3 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Alice (1953)	7 Jun 1953	12.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	16 Oct 1947	33.2 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	43.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	31 Aug 1937	35.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	1 Oct 1929	42.4 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	14 Aug 1928	2.3 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	48.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	26 Jun 1923	42.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	23.8 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1917)	29 Sep 1917	14.0 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	4 Sep 1915	7.8 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	18 Sep 1914	7.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	48.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	16 Jul 1912	9.8 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	4 Aug 1911	8.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	1 Jul 1909	37.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	28 Sep 1907	48.8 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	13 Jun 1906	20.9 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	10.8 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	14 Sep 1903	36.9 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	17 Sep 1901	21.8 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	14 Jun 1901	31.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	2 Aug 1899	21.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	7 Jul 1896	21.0 mi	Cat 1	64 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	47.4 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	23 Sep 1889	40.9 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	20 Oct 1887	40.5 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	27 Jul 1887	43.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	29 Sep 1885	45.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	10 Sep 1882	29.6 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	31.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	27 Sep 1875	48.3 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	26 Aug 1871	47.1 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	23 Aug 1871	49.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	19.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	23.5 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	24 Aug 1851	30.3 mi	Cat 2	87 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 6 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
Fay (2020)	Remnant low	6 Jul 2020	26.9 mi	20 kt
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	19 Oct 2019	43.2 mi	38 kt
Five (2010)	Remnant low	15 Aug 2010	5.7 mi	20 kt
Ida (2009)	Post-tropical	11 Nov 2009	27.5 mi	25 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	32.2 mi	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	Post-tropical	6 Oct 1934	47.8 mi	30 kt

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

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Houston County, Alabama ranks #143 — more exposed than 93.5% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #3 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Michael (2018) passed 30 miles away on 10 October 2018 as a hurricane, reaching 116 kt (133 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1851) passed 30 miles away on 24 August 1851 as a hurricane, reaching 93 kt (107 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Eloise (1975) passed 48 miles away on 23 September 1975 as a hurricane, reaching 91 kt (105 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 47 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 91 kt (105 mph) while within 50 miles.

51 of the 56 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 3.1 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 56 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 9 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 1975 and 1994. It has been 3 years since the last one; 17 of the 46 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Houston County, Alabama?

11 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Houston County, Alabama at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 56.

When was the last hurricane in Houston County, Alabama?

Michael (2018), on 10 October 2018, passing 30 miles away — 8 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicole (2022) in 2022.

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

Michael (2018), which reached 116 kt (133 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 30 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Houston County, Alabama?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.1 years — 56 storms over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Houston County, Alabama borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Jackson County, Florida has 58 on record.

Jackson County, Florida58 storms within 50 mi Early County, Georgia55 storms within 50 mi Seminole County, Georgia53 storms within 50 mi Henry County, Alabama49 storms within 50 mi Geneva County, Alabama43 storms within 50 mi Dale County, Alabama42 storms within 50 mi