Monroe County, Alabama Hurricane History
Since 1852, 42 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Monroe County, Alabama — about one every 4.1 years. Of those, 6 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Sally (2020), which passed 30 miles away on 16 September 2020.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentSally (2020) — 30 mi away, 16 September 2020
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1916) — 80 kt (92 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1898) — 1.0 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles24 of 42
- Peak monthAugust — 12 storms (29% of all)
- Most active year1939 — 3 storms
- Most active decade2000s — 9 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 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 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 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sally (2020) | 16 Sep 2020 | 29.9 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Claudette (2009) | 17 Aug 2009 | 8.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Fay (2008) | 24 Aug 2008 | 35.8 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Dennis (2005) | 11 Jul 2005 | 19.5 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Cindy (2005) | 6 Jul 2005 | 31.5 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Arlene (2005) | 12 Jun 2005 | 14.0 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Ivan (2004) | 16 Sep 2004 | 15.7 mi | Cat 1 | 67 kt |
| Hanna (2002) | 14 Sep 2002 | 18.7 mi | TS / TD | 22 kt |
| Barry (2001) | 6 Aug 2001 | 32.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 12 Jun 2001 | 18.0 mi | TS / TD | 24 kt |
| Georges (1998) | 29 Sep 1998 | 47.5 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Danny (1997) | 21 Jul 1997 | 12.8 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Opal (1995) | 5 Oct 1995 | 42.9 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 13 Aug 1987 | 15.9 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Juan (1985) | 31 Oct 1985 | 15.8 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1977) | 19 Jul 1977 | 32.4 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1969) | 1 Oct 1969 | 32.5 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Irene (1959) | 8 Oct 1959 | 17.2 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Baker (1950) | 31 Aug 1950 | 34.0 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 9 Jul 1948 | 46.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1944) | 11 Sep 1944 | 23.7 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 27 Sep 1939 | 35.6 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 13 Aug 1939 | 14.1 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 16 Jun 1939 | 49.8 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 1 Sep 1937 | 4.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 1 Aug 1936 | 4.4 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 26 Jun 1923 | 24.2 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1919) | 4 Jul 1919 | 7.6 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 18 Oct 1916 | 10.9 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 16 Jul 1912 | 7.3 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1907) | 22 Sep 1907 | 35.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1902) | 11 Oct 1902 | 44.6 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 16 Aug 1901 | 40.6 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1900) | 14 Sep 1900 | 17.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 3 Aug 1898 | 1.0 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 3 Oct 1893 | 4.4 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 19 Oct 1887 | 32.8 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1880) | 31 Aug 1880 | 26.5 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 16 Oct 1879 | 7.8 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 12 Aug 1860 | 28.4 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 16 Sep 1859 | 13.9 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1852) | 26 Aug 1852 | 11.4 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 4 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 | 27.2 mi | 37 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 13 Aug 2010 | 17.6 mi | 22 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | Post-tropical | 16 Oct 1932 | 45.0 mi | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1922) | Post-tropical | 17 Oct 1922 | 36.2 mi | 25 kt |
How Monroe County, Alabama compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Monroe County, Alabama ranks #287 — more exposed than 87.0% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #12 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1916) passed 11 miles away on 18 October 1916 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Ivan (2004) passed 16 miles away on 16 September 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 77 kt (89 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Dennis (2005) passed 19 miles away on 11 July 2005 as a tropical storm, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Opal (1995) passed 43 miles away on 5 October 1995 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
41 of the 42 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.1 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 42 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; 11 of the 36 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Monroe County, Alabama?
6 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Monroe County, Alabama at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 42.
When was the last hurricane in Monroe County, Alabama?
Ivan (2004), on 16 September 2004, passing 16 miles away — 22 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Sally (2020) in 2020.
What was the strongest storm to affect Monroe County, Alabama?
Unnamed Storm (1916), which reached 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 11 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Monroe County, Alabama?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.1 years — 42 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
Monroe County, Alabama borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Baldwin County, Alabama has 56 on record.