Pike County, Alabama Hurricane History
Since 1852, 40 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Pike County, Alabama — about one every 4.3 years. Of those, 5 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Fred (2021), which passed 33 miles away on 17 August 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentFred (2021) — 33 mi away, 17 August 2021
- Strongest stormEloise (1975) — 91 kt (105 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1903) — 3.4 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles15 of 40
- Peak monthSeptember — 14 storms (35% of all)
- Most active year1887 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1880s and 2000s — 5 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1852–2021
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 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 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred (2021) | 17 Aug 2021 | 32.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Sally (2020) | 17 Sep 2020 | 21.4 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Alberto (2018) | 29 May 2018 | 33.1 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Tammy (2005) | 6 Oct 2005 | 39.9 mi | TS / TD | 17 kt |
| Frances (2004) | 7 Sep 2004 | 45.7 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Hanna (2002) | 15 Sep 2002 | 14.3 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 12 Jun 2001 | 8.3 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Helene (2000) | 22 Sep 2000 | 33.2 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Opal (1995) | 5 Oct 1995 | 38.8 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Alberto (1994) | 4 Jul 1994 | 6.4 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Eloise (1975) | 23 Sep 1975 | 14.2 mi | Cat 1 | 82 kt |
| Becky (1970) | 22 Jul 1970 | 34.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1969) | 22 Sep 1969 | 48.4 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1965) | 15 Jun 1965 | 40.5 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Debbie (1957) | 8 Sep 1957 | 49.1 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| King (1950) | 19 Oct 1950 | 38.4 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 10 Jul 1948 | 38.1 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 16 Oct 1947 | 26.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1928) | 15 Aug 1928 | 24.1 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 29 Jul 1926 | 47.5 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 26 Jun 1923 | 7.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1919) | 2 Oct 1919 | 20.9 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1917) | 29 Sep 1917 | 44.4 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 4 Sep 1915 | 37.7 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 16 Jul 1912 | 31.2 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1906) | 13 Jun 1906 | 14.2 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1903) | 14 Sep 1903 | 3.4 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1902) | 11 Oct 1902 | 22.1 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 17 Sep 1901 | 39.2 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1899) | 2 Aug 1899 | 13.4 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1896) | 7 Jul 1896 | 37.7 mi | Cat 1 | 64 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 3 Oct 1893 | 36.6 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 23 Sep 1889 | 18.7 mi | TS / TD | 49 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 20 Oct 1887 | 16.2 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 28 Jul 1887 | 10.8 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 10 Sep 1882 | 28.8 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1881) | 28 Aug 1881 | 40.3 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 12 Aug 1860 | 29.9 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 16 Sep 1859 | 40.7 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1852) | 27 Aug 1852 | 40.5 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 1 system 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | Post-tropical | 6 Oct 1934 | 20.9 mi | 30 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Pike County, Alabama more than once.
- Alberto — 2 passes (1994, 2018)
How Pike County, Alabama compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Pike County, Alabama ranks #318 — more exposed than 85.6% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #16 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 1 Unnamed Storm (1882) passed 29 miles away on 10 September 1882 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Opal (1995) passed 39 miles away on 5 October 1995 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1917) passed 44 miles away on 29 September 1917 as a hurricane, reaching 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles.
38 of the 40 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.3 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 40 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 1 separate year saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 21 years, between 1860 and 1881. It has been 4 years since the last one; 11 of the 38 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Pike County, Alabama?
5 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Pike County, Alabama at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 40.
When was the last hurricane in Pike County, Alabama?
Opal (1995), on 5 October 1995, passing 39 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 Pike 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 Pike County, Alabama?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.3 years — 40 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
Pike County, Alabama borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Dale County, Alabama has 42 on record.