Tallapoosa County, Alabama Tropical Cyclone History

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

Since 1852, 30 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Tallapoosa County, Alabama — about one every 5.8 years. Of those, 1 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Fred (2021), which passed 35 miles away on 17 August 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

5.8

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 · 29

The 30 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentFred (2021) — 35 mi away, 17 August 2021
Strongest stormEloise (1975) — 64 kt (74 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordArlene (1959) — 3.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles14 of 30
Peak monthSeptember — 10 storms (33% of all)
Most active year1950 — 2 storms
Most active decade1900s and 1950s — 4 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1852–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Tallapoosa County, Alabama, September is the most active month, with 10 of the 30 recorded storms (33%). Activity concentrates in June, July and September, together 70% of all storms. The 1900s and 1950s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 4 storms. 0 of the 30 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	0	5	6	4	10	5	0	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: 6 storms in 1950–1987 against 8 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Fred (2021)	17 Aug 2021	35.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Claudette (2021)	20 Jun 2021	26.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Sally (2020)	17 Sep 2020	34.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Cindy (2005)	7 Jul 2005	32.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Frances (2004)	7 Sep 2004	46.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Hanna (2002)	15 Sep 2002	30.3 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Opal (1995)	5 Oct 1995	29.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Alberto (1994)	6 Jul 1994	8.4 mi	TS / TD	12 kt
Eloise (1975)	23 Sep 1975	11.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Becky (1970)	22 Jul 1970	18.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Irene (1959)	9 Oct 1959	19.0 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Arlene (1959)	2 Jun 1959	3.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
King (1950)	20 Oct 1950	26.3 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	6.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	10 Jul 1948	29.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	16 Oct 1947	38.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	15 Aug 1928	21.3 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	25.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	4 Sep 1915	40.5 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	14 Jun 1912	15.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	13 Jun 1906	7.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	15 Sep 1903	16.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	14 Jun 1901	39.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	15 Sep 1900	14.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	1 Sep 1898	4.6 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	3 Oct 1893	20.2 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	28 Jul 1887	41.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	32.7 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	16 Sep 1859	21.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	27 Aug 1852	26.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 5 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
Irma (2017)	Remnant low	12 Sep 2017	11.9 mi	25 kt
Lee (2011)	Post-tropical	6 Sep 2011	11.1 mi	25 kt
Five (2010)	Remnant low	14 Aug 2010	2.3 mi	15 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	Post-tropical	22 Sep 1907	18.7 mi	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	Post-tropical	11 Oct 1902	12.3 mi	35 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1852–2025. 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 Tallapoosa County, Alabama compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Tallapoosa County, Alabama ranks #514 — more exposed than 76.7% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #39 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Eloise (1975) passed 11 miles away on 23 September 1975 as a tropical storm, reaching 64 kt (74 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Opal (1995) passed 29 miles away on 5 October 1995 as a hurricane, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 20 miles away on 3 October 1893 as a tropical storm, reaching 52 kt (60 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1915) passed 41 miles away on 4 September 1915 as a tropical storm, reaching 45 kt (52 mph) while within 50 miles.

29 of the 30 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 5.8 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 30 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 1859 and 1881. It has been 4 years since the last one; 14 of the 26 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Tallapoosa County, Alabama?

1 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Tallapoosa County, Alabama at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 30.

When was the last hurricane in Tallapoosa County, Alabama?

Opal (1995), on 5 October 1995, passing 29 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 Tallapoosa County, Alabama?

Eloise (1975), which reached 64 kt (74 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 11 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Tallapoosa County, Alabama?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 5.8 years — 30 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

Tallapoosa County, Alabama borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Macon County, Alabama has 35 on record.

Macon County, Alabama35 storms within 50 mi Coosa County, Alabama34 storms within 50 mi Lee County, Alabama32 storms within 50 mi Elmore County, Alabama32 storms within 50 mi Chambers County, Alabama29 storms within 50 mi Randolph County, Alabama28 storms within 50 mi Clay County, Alabama27 storms within 50 mi