Washington County, Alabama Hurricane History
Since 1852, 54 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Washington County, Alabama — about one every 3.2 years. Of those, 11 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Claudette (2021), which passed 30 miles away on 19 June 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentClaudette (2021) — 30 mi away, 19 June 2021
- Strongest stormFrederic (1979) — 95 kt (109 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1939) — 2.9 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles22 of 54
- Peak monthSeptember — 20 storms (37% of all)
- Most active year1912 — 3 storms
- Most active decade2000s — 8 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 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claudette (2021) | 19 Jun 2021 | 29.9 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Zeta (2020) | 29 Oct 2020 | 29.4 mi | Cat 1 | 72 kt |
| Nate (2017) | 8 Oct 2017 | 14.6 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Claudette (2009) | 17 Aug 2009 | 40.2 mi | TS / TD | 24 kt |
| Fay (2008) | 24 Aug 2008 | 10.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Dennis (2005) | 11 Jul 2005 | 29.3 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Cindy (2005) | 6 Jul 2005 | 4.2 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Arlene (2005) | 12 Jun 2005 | 36.1 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Ivan (2004) | 16 Sep 2004 | 30.2 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Hanna (2002) | 14 Sep 2002 | 40.7 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 11 Jun 2001 | 23.0 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Georges (1998) | 29 Sep 1998 | 29.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Danny (1997) | 21 Jul 1997 | 36.1 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Erin (1995) | 3 Aug 1995 | 12.1 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 13 Aug 1987 | 22.9 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Frederic (1979) | 13 Sep 1979 | 23.1 mi | Cat 2 | 85 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1977) | 19 Jul 1977 | 18.9 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1976) | 24 Sep 1976 | 33.0 mi | TD | — |
| Ethel (1960) | 16 Sep 1960 | 44.6 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Baker (1950) | 31 Aug 1950 | 16.3 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1944) | 11 Sep 1944 | 43.4 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 25 Sep 1940 | 44.2 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 26 Sep 1939 | 8.2 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 14 Aug 1939 | 27.1 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 16 Jun 1939 | 2.9 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 1 Sep 1937 | 38.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 1 Aug 1936 | 39.9 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | 1 Sep 1932 | 29.4 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 18 Oct 1923 | 49.0 mi | TS / TD | 46 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 26 Jun 1923 | 30.9 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1919) | 5 Jul 1919 | 41.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 6 Jul 1916 | 44.1 mi | Cat 1 | 72 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 14 Sep 1912 | 17.4 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 17 Jul 1912 | 12.3 mi | TS / TD | 21 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 13 Jun 1912 | 44.2 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1907) | 22 Sep 1907 | 12.7 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1906) | 27 Sep 1906 | 45.2 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 16 Aug 1901 | 4.7 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1900) | 14 Sep 1900 | 14.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 3 Aug 1898 | 35.7 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1895) | 17 Aug 1895 | 9.3 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 8 Aug 1894 | 34.1 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 2 Oct 1893 | 22.8 mi | Cat 1 | 68 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1892) | 12 Sep 1892 | 18.1 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 19 Oct 1887 | 37.3 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 14 Jun 1887 | 35.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 15 Jun 1886 | 48.7 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1881) | 3 Aug 1881 | 20.4 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1880) | 1 Sep 1880 | 20.3 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 15 Sep 1860 | 31.8 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 12 Aug 1860 | 30.9 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 16 Sep 1859 | 47.2 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1855) | 16 Sep 1855 | 43.9 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1852) | 26 Aug 1852 | 15.5 mi | Cat 1 | 67 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 | 8.2 mi | 40 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 13 Aug 2010 | 10.0 mi | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | Post-tropical | 16 Oct 1932 | 18.5 mi | 41 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1922) | Post-tropical | 17 Oct 1922 | 14.1 mi | 25 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Washington County, Alabama more than once.
- Claudette — 2 passes (2009, 2021)
How Washington County, Alabama compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Washington County, Alabama ranks #155 — more exposed than 93.0% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #4 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Frederic (1979) passed 23 miles away on 13 September 1979 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1860) passed 31 miles away on 12 August 1860 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Ivan (2004) passed 30 miles away on 16 September 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 84 kt (97 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1852) passed 15 miles away on 26 August 1852 as a hurricane, reaching 83 kt (96 mph) while within 50 miles.
51 of the 54 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 3.2 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 54 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 6 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 20 years, between 1860 and 1880. It has been 4 years since the last one; 12 of the 44 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Washington County, Alabama?
11 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Washington County, Alabama at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 54.
When was the last hurricane in Washington County, Alabama?
Zeta (2020), on 29 October 2020, passing 29 miles away — 6 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Claudette (2021) in 2021.
What was the strongest storm to affect Washington County, Alabama?
Frederic (1979), which reached 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 23 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Washington County, Alabama?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.2 years — 54 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
Washington County, Alabama borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Mobile County, Alabama has 57 on record.