Wilcox County, Alabama Hurricane History
Since 1852, 42 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Wilcox County, Alabama — about one every 4.1 years. Of those, 5 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Claudette (2021), which passed 40 miles away on 20 June 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentClaudette (2021) — 40 mi away, 20 June 2021
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1916) — 72 kt (83 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1916) — 2.3 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles16 of 42
- Peak monthSeptember — 11 storms (26% of all)
- Most active year2005 — 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 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 3 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claudette (2021) | 20 Jun 2021 | 39.9 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Zeta (2020) | 29 Oct 2020 | 43.5 mi | Cat 1 | 64 kt |
| Sally (2020) | 17 Sep 2020 | 44.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Alberto (2018) | 29 May 2018 | 37.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Nate (2017) | 8 Oct 2017 | 43.2 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Claudette (2009) | 17 Aug 2009 | 27.0 mi | TS / TD | 24 kt |
| Dennis (2005) | 11 Jul 2005 | 37.6 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Cindy (2005) | 6 Jul 2005 | 15.1 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Arlene (2005) | 12 Jun 2005 | 20.6 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Ivan (2004) | 16 Sep 2004 | 14.6 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Hanna (2002) | 15 Sep 2002 | 38.3 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Barry (2001) | 6 Aug 2001 | 11.1 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 12 Jun 2001 | 41.3 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Danny (1997) | 21 Jul 1997 | 2.3 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Opal (1995) | 5 Oct 1995 | 45.0 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 13 Aug 1987 | 41.0 mi | TS / TD | 16 kt |
| Juan (1985) | 1 Nov 1985 | 21.8 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1977) | 19 Jul 1977 | 40.7 mi | TD | — |
| Unnamed Storm (1969) | 1 Oct 1969 | 27.4 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Irene (1959) | 8 Oct 1959 | 25.8 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Baker (1950) | 31 Aug 1950 | 41.6 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 10 Jul 1948 | 43.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1944) | 11 Sep 1944 | 28.3 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 27 Sep 1939 | 18.2 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 13 Aug 1939 | 39.2 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 1 Sep 1937 | 23.5 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 1 Aug 1936 | 26.2 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 26 Jun 1923 | 47.7 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1919) | 5 Jul 1919 | 24.7 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 18 Oct 1916 | 2.3 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 16 Jul 1912 | 35.0 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 14 Jun 1912 | 37.0 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1907) | 22 Sep 1907 | 17.4 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 16 Aug 1901 | 40.7 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1900) | 14 Sep 1900 | 5.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 3 Aug 1898 | 26.1 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 3 Oct 1893 | 20.8 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1892) | 12 Sep 1892 | 44.9 mi | TS / TD | 36 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1880) | 1 Sep 1880 | 46.5 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 16 Oct 1879 | 10.2 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 16 Sep 1859 | 24.7 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1852) | 27 Aug 1852 | 9.0 mi | TS / TD | 48 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 | 6.9 mi | 35 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 14 Aug 2010 | 0.7 mi | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | Post-tropical | 16 Oct 1932 | 28.5 mi | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1922) | Post-tropical | 17 Oct 1922 | 48.9 mi | 25 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Wilcox County, Alabama more than once.
- Claudette — 2 passes (2009, 2021)
How Wilcox County, Alabama compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Wilcox County, Alabama ranks #288 — more exposed than 87.0% of them. Within Alabama it ranks #13 of 67, against a state average of 32.6 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1916) passed 2 miles away on 18 October 1916 as a hurricane, reaching 72 kt (83 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Ivan (2004) passed 15 miles away on 16 September 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Opal (1995) passed 45 miles away on 5 October 1995 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Zeta (2020) passed 43 miles away on 29 October 2020 as a hurricane, reaching 64 kt (74 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. 5 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 1859 and 1879. It has been 4 years since the last one; 14 of the 35 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Wilcox County, Alabama?
5 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Wilcox 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 Wilcox County, Alabama?
Zeta (2020), on 29 October 2020, passing 43 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 Wilcox County, Alabama?
Unnamed Storm (1916), which reached 72 kt (83 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 2 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Wilcox 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
Wilcox County, Alabama borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Clarke County, Alabama has 49 on record.