Skip to content

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Semmes, AL

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

70 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Semmes, Alabama since 1851, 21 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 156 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
21

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
49

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
156

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
5

1 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Semmes

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Semmes, Alabama, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2020ZetaOct 2952 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
2020SallySep 1644 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 2
2018GordonSep 526 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
2017NateOct 827 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 1
2011LeeSep 545 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2009IdaNov 1036 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
2005DennisJul 1052 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 4
2005CindyJul 630 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 1
2005ArleneJun 1143 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
2004IvanSep 1627 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 5
2002HannaSep 1410 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
2001AllisonJun 1118 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1998GeorgesSep 29overheadTropical storm (41 mph)Category 4
1997DannyJul 1933 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
1995ErinAug 323 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1994JohnSep 842 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 5
1985JuanOct 3143 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 1
1985ElenaSep 248 miCategory 3 (116 mph)Category 3
1979FredericSep 1312 miCategory 3 (112 mph)Category 4
1969CamilleAug 1875 miCategory 5 (168 mph)Category 5
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1575 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1964HildaOct 413 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 4
1960EthelSep 1647 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 3
1959IreneOct 841 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1956FlossySep 2471 miCategory 1 (91 mph)Category 1
1955Unnamed 1955 stormAug 2769 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1950BakerAug 3122 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 2
1948Unnamed 1948 stormSep 471 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1948Unnamed 1948 stormJul 965 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 821 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1944Unnamed 1944 stormSep 1111 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1939Unnamed 1939 stormSep 2635 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1939Unnamed 1939 stormAug 1362 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 1
1939Unnamed 1939 stormJun 1622 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1936Unnamed 1936 stormJul 3171 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormOct 660 miTropical storm (48 mph)Tropical storm
1932Unnamed 1932 stormOct 1646 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1932Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 1
1926Unnamed 1926 stormSep 2132 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 4
1923Unnamed 1923 stormOct 1845 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
1923Unnamed 1923 stormJun 26overheadTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1919Unnamed 1919 stormJul 463 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormOct 1854 miCategory 2 (102 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 517 miCategory 2 (101 mph)Category 3
1914Unnamed 1914 stormSep 1832 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1912Unnamed 1912 stormSep 1413 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 1
1911Unnamed 1911 stormAug 1212 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1907Unnamed 1907 stormSep 2134 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormSep 2731 miCategory 2 (100 mph)Category 3
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1066 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1901Unnamed 1901 stormAug 1511 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 1
1900Unnamed 1900 stormSep 1327 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1895Unnamed 1895 stormAug 1618 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormAug 810 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 26 miCategory 1 (89 mph)Category 4
1892Unnamed 1892 stormSep 1237 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2346 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 2
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 192 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 1
1887Unnamed 1887 stormJun 1447 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1885Unnamed 1885 stormSep 2712 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1881Unnamed 1881 stormAug 37 miTropical storm (48 mph)Tropical storm
1880Unnamed 1880 stormAug 3150 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormSep 1955 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormJul 1144 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormOct 174 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1860Unnamed 1860 stormSep 1546 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 2
1860Unnamed 1860 stormAug 125 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 3
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 1626 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 1
1855Unnamed 1855 stormSep 1652 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 3
1852Unnamed 1852 stormAug 266 miCategory 2 (96 mph)Category 3

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Semmes: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.

Tornadoes within 25 miles of Semmes

By decade

  • 2020s47
  • 2010s18
  • 2000s16
  • 1990s11(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s16(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s28(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s12(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s8(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Semmes, Alabama
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Nov 21, 1997F312 mi1 mi0 / 0
May 19, 1980F325 mi4.3 mi0 / 0
Mar 27, 1976F318 mi13.9 mi0 / 0
Nov 3, 1968F39 mi70.4 mi0 / 18
Apr 18, 1950F36 mi14 mi0 / 15
Jan 12, 2023EF218 mi11.65 mi0 / 0
Dec 25, 2012EF212 mi5.15 mi0 / 0
Mar 9, 2011EF214 mi0.91 mi0 / 4
Nov 6, 2000F219 mi1.5 mi0 / 2
Jul 2, 1989F221 mi1 mi0 / 0
Feb 10, 1981F224 mi0.5 mi0 / 2
May 19, 1980F216 mi0.1 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 156, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Semmes while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in Alabama