Mobile, Alabama's History with Tropical Systems

(br) = Brush (ts) = Tropical Storm (bd) = Back Door, meaning coming from over land from opposite coast. Not all names are noted. Also, storms before 1950 were not named. Not every stat on every storm description is given. (since 1871)

Mobile most likely to be hit by a hurricane between August 31st and September 6th

Years within or near core

1872tsbr
1877br
1879tsbr
1880tsbr
1881ts
1882brm
1885bdts
1887ts
1889ts
1892tsbr
1893
1894ts
1895ts
1900ts
1901
1902tsbr
1906
1907ts
1911
1912bdtsbr
1912
1914bdts
1915tsbr
1916
1916m
1917brm
1919tsbr
1923-2ts
1926
1932
1932tsbr
1934ts
1936tsbr
1939ts
1939tsbr
1947br
1947ts
1948tsbr
1950
1956br
1959tsbr
1960ts
1964xtropstbd
1969brm
1979m
1985m
1985ts
1995
1995brm
1997
1998br
2001bdsubts
2002ts
2004m
2005ts
2005tsbr
2005m
2009tsbr
2009ts
2017ts
2017br
2018ts
2020tsbr
2020
2020br
2021ts

67 times in 153 years (as of end of 2024)

Names from list above (C storms most likely to impact the area)

Baker
Flossy
Arlene
Ethel
Hilda
Camille
Frederic
Elena
Juan
Erin
Opal
Danny
Georges
Allison
Hanna
Ivan
Arlene
Cindy
Katrina
Claudette
Ida
Cindy
Nate
Gordon
Cristobal
Sally
Zeta
Claudette

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio

TS = 40, 59.70%
H = 27, 40.30%

only 14.52% of all tropical systems affecting Mobile are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms

9 years 1970-1978 & 1986-1994

How often this area gets affected?

Brushed or hit every 2.28 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits. (hurricane force winds for a few hours)

Once every 9 years. (17 hits) State stats (older site)

Average years between major hurricane hits.

Once every 30.6 years. (5 hits)

Average MPH of hurricane hits. (based on sustained winds from advisories, not gusts)

98 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next

1 year overdue

Last affected by

2021 June 19th Tropical Storm Claudette passes to northwest by 69 miles with 40 mph winds while moving northeast.

This area's hurricane history

1893 October 2nd, 90 mph from the southwest
1901 August 15th, 80 mph from the south-southwest.
1906 September 27th, a 10 foot storm surge, pressure 28.50 inHg, 110 mph winds from the south-southeast.
1911 August 11th, 80 mph from the southeast.
1912 September 14th, storm surge 4.4ft 75 mph from the south.
1916 July 6th, pressure 28.92 inHg, storm surge 11.6 feet with 80 mph from the south, wind gusts to 106 mph. 7 killed & reports of heavy damage from Mobile to Pensacola, Florida.
1916 October 18th, 115 mph from the south-southwest just east.
1926 September 20th, 110 mph from the east-southeast just southwest & water was taken out of Mobile Bay with low of 10.9 feet below normal. Newspaper headline
1932 September 1st 80 mph from the southeast.
1950 August 31st, Baker a category 1, 85 mph from the south.
1979 September 12th, Frederic 132 mph from the south-southeast heavy damage to Mobile, pressure 27.94 inHg, storm surge 12 feet. Jim Leonard in Mobile | Newspaper headline | #2 | #3 | Average model error
1985 September 2nd Hurricane Elena hits south with 120 mph winds from the east-southeast
1995 August 3rd Hurricane Erin hits with 80 mph winds from the southeast
1997 July 19th, Danny stalled 30 miles to south with 80 mph from the west-southwest, pressure 29.06 inHg, 26 inches of rain. NHC Danny report
2004, September 16th very early morning, Hurricane Ivan just East with 130 mph winds moving north-northeast over Eastern Alabama with Ivan having a wind field approximately 85 miles out.Moderate to heavy damage here from primarilly North & west winds. Ivan radar at landfall | Ivan wind swath map | USGS surge info | Radar animation (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School)
2005 August 29th, 95 mph from the south with 115 mph winds while due west of Mobile, Hurricane Katrina passes well west but large hurricane force wind field extends into Mobile. Radar animation (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School)
2020 September 16th Hurricane Sally passes just east gets under western eye wall while moving northeast with 100 mph winds. Radar animation (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) | Hit map | NHC report

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Stat sources:

Text Sources:

"Divine Wind" by Kerry Emanuel
"Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms" by John M. Williams and Iver W. Duedall
"Florida's Hurricane History" by Jay Barnes
"Hurricane Almanac" by Bryan Norcross
HurricaneCity.com calculations by Jim Williams
"Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States" by Rick Schwartz
"Hurricane Watch" by Dr. Bob Sheets and Jack Williams
"Inside the Hurricane" by Pete Davies
"Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson
"Killer 'Cane" by Robert Mykle
"Lunatic Wind" by William Price Fox
Miami Herald newspaper (microfilm)
"Path of Destruction" by John McQuaid and Mark Schleifstein
Sun Sentinel newspaper (microfilm)
"The Major Hurricanes To Affect The Bahamas" by Wayne Neely
"The Ship and the Storm" by Jim Carrier
Plus many more......