Mobile County, Alabama

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 01097 · population 414,514 · 1,229 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,290 records for Mobile County, Alabama from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 703 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (473 records). NOAA records 214 flood or flash floods there since 1996, with 0 deaths; its 15,117 flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA) rank 29th of 2,942 U.S. counties; the deadliest named storm on its flood record is Hurricane Georges (1998). The deadliest single record is the August 2, 2018 rip current, filed for the forecast zone Mobile Coastal, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 40 declarations naming the county since 1969, 38 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Helene” on September 26, 2024.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $100,000
  • $100,000 or more
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more, or a death
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
  • 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
  • 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
Storm records
1,290on 703 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
24102 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$6.0Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
129strongest F3
FEMA declarations
40latest 2024

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.

What hazards hit Mobile County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 473 since 1957. The rank column places the county among Alabama's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.

Mobile County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 473 315 1957-2025 1 10 $10M 30 of 67
Hail 242 177 1959-2025 0 0 $76K 14 of 67
Floods 214 125 1996-2025 0 0 $12M 7 of 67
Tornadoes 129 95 1950-2026 1 53 $21M 6 of 67
Hurricanes and tropical storms 71 30 1997-2021 1 0 $5.9B 1 of 67
Lightning 63 51 1996-2019 3 22 $5.5M 4 of 67
Winter storms 22 8 2002-2025 0 0 $7K 63 of 67
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 19 17 1996-2012 0 12 $308K 6 of 67
Rip currents and high surf 13 13 2001-2022 10 4 $147K 2 of 67
Heat 12 8 1996-2007 7 1 – 56 of 67
Heavy rain 12 8 2005-2023 0 0 – 12 of 67
High wind and dust storms 12 9 1996-2024 0 0 $355K 45 of 67
Drought 6 3 2004-2016 0 0 – 60 of 67
Extreme cold 2 2 1996-2003 1 0 – 56 of 67

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.

How many tornadoes has Mobile County had?

NOAA records 129 tornadoes in Mobile County from 1950 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 53 injuries recorded in the county. That is 6th of 67 Alabama counties and 122nd of 3,080 U.S. counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.

Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 123 tornadoes whose track touched Mobile County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 129: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Mobile County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1996-01-26 17:27, as SPC files itGulfcrestF12 mi1
1997-11-21 19:40, as SPC files itSaralandF31 mi0
1982-04-25 05:20, as SPC files itDauphin IslandF31.5 mi0
1968-11-03 17:55, as SPC files itMobileF370.4 mi0
1950-04-18 01:30, as SPC files itMobileF314 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Alabama.

Every tornado record filed for Mobile County (129)
The 60 most recent of 129 tornadoes in Mobile County
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-03-11 Irvington, Mobile County EF0 5.92 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2026-03-11 Grand Bay, Mobile County EF0 3.34 mi x 140 yd 0 0 –
2026-03-11 Theodore Idle Hour A, Mobile County EF0 1.11 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
2026-03-11 Hatters, Mobile County EF0 0.51 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2026-03-11 Georgetown, Mobile County EF1 1.55 mi x 110 yd 0 0 –
2026-03-11 Georgetown, Mobile County EF0 2.39 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2025-05-29 Orchard, Mobile County EF0 2.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2025-03-15 Citronelle, Mobile County EF1 3.04 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
2024-12-28 Mon Louis, Mobile County EF0 0.16 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2024-12-27 Spring Hill, Mobile County EF0 0.18 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2024-12-27 Mobile Bates Fl, Mobile County EF0 1.65 mi x 80 yd 0 0 –
2024-12-27 Grand Bay, Mobile County EF1 5.27 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2024-04-10 Georgetown, Mobile County EF1 0.19 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2024-01-09 Delchamps, Mobile County EF0 0.66 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2024-01-09 Dawes, Mobile County EF0 1.48 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2024-01-09 Tanner Williams, Mobile County EF0 2.99 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2023-06-16 Irvington, Mobile County EF0 3.91 mi x 80 yd 0 0 –
2023-06-16 Salco, Mobile County EF1 7 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2023-01-12 Gulf Crest, Mobile County EF2 11.65 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
2022-10-29 Laurendine, Mobile County EF0 1.84 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2022-10-29 Mobile Brookley, Mobile County EF0 2.67 mi x 110 yd 0 0 –
2022-10-29 Spring Hill, Mobile County EF0 2.14 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
2022-10-29 Orchard, Mobile County EF0 2.45 mi x 180 yd 0 0 –
2022-10-29 St Elmo Airport, Mobile County EF1 4.9 mi x 250 yd 0 0 –
2022-05-06 Mertz, Mobile County EF1 0.29 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2022-03-30 Tillmans Corner, Mobile County EF1 3.01 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2022-03-30 Tanner Williams, Mobile County EF0 0.95 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2022-03-30 Orchard, Mobile County EF0 0.71 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2022-03-30 Big Creek Lake, Mobile County EF0 0.57 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2022-03-09 Seven Hills, Mobile County EF1 1.77 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2021-08-30 Saraland, Mobile County EF1 9.96 mi x 175 yd 0 3 –
2021-06-19 Heron Bay, Mobile County EF0 0.06 mi x 25 yd 0 1 –
2020-10-10 Irvington, Mobile County EF0 0.08 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2020-06-24 Orchard, Mobile County EF0 0.28 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2020-06-24 Gulf Crest, Mobile County EF1 2.66 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
2020-04-23 Gulf Crest, Mobile County EF1 0.55 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2020-04-19 Tanner Williams, Mobile County EF1 8.9 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2020-04-19 Mobile Bates Fl, Mobile County EF1 3.17 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2020-04-19 Theodore Idle Hour A, Mobile County EF1 1.3 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2019-11-07 Prichard, Mobile County EF0 0.38 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2019-10-25 Dawes, Mobile County EF1 1.34 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2019-10-25 Seven Hills, Mobile County EF0 0.09 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2019-10-25 Semmes, Mobile County EF1 3.31 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2019-06-07 Chickasaw, Mobile County EF0 0.52 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $29K
2017-10-07 Mobile Bates Fl, Mobile County EF0 0.27 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $60K
2013-04-11 Laurendine, Mobile County EF1 0.81 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $1.9M
2012-12-25 Piercie, Mobile County EF1 6.65 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2012-12-25 Mertz, Mobile County EF2 5.15 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $1.7M
2012-12-20 Cottage Hill, Mobile County EF1 6.67 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2011-09-04 Mon Louis, Mobile County EF1 1.93 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $59K
2011-09-03 Dauphin Is, Mobile County EF0 0.18 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2011-04-15 Citronelle, Mobile County EF0 1.24 mi x 80 yd 0 0 $39K
2011-03-09 Grand Bay, Mobile County EF1 0.18 mi x 80 yd 0 0 –
2011-03-09 Theodore, Mobile County EF2 0.91 mi x 100 yd 0 4 –
2010-10-25 Cottage Hill, Mobile County EF1 1.2 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
2008-08-18 Dauphin Is, Mobile County EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $7K
2007-10-22 Dauphin Is, Mobile County EF0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2007-10-22 Bayou La Batre Airport, Mobile County EF1 0.7 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $1.1M
2005-08-28 Semmes, Mobile County F0 1 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $8K
2005-08-28 Alabama Port, Mobile County F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $8K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.

When was the last damaging storm in Mobile County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 31, 2022 rip current (1 death).

A man in his 30s drowned due to a rip current on the West End Beach of Dauphin Island.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1034510)
The 12 most recent records kept for Mobile County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-03-11 TornadoIrvington, Mobile County EF0 5.92 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2026-03-11 TornadoGrand Bay, Mobile County EF0 3.34 mi x 140 yd 0 0 –
2026-03-11 TornadoTheodore Idle Hour A, Mobile County EF0 1.11 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
2026-03-11 TornadoHatters, Mobile County EF0 0.51 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2026-03-11 TornadoGeorgetown, Mobile County EF1 1.55 mi x 110 yd 0 0 –
2026-03-11 TornadoGeorgetown, Mobile County EF0 2.39 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2025-07-05 HailGrand Bay, Mobile County 1.25 in hail 0 0 –
2025-07-05 Thunderstorm WindGrand Bay, Mobile County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-06-09 HailSidney, Mobile County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2025-05-29 TornadoOrchard, Mobile County EF0 2.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2025-05-10 Flash FloodCottage Hill, Mobile County 0 0 –
2025-05-10 Thunderstorm WindDauphin Is, Mobile County 78 kt wind 0 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.

The deadliest and costliest records

Records with deaths or injuries in Mobile County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2018-08-02 Rip CurrentMobile County · forecast zone Mobile Coastal A 47 year old father and his 17 year old son, visiting from Taiwan, were swept out by a rip current off of Dauphin Island and drowned. 2 0 –
2015-04-09 Rip CurrentMobile County · forecast zone Lower Mobile Two male teenagers from Mobile were swimming in waist deep water off of Dauphin Island when they were swept out by strong rip currents. Both teenagers drowned as a result. 2 0 –
2000-07-14 HeatMobile County · forecast zone Lower Mobile Near record breaking high temperatures around 100 degrees, combined with high relative humidities, resulted in afternoon heat indices between 105 and 115 degrees from July 13th through July 21st. Nighttime low temperatures also remained warm through the period, only falling to the mid to upper 70s. These conditions ... 2 0 –
1996-01-26 TornadoGulf Crest, Mobile County A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG US HWY 45 NEAR GULF CREST AND THEN MOVED NORTHEAST FOR ABOUT 2 MILES. THREE PEOPLE WERE INJURED AND ONE OF THESE DIED IN A LOCAL HOSPITAL ABOUT A WEEK LATER. TWO ELDERLY WOMEN WERE IN A TRAILER THAT WAS TURNED OVER BY THE TORNADO. ANOTHER OF THE INJURED WAS IN A MOTOR HOME NEXT TO THE ... F1 2 mi x 500 yd 1 3 $188K
2022-04-13 Rip CurrentMobile County · forecast zone Mobile Coastal Three swimmers were caught in a rip current on Dauphin Island, AL around 430 pm on April 13th. An 18 year old female from Hurley, MS was taken by USCG helicopter to a nearby hospital where she later died. Two other people were transported via ambulance but survived. 1 2 –
2022-07-31 Rip CurrentMobile County · forecast zone Mobile Coastal A man in his 30s drowned due to a rip current on the West End Beach of Dauphin Island. 1 0 –
2019-06-16 LightningPrichard, Mobile County A 59 year old man was struck by lightning while he was climbing a ladder to perform repairs on the roof of a home. He was on life support for a few weeks, but was unable to recover from his injuries and passed away. 1 0 –
2008-08-12 Rip CurrentMobile County · forecast zone Lower Mobile A 39 year old female visitor from Texas died as she was trying to rescue her son when he was swept off a sand bar by a swift current. 1 0 –
The costliest records in Mobile County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2004-09-13 Hurricane (Typhoon)Mobile County · forecast zone Lower Mobile 0 0 $3.9B
2005-08-27 Hurricane (Typhoon)Mobile County · forecast zone Lower Mobile 0 0 $1.5B
2005-07-09 Hurricane (Typhoon)Mobile County · forecast zone Lower Mobile 0 0 $181M
1998-09-25 Hurricane (Typhoon)Mobile County · forecast zone Lower Mobile 1 0 $154M
2020-09-15 Hurricane (Typhoon)Mobile County · forecast zone Mobile Coastal 0 0 $87M
2017-10-07 Storm Surge/TideMobile County · forecast zone Mobile Coastal 0 0 $12M
2014-04-29 Flash FloodSaraland, Mobile County 0 0 $8.1M
2002-09-24 Tropical StormMobile County · forecast zone Lower Mobile 0 0 $7.4M

Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: November 3, 1968 (tornado, Mobile County); May 7, 1960 (tornado, Mobile County); November 30, 1977 (tornado, Mobile County).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.

Is it getting more frequent?

Records per decade for Mobile County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).

Mobile County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind4163275798312163
Hail21193066753118
Floods––––17538658
Tornadoes61016169171639
Hurricanes and tropical storms––––6331319
Lightning––––114480

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

Records by month in Mobile County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 90 · Feb 41 · Mar 131 · Apr 162 · May 147 · Jun 189 · Jul 153 · Aug 146 · Sep 80 · Oct 62 · Nov 37 · Dec 52 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Mobile County

FEMA's register lists 40 declarations that include Mobile County: 27 major disasters, 13 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (25) and severe storm (9).

Declarations including Mobile County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2024-09-26EM-3618HurricaneHurricane Helene
2023-01-15DR-4684Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes
2020-12-10DR-4573HurricaneHurricane Zeta
2020-09-20DR-4563HurricaneHurricane Sally
2020-09-14EM-3545HurricaneHurricane Sally
2020-03-29DR-4503BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3472BiologicalCovid-19
2018-11-05DR-4406HurricaneHurricane Michael
2018-10-12EM-3407HurricaneHurricane Michael
2017-11-16DR-4349HurricaneHurricane Nate
2017-10-08EM-3394HurricaneHurricane Nate
2017-09-11EM-3389HurricaneHurricane Irma
2014-05-02DR-4176Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2012-09-21DR-4082HurricaneHurricane Isaac
2011-04-28DR-1971Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2011-04-27EM-3319Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds
2009-12-22DR-1866HurricaneTropical Storm Ida
2008-09-26DR-1797Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding Associated With Hurricane Ike
2008-09-10DR-1789HurricaneHurricane Gustav
2008-08-30EM-3292HurricaneHurricane Gustav
2005-09-10EM-3237HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2005-08-29DR-1605HurricaneHurricane Katrina
2005-08-28EM-3214HurricaneHurricane Katrina
2005-07-10DR-1593HurricaneHurricane Dennis
2004-09-15DR-1549HurricaneHurricane Ivan
2003-05-12DR-1466Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2002-10-09DR-1438HurricaneTropical Storm Isidore
1998-09-30DR-1250HurricaneHurricane Georges - 18 Sep 98
1998-09-28EM-3133HurricaneHurricane Georges
1997-07-25DR-1185Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding,High Winds, Assoc With Hurr Danny
1995-10-04DR-1070HurricaneHurricane Opal
1993-03-15EM-3096SnowstormSevere Snowfall, Winter Storm
1990-03-21DR-861Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1985-09-07DR-742HurricaneHurricane Elena
1981-05-14DR-639FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1980-04-20DR-619Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1979-09-13DR-598HurricaneHurricane Frederic
1977-07-20EM-3045DroughtDrought
1973-03-27DR-369TornadoTornadoes & Flooding
1969-11-07DR-280HurricaneHurricane Camille

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.

How many floods has Mobile County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 214 flood or flash flood records for Mobile County from 1996 to 2025, on 125 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Mobile County ranks 29th of 2,942 U.S. counties. The 100 counties with the most claims

Named storms on Mobile County's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Hurricane Georges1998-09-2511
Hurricane Sally2020-09-1510
Hurricane Nate2017-10-0740
Hurricane Ike2008-09-1110
Hurricane Gustav2008-09-0120
Hurricane Katrina2005-08-2710
Hurricane Dennis2005-07-0910
Hurricane Ivan2004-09-1310
Tropical Storm Isidore2002-09-2410

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $369 million on 15,117 claims filed in Mobile County; the most in one year was 3,628 in 2005. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 51 · 1979: 1,623 · 1980: 726 · 1981: 1,147 · 1982: 29 · 1983: 298 · 1984: 34 · 1985: 478 · 1986: 4 · 1987: 23 · 1988: 20 · 1989: 23 · 1990: 79 · 1991: 25 · 1992: 11 · 1993: 18 · 1994: 6 · 1995: 264 · 1996: 24 · 1997: 594 · 1998: 2,515 · 1999: 14 · 2000: 8 · 2001: 14 · 2002: 428 · 2003: 57 · 2004: 1,451 · 2005: 3,628 · 2006: 17 · 2007: 10 · 2008: 203 · 2009: 166 · 2010: 31 · 2011: 11 · 2012: 150 · 2013: 14 · 2014: 108 · 2015: 66 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 202 · 2018: 33 · 2019: 21 · 2020: 401 · 2021: 31 · 2022: 11 · 2023: 7 · 2024: 12 · 2025: 14 · 2026: 14.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk for Mobile County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mobile County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $298 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.

National Risk Index ratings for Mobile County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
HurricaneVery High$178Monce in about 4 years (modeled)
LightningVery High$3.1M85 a year (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively High$81M3.7 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively High$10M1.2 a year (modeled)
Coastal FloodingRelatively High$5.8M4.8 a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$6.6M10 modeled event-days a year
WildfireRelatively Moderate$2.3Monce in about 241 years (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Moderate$1.2M17 modeled event-days a year

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Mobile County

  1. Mobile County 1,290
  2. Baldwin County 1,061
  3. Jackson County, MS 532
  4. Washington County 343
  5. Greene County, MS 230
  6. George County, MS 222

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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