Top 20 Rainiest Cities and Towns in Alabama

Rainiest Cities and Towns in Alabama: Average Annual Rainfall

We’ve sifted through the rainfall information at City-Data to find the top 20 cities in Alabama for the highest average annual rainfall. We’ve chosen only those cities with populations of 6,000 or more.

#	Location	Inches
1	Daphne	67.7
2	Spanish Fort	67.7
3	Fairhope	67.7
4	Bay Minette	67.6
5	Fole	67.6
6	Satsuma	67.1
7	Gulf Shores	67.0
8	Saraland	66.9
9	Chickasaw	66.8
10	Prichard	66.7
11	Tanner-Williams	66.3
12	Mobile	66.3
13	Semmes	66.1
14	Tillmans Corner	66.0
15	Theodore	65.7
16	Atmore	65.2
17	Long Island	62.0
18	Andalusia	61.8
19	Hamilton	60.6
20	Monroeville	60.5

Rainiest Cities and Towns in Alabama: Heavy Rain Events

Average annual measures give you an idea of where you can expect a fair amount of rainfall every year. We’ve also reviewed NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information’s Storm Events Database. In the range of Nov. 30, 2010, to Nov. 30, 2020, they identified 37 locations affected by heavy rain events. 

Here are the top 20 ranked by rainfall amount. All amounts shown are those registered over a 24-hour period. We’ve left out cities that registered several times on the list, showing only their highest total. 

#	Location	Inches
1	Centerville, Cullman County, Dec. 25, 2015	10.8
2	Fairhope, Baldwin County, April 14, 2014	9.8
3	Capshaw, Limestone County, July 4, 2013	8.2
4	Hamilton, Marion County, Dec. 25, 2015	7.0
5	Grove Hill, Clarke County, Feb. 11, 2013	6.5
6	Silver Hill, Baldwin County, July 13, 2019	6.3
7	High Point, Dekalb County, Nov. 27, 2011	5.2
8	Cullman, Cullman County, Sept. 17, 2012	5.0
9	Hollytree, Jackson County, Sept. 17, 2012	4.9
10	Muscle Shoals, Colbert County, Sept. 17, 2012	4.7
11	Grand Bay, Mobile County, July 13, 2019	4.7
12	Spring Hill, Mobile County, April 2, 2017	4.5
13	Threet, Lauderdale County, Sept. 17, 2012	4.3
14	Hollytree, Jackson County, July 4, 2017	4.1
15	Foley, Baldwin County, July 13, 2019	4.0
16	Sylvania, Dekalb County, Nov. 27, 2011	3.8
17	Geneva, Geneva County, June 9, 2012	3.8
18	Fairview, Morgan County, Aug. 10, 2014	3.6
19	Geneva Airport, Geneva County, Feb. 19, 2012	3.4
20	Madison, Madison County, Oct. 28, 2020	2.8

There are a few cities that get a special mention: 

• Valley Head on April 28, 2014, with 2.1 inches of rain in 40 minutes and 0.5 inches in five minutes.
• Harvest on Sept. 2, 2012, with 4.3 inches of rain in 75 minutes.
• Wilson Dam on Aug. 23, 2019, with 1.1 inches in 15 minutes.

The one fatality noted in these records occurred April 28, 2014, in Rosedale when two individuals sought shelter from a tornado in their basement. The water caused a wall to collapse, killing one of them. From this, you can tell that heavy rains are not something to be taken lightly.

Rain in Our Hometowns

We’ve looked a little bit closer into the locations in Alabama where we have offices. 

Birmingham’s average annual rainfall comes in at 53.2 inches. Mobile ranks 12th in average rainfall at 66.3 inches. Mobile County gets hit with lots of rain from tropical storms, ranked 11th and 12th on the listing above.

Huntsville’s annual rainfall is 56.7 inches. Harvest near Huntsville gets a special mention above with its 4.3 inches of rain in 75 minutes. Montgomery’s average rainfall is 52.5 inches. 

How to Protect Your Home from Rain 

Looking over the list above, you can see that heavy rain can show up in Alabama almost any time of year. That’s why it’s important to protect your home from rain and to do so as soon as possible.

Here are our recommendations.

• Check Your Gutters and Downspouts: Make sure your gutters and downspouts are clear and sized adequately to carry the water that collects and runs off your roof. Repair any problems before the rain arrives.
• Install Downspout Extensions: Add extensions to the downspouts to route water well away from the foundation. You don’t want water collecting around your basement or crawl space.
• Landscape Your Yard Properly: Grade the soil around your foundation so that it slopes away. Then when water runs off the roof and into gutters and downspouts, it will continue its journey away from your basement or crawl space.
• Think About the Clay Bowl Effect’s Impact: One big reason to move water away from the foundation is that the soil has a different drainage factor than the surrounding soil. This happens during excavation to install the basement or crawl space. The backfill soil is much looser than the undisturbed soil. This forms a bowl that collects water and moves it toward the foundation.
• Install Proper Waterproofing Measures: First, fix any basement or crawl space cracks. Then install a drainage system and sump pump to collect and remove any leaks.

Rainwater can find its way into your basement or crawl space, whether it’s a gentle rain or one of the massive rainfalls we’ve listed above. 

Protect Your Home: Consult AFS for Rain Prep in Alabama

Ted Dryce

SEO Content Specialist

Ted is an SEO Content Writer who has been with Groundworks since 2021. He’s covered home repair topics ranging from crawl space encapsulation to regional soil conditions. When he’s not working, Ted is performing improv comedy and working on his own creative projects.