NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Atlanta, GA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Atlanta, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 130 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 130
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Atlanta
None of the 17 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Atlanta; the strongest was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The record near Atlanta begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. The 1890s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 17 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 63% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Atlanta. The strongest of the 130 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on November 22, 1992; its path came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 24, 1975, killed 3 people. Of the 130, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 59 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on March 31, 2025. Atlanta has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 97% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 199 times since 1955, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Atlanta has more hail reports within 10 miles than 97% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Atlanta
Of the 17 tracks on the map, 11 were moving northeast as they passed Atlanta, 2 north and 2 east. Helene (2024), the strongest pass, was heading north; its centre passed 71 miles east of Atlanta. None made landfall within 75 miles of Atlanta; 14 of the 17 were hurricanes at their peak, none at their closest to the city. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 2 came near Atlanta: 0.7 a decade, against 1.0 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 1 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Atlanta: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Check hail and hurricane history for any address
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Atlanta
By decade
- 2020s19
- 2010s24(1 EF3+)
- 2000s16
- 1990s19(3 EF3+)
- 1980s16
- 1970s20(3 EF3+)
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 18 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 46 |
| Mar 24, 1975 | F3 | 4 mi | 14.8 mi | 3 / 152 |
| Jan 10, 1972 | F3 | 8 mi | 6.3 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 25 mi | 29.02 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 10 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 29, 1991 | F3 | 13 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 25 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 8 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 24, 1964 | F3 | 21 mi | 75.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 31, 1973 | F2 | 18 mi | 72.4 mi | 2 / 100 |
| Mar 14, 2008 | EF2 | 2 mi | 6.25 mi | 1 / 30 |
| Apr 8, 1998 | F2 | 12 mi | 19 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Jun 27, 1994 | F2 | 22 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 130, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Atlanta
The Storm Prediction Center has 199 hail reports within 10 miles of Atlanta since 1955, made on 128 separate days. Of these, 110 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 6, 1999. The most recent report is from June 26, 2025. April has the most reports, 51.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Atlanta
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Atlanta Fulton Co Airport, GA, 7 miles west of Atlanta at 840 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 54°F and 34°F. July is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 48.1 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (23.6 of 48.1 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (10); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 3.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 54 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 52 nights a year. That 48.1 inches is more than at 22 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (20%). Brookhaven, 7 miles northeast, has its own station (Atlanta Peachtree Airport, GA): 51.5 inches a year, 3.4 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 34 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Feb | 58 | 37 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Mar | 66 | 43 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Apr | 74 | 50 | 3.6 | 6 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 3.6 | 4 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Dec | 56 | 36 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Year | 73 | 52 | 48.1 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Atlanta Fulton Co Airport, GA (840 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Atlanta
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 432 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Atlanta: 321 thunderstorm wind reports, 85 flash floods, 14 lightning strikes, 7 heavy rain events and 5 floods. They killed 6 people and injured 17, and the NWS estimated $8.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on January 4, 2015. September has had the most flash floods, 15 of 85. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 391 have had fewer than Atlanta.
May 26, 2011: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Atlanta — 2 killed, $100,000 damage.
NWS: “The Fulton County Emergency Management Director and the public reported that at least a dozen trees were down across the north part of the county in the Buckhead and Sandy Springs areas. A number of roads were blocked from downed trees, especially across the northern part of the county.”
July 13, 2010: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Atlanta — 2 killed.
October 31, 2019: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Atlanta — 1 killed, $30,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Atlanta's 28 ZIP codes have filed 3,646 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $128.8 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late summer storms in 2009: 756 claims (21% of all) and $58.9 million, then Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004 with 469 and Hurricane Helene in 2024 with 315. 47% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 154 Georgia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 152 have fewer than Atlanta.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late summer storms2009 | 756 | $58.9 million |
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 469 | $20.9 million |
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 315 | $23.3 million |
| Flooding1998 | 76 | $851,000 |
| Early winter storms2015 | 46 | $1.5 million |
| Hurricane Dennis2005 | 45 | $643,000 |
Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Fulton County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $234.6 million a year, the 2nd highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $164.3 million (70%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.