NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Atlanta, TX
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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Atlanta, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Barry in 2019. Since 1950, 128 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 128
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Atlanta
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Atlanta; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1879, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 39 miles away. The record near Atlanta begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Barry in 2019, a tropical storm 66 miles away. The 1940s and the 2000s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 10 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Atlanta has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 49% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 128 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on April 9, 2009, came within 10 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on February 12, 1950, killed 1 person. Of the 128, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 59 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 44. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Atlanta has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 67% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 114 times since 1959, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Atlanta has more hail reports within 10 miles than 69% of the 753 Texas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Atlanta
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | BarryJul 14 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | RitaSep 25 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 7 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 13 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
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.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Atlanta
By decade
- 2020s22
- 2010s13
- 2000s24(2 EF3+)
- 1990s21
- 1980s18(2 EF3+)
- 1970s16(1 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 2009 | EF3 | 10 mi | 9.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 2000 | F3 | 4 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 1987 | F3 | 18 mi | 12.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1985 | F3 | 21 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 1, 1977 | F3 | 25 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 1954 | F3 | 21 mi | 111.6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 30, 1954 | F3 | 3 mi | 86.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 12, 1950 | F2 | 20 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Jun 14, 2023 | EF2 | 7 mi | 8.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF2 | 14 mi | 19.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 2022 | EF2 | 17 mi | 39.97 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Jan 21, 2017 | EF2 | 16 mi | 13.36 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 128, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Atlanta
The Storm Prediction Center has 114 hail reports within 10 miles of Atlanta since 1959, made on 88 separate days. Of these, 74 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 28, 2014. The most recent report is from April 8, 2024. April has the most reports, 31.
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, TX, in Atlanta at 315 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 33°F. May is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 50.5 inches over 64 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 45% of the year's precipitation (22.7 of 50.5 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 98 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 54 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.9 inches a year, most of it in February. That 50.5 inches is more than at 276 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (88%). Maud, 17 miles northwest, has its own station (Wright Patman Dm & Lk, TX): 50.6 inches a year, 0.1 more than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 33 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Feb | 60 | 37 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 76 | 51 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 5.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 95 | 71 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 3.9 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 78 | 52 | 4.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 58 | 36 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Year | 76 | 52 | 50.5 | 64 | 0.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Atlanta, TX (315 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 90 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Atlanta: 75 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 115 mph, on March 25, 2002. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 298 have had fewer than Atlanta.
June 14, 2023: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Atlanta — 1 injured.
July 28, 2009: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Atlanta — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous roads and highways were underwater in Atlanta, Texas. Several roads were closed.”
July 28, 2009: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Atlanta — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Local emergency manager reported a total of 11 high water rescues from stalled vehicles in flooded roadways around and close to the city. Four children were rescued from a flooded home on Thomas Street and another 5 homes in various portions of the city were evacuated due to flooding.”
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 ZIP code 75551 have filed 26 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $719,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 8% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 433 Texas cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 106 have fewer than Atlanta.
Cass County, which includes Atlanta, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 6 fires, 5 floods, 5 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cass County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.8 million a year, the 141st highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.1 million (29%), 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.
Cities near Atlanta
- Queen City, TX7 mi
- Linden, TX14 mi
- Maud, TX17 mi
- Fouke, AR22 mi
- Vivian, LA22 mi
- Nash, TX23 mi
- Texarkana, TX23 mi
- Texarkana, AR24 mi
- Hooks, TX25 mi
- Jefferson, TX26 mi
- Naples, TX27 mi
- Hughes Springs, TX27 mi
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