NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bowman, 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
16 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bowman, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 73 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 16
- Tornadoes
- 73
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Bowman
None of the 16 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bowman; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 37 miles away. The record near Bowman begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 9 miles away. The 1880s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 16 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 67% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Bowman. The highest rating among the 73 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 8, 1974, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on March 31, 1973, killed 2 people. Of the 73, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 41 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 12 each. The most recent tornado was on August 3, 2023. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 62% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bowman. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1970, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bowman.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bowman
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 70 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 Bowman: 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 Bowman
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s4
- 2000s30
- 1990s10
- 1980s5
- 1970s11(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | 23 mi | 18.7 mi | 1 / 65 |
| Apr 8, 1974 | F3 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 1973 | F2 | 16 mi | 72.4 mi | 2 / 100 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 15 mi | 5.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| May 3, 2021 | EF2 | 19 mi | 29.35 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF2 | 19 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 21 mi | 8.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2003 | F2 | in town | 7 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Aug 16, 1994 | F2 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 1980 | F2 | 21 mi | 33.4 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 9, 1970 | F2 | 9 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 73, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bowman
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Bowman since 1970, made on 37 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 6, 2003. The most recent report is from November 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bowman
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Elberton 2 N, GA, 11 miles east of Bowman at 540 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 30°F. July is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 49.5 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (24.6 of 49.5 inches). September has brought the most of the 16 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 36 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 85 nights a year. That 49.5 inches is more than at 38 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (35%). Royston, 8 miles northwest, has its own station (Hartwell, GA): 51.9 inches a year, 2.4 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 30 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Feb | 57 | 32 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Mar | 65 | 38 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Apr | 73 | 46 | 3.5 | 6 |
| May | 80 | 56 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Sep | 83 | 61 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Nov | 63 | 37 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Dec | 55 | 32 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Year | 72 | 48 | 49.5 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Elberton 2 N, GA (540 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 Bowman
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 110 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bowman: 91 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 7 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on January 19, 2001. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 11. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 206 have had fewer than Bowman.
October 7, 2021: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Bowman — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “County comms and stream gauges reported significant flash flooding developed along multiple streams in northern Elbert County. Four to seven inches fell across the area in around a 24-hour period, but the bulk of that fell with a cluster of slow-moving thunderstorms during the morning of the 7th.”
March 26, 2021: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Bowman — $200,000 damage.
January 19, 2001: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Bowman — $150,000 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
Elbert County, which includes Bowman, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Elbert County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.9 million a year, the 98th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.9 million (42%), 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 Bowman
- Dewy Rose, GA5 mi
- Royston, GA8 mi
- Comer, GA10 mi
- Canon, GA11 mi
- Danielsville, GA12 mi
- Elberton, GA13 mi
- Hartwell, GA14 mi
- Colbert, GA15 mi
- Lavonia, GA18 mi
- Hull, GA18 mi
- Carnesville, GA18 mi
- Winterville, GA21 mi
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