NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Buford, 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
13 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Buford, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 80 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 80
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
17 deaths in all
What the records show for Buford
None of the 13 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Buford; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The record near Buford begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 46 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 13 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 78% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Buford. The highest rating among the 80 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 20, 1998, came within 20 miles. Of the 80, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 31 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on May 2, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 54% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Buford. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 95 times since 1963, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Buford has more hail reports within 10 miles than 77% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Buford
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Buford: 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 Buford
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s12
- 2000s14
- 1990s12(1 EF3+)
- 1980s11
- 1970s13(3 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s8
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 1998 | F3 | 20 mi | 4 mi | 12 / 171 |
| Mar 24, 1975 | F3 | 24 mi | 14.8 mi | 3 / 152 |
| Dec 13, 1973 | F3 | 15 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 21 |
| Apr 2, 1970 | F3 | 14 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 1998 | F2 | 6 mi | 19 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Jun 27, 1994 | F2 | 16 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Nov 30, 2010 | EF2 | 4 mi | 2.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 4 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 22 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 25 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1985 | F2 | 19 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 1984 | F2 | 11 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
The strongest 12 of 80, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Buford
The Storm Prediction Center has 95 hail reports within 10 miles of Buford since 1963, made on 71 separate days. Of these, 54 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 7, 1998. The most recent report is from April 10, 2025. April has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Buford
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cumming 2N, GA, 12 miles northwest of Buford at 1,140 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 31°F. January is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and September and October the driest at 4.0 inches; the year adds up to 56.4 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 48% of the year's precipitation (26.9 of 56.4 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 32 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 67 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.6 inches a year, most of it in March. That 56.4 inches is more than at 90 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (83%). Flowery Branch, 7 miles northeast, has its own station (Gainesville Gilmer Airport, GA): 52.5 inches a year, 3.9 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 31 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 39 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 54 | 34 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 56.4 | 87 | 0.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cumming 2N, GA (1,140 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 Buford
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 171 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Buford: 125 thunderstorm wind reports, 30 lightning strikes, 11 flash floods, 4 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $28.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 105 mph, on April 4, 2007. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 11. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 206 have had fewer than Buford.
June 15, 2010: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Buford — 3 injured.
April 4, 2007: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Buford — 1 injured, $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “A survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia and damage reports received from the Hall Emergency Management Director, a cooperative observer, and the public confirmed that a microburst with straight-line winds of 70 to 80 mph with isolated damage of 100-110 mph caused considerable…”
July 9, 2008: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Buford — 1 injured.
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 Buford's 2 ZIP codes have filed 20 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $252,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 10% 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, 40 have fewer than Buford.
Gwinnett County, which includes Buford, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Gwinnett 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 $211.5 million a year, the 3rd highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $144.9 million (68%), 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 Buford
- Suwanee, GA6 mi
- Flowery Branch, GA7 mi
- Auburn, GA10 mi
- Dacula, GA10 mi
- Oakwood, GA10 mi
- Lawrenceville, GA11 mi
- Cumming, GA11 mi
- Braselton, GA11 mi
- Hoschton, GA12 mi
- Duluth, GA12 mi
- Grayson, GA15 mi
- Gainesville, GA16 mi
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