NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Canon, 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
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Canon, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 95 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 95
- 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 Canon
None of the 15 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Canon; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 43 miles away. The record near Canon begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 6 miles away. The 1880s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 15 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Canon. The highest rating among the 95 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 13, 2020, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on March 31, 1973, killed 2 people. Of the 95, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 49 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on August 3, 2023. Canon has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 66% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 59 times since 1970, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Canon has more hail reports within 10 miles than 51% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Canon
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 20 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 Canon: 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 Canon
By decade
- 2020s11(1 EF3+)
- 2010s6
- 2000s32
- 1990s17
- 1980s8
- 1970s14(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 19 mi | 16.71 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 8, 1974 | F3 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 1973 | F2 | 23 mi | 72.4 mi | 2 / 100 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 10 mi | 5.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF2 | 8 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 26, 2008 | EF2 | 24 mi | 5.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 5 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2003 | F2 | 8 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 12 |
| May 5, 1989 | F2 | 19 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 20 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 23 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 1980 | F2 | 20 mi | 33.4 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 95, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Canon
The Storm Prediction Center has 59 hail reports within 10 miles of Canon since 1970, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 6, 2003. The most recent report is from July 11, 2025. April has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Canon
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hartwell, GA, 10 miles east of Canon at 805 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 33°F. March and December are the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and April the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 51.9 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (25.7 of 51.9 inches). September has brought the most of the 15 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 4.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 36 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 49 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 51.9 inches is more than at 67 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (62%). Bowman, 11 miles south, has its own station (Elberton 2 N, GA): 49.5 inches a year, 2.4 less than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 56 | 35 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 72 | 49 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 59 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 69 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 64 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 52 | 3.8 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 41 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 71 | 51 | 51.9 | 76 | 0.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hartwell, GA (805 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 Canon
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 140 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Canon: 130 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods, 2 floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $710,000 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 6. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 109 have had fewer than Canon.
January 19, 2001: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Canon — $150,000 damage.
May 9, 2002: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Canon — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Wind damage was reported to a house, a school, and a mobile home. Numerous trees and powerlines were also blown down, some onto vehicles and homes.”
February 6, 2020: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Canon — $100,000 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
Franklin County, which includes Canon, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 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 Franklin County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.2 million a year, the 91st highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.1 million (51%), 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 Canon
- Royston, GA5 mi
- Lavonia, GA8 mi
- Hartwell, GA10 mi
- Bowman, GA11 mi
- Carnesville, GA11 mi
- Martin, GA12 mi
- Dewy Rose, GA12 mi
- Fair Play, SC13 mi
- Danielsville, GA14 mi
- Eastanollee, GA15 mi
- Townville, SC18 mi
- Comer, GA18 mi
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