NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Carnesville, 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
14 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Carnesville, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 96 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 96
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Carnesville
None of the 14 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Carnesville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 53 miles away. The record near Carnesville begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 5 miles away. The 1880s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 14 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 76% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Carnesville. The highest rating among the 96 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 13, 2020, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on March 31, 1973, killed 2 people. Of the 96, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 42 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on September 25, 2024. Carnesville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 68% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1974, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 74% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Carnesville.
Compare Carnesville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Carnesville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 27 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 Carnesville: 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 Carnesville
By decade
- 2020s9(1 EF3+)
- 2010s7
- 2000s26
- 1990s21(1 EF3+)
- 1980s11
- 1970s14(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 21 mi | 16.71 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 25 mi | 28 mi | 0 / 37 |
| Dec 13, 1973 | F3 | 24 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 21 |
| Mar 31, 1973 | F2 | 24 mi | 72.4 mi | 2 / 100 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 2 mi | 5.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF2 | 5 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 10 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2003 | F2 | 14 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 12 |
| May 5, 1989 | F2 | 13 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 9 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 22 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 24 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 96, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Carnesville
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Carnesville since 1974, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently April 5, 2017. The most recent report is from June 11, 2023. April has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Carnesville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Commerce 4 NNW, GA, 14 miles southwest of Carnesville at 820 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 31°F. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 48% of the year's precipitation (24.7 of 52.0 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 14 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 44 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 60 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.7 inches a year, most of it in February. That 52.0 inches is more than at 68 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (63%). Eastanollee, 11 miles north, has its own station (Toccoa, GA): 59.2 inches a year, 7.2 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 31 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Feb | 56 | 34 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 57 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 72 | 49 | 52.0 | 77 | 0.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Commerce 4 NNW, GA (820 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 Carnesville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 90 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Carnesville: 84 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $209,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on March 4, 2008.
April 13, 2020: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Carnesville — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “County comms reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across Franklin County. The hardest hit area was the Gumlog community, where some structural damage occurred, mainly due to trees and large limbs falling on structures.”
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 Carnesville, 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 Carnesville
- Eastanollee, GA11 mi
- Canon, GA11 mi
- Royston, GA11 mi
- Homer, GA11 mi
- Martin, GA11 mi
- Lavonia, GA13 mi
- Danielsville, GA13 mi
- Commerce, GA13 mi
- Toccoa, GA14 mi
- Baldwin, GA14 mi
- Mount Airy, GA17 mi
- Maysville, GA17 mi
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