NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Climax, 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
70 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Climax, Georgia since 1851, 12 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 92 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 12
- Tropical storms
- 58
- Tornadoes
- 92
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
29 deaths in all
What the records show for Climax
The strongest storm to pass near Climax was Michael in 2018, a Category 3 hurricane with 113 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1894, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Climax begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a Category 3 hurricane 56 miles away. The 1870s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 8 systems each. Of the 70 systems, 13 have come since 2000. Climax has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 84% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 92 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on March 22, 2005, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on February 13, 2000, killed 11 people. Of the 92, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 40 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on April 7, 2025. Climax has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 60% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 22 times since 1980, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 90% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Climax.
Compare Climax's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Climax
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 56 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | NicoleNov 11 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | MindySep 9 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | FredAug 17 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 7 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 19 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 10 | 25 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2008 | FayAug 23 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 13 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 27 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 6 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 5 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1994 | BerylAug 16 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 8 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 20 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 11 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | KingOct 19 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 16 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 7 | 6 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 31 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 5 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | overhead | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 14 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 10 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 29 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 29 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 29 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 4 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 16 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 30 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJun 13 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 2 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 7 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 2 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 26 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 21 | 33 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 31 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 10 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 7 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 27 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 52 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 5 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 26 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 23 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 4 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 25 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 42 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 19 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Climax: 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 Climax
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s11
- 2000s19(4 EF3+)
- 1990s9
- 1980s3
- 1970s25
- 1960s11(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 13, 2000 | F3 | 22 mi | 9.2 mi | 11 / 175 |
| Feb 13, 2000 | F3 | 17 mi | 15 mi | 7 / 15 |
| Mar 20, 2003 | F3 | 22 mi | 25 mi | 6 / 200 |
| Mar 22, 2005 | F3 | 22 mi | 18 mi | 1 / 18 |
| Dec 28, 1968 | F3 | 15 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 19, 1995 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.3 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Jan 12, 1975 | F2 | 8 mi | 168.5 mi | 1 / 33 |
| Jan 30, 1974 | F2 | 17 mi | 3.3 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF2 | 13 mi | 2.68 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 18, 2009 | EF2 | 22 mi | 10.44 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 2009 | EF2 | 16 mi | 5.94 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2001 | F2 | 4 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 13 |
The strongest 12 of 92, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Climax
The Storm Prediction Center has 22 hail reports within 10 miles of Climax since 1980, made on 18 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on December 29, 1983. The most recent report is from May 12, 2023. March has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Climax
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cairo 1SW, GA, 13 miles east of Climax at 201 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 62°F and 38°F. June is the wettest at 7.1 inches of precipitation on average and May the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 51.0 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (27.5 of 51.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 70 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (24); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 78 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 30 nights a year. That 51.0 inches is more than at 54 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (50%). Brinson, 16 miles west, has its own station (Newton 11 SW, GA): 49.7 inches a year, 1.3 less than here, and the same August average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 38 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Feb | 66 | 42 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Mar | 72 | 47 | 5.2 | 6 |
| Apr | 78 | 53 | 3.2 | 5 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 7.1 | 9 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 5.3 | 9 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Sep | 87 | 67 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Oct | 80 | 57 | 3.1 | 4 |
| Nov | 71 | 46 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Dec | 64 | 41 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Year | 78 | 55 | 51.0 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cairo 1SW, GA (201 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 Climax
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 135 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Climax: 128 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $759,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on February 7, 2017.
April 5, 2009: flood 10 miles from the centre of Climax — $250,000 damage.
March 20, 2003: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Climax — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Straight-line winds damaged a few homes and a church. Numerous trees and power lines were toppled.”
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
Decatur County, which includes Climax, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Decatur County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hail, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $22.7 million a year, the 36th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.2 million (49%), 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 Climax
- Bainbridge, GA6 mi
- Whigham, GA7 mi
- Cairo, GA14 mi
- Brinson, GA16 mi
- Havana, FL20 mi
- Colquitt, GA23 mi
- Pelham, GA23 mi
- Ochlocknee, GA23 mi
- Quincy, FL24 mi
- Camilla, GA25 mi
- Meigs, GA26 mi
- Chattahoochee, FL27 mi
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