NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Comer, 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
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Comer, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 61 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 61
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Comer
None of the 17 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Comer; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 39 miles away. The record near Comer begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 3 miles away. The 1880s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 17 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 63% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Comer. The strongest of the 61 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on May 28, 1973; its path came within 14 miles, and it killed 1 person. The deadliest, an F2 on March 31, 1973, killed 2 people. Of the 61, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 29 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on August 3, 2023. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 77% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Comer. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1967, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 75% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Comer.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Comer
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoAug 30 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 41 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 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 63 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 Comer: 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 Comer
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s4
- 2000s19
- 1990s7
- 1980s9
- 1970s10(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | 14 mi | 18.7 mi | 1 / 65 |
| Mar 31, 1973 | F2 | 7 mi | 72.4 mi | 2 / 100 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 17 mi | 5.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 23 mi | 8.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2003 | F2 | 10 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Aug 16, 1994 | F2 | 9 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 1976 | F2 | 17 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 1970 | F2 | 16 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 1970 | F2 | 19 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 13, 1966 | F2 | 7 mi | 6.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 31, 1954 | F2 | 5 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 25 |
The strongest 12 of 61, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Comer
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Comer since 1967, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 16 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 23, 2009. The most recent report is from November 8, 2025. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Comer
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Danielsville, GA, 11 miles west of Comer at 780 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 32°F. December is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and April and October the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 51.2 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (25.0 of 51.2 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 46 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 60 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 51.2 inches is more than at 57 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (53%). Colbert, 6 miles west, has its own station (Winterville, GA): 51.8 inches a year, 0.6 more 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 | 52 | 32 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 56 | 34 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 64 | 40 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 4.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.6 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 35 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Year | 72 | 50 | 51.2 | 75 | 2.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Danielsville, GA (780 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 Comer
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 69 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Comer: 59 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods, 2 floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on March 5, 2013. September has had the most flash floods, 2 of 6. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 109 have had fewer than Comer.
July 23, 2000: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Comer — $300,000 damage.
October 7, 2021: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Comer — $250,000 damage.
June 4, 1998: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Comer — $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
Madison County, which includes Comer, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Madison County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.8 million a year, the 93rd highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.3 million (43%), 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 Comer
- Colbert, GA6 mi
- Bowman, GA10 mi
- Danielsville, GA10 mi
- Hull, GA11 mi
- Winterville, GA12 mi
- Crawford, GA13 mi
- Royston, GA14 mi
- Dewy Rose, GA14 mi
- Lexington, GA15 mi
- Nicholson, GA17 mi
- Elberton, GA17 mi
- Athens, GA17 mi
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