NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Elberton, 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
19 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Elberton, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 63 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 19
- Tornadoes
- 63
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Elberton
None of the 19 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Elberton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 24 miles away. The record near Elberton begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 20 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 4 systems. Of the 19 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 54% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Elberton. The strongest of the 63 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 31, 1973; its path came within 15 miles, and it killed 7 people. Of the 63, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on June 9, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 73% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Elberton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 52 times since 1968, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Elberton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Elberton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoAug 30 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | overhead | 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 Elberton: 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 Elberton
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s1
- 2000s29
- 1990s9
- 1980s4
- 1970s10(2 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 1973 | F4 | 15 mi | 22.6 mi | 7 / 30 |
| Apr 8, 1974 | F3 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 1973 | F2 | 24 mi | 72.4 mi | 2 / 100 |
| May 3, 2021 | EF2 | 8 mi | 29.35 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF2 | 21 mi | 6.71 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 9 mi | 8.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2003 | F2 | 13 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Aug 16, 1994 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 1980 | F2 | 18 mi | 33.4 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 27, 1973 | F2 | 21 mi | 11.8 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 9, 1970 | F2 | 21 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 63, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Elberton
The Storm Prediction Center has 52 hail reports within 10 miles of Elberton since 1968, made on 44 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 7, 1998. The most recent report is from November 8, 2025. April has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Elberton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Elberton 2 N, GA, 2 miles northwest of Elberton at 540 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 30°F. July is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 49.5 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (24.6 of 49.5 inches). September has brought the most of the 19 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 36 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 85 nights a year. That 49.5 inches is more than at 38 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (35%). Calhoun Falls, SC, 15 miles east, has its own station (Calhoun Falls, SC): 46.9 inches a year, 2.6 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 30 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Feb | 57 | 32 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Mar | 65 | 38 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Apr | 73 | 46 | 3.5 | 6 |
| May | 80 | 56 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Sep | 83 | 61 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Nov | 63 | 37 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Dec | 55 | 32 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Year | 72 | 48 | 49.5 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Elberton 2 N, GA (540 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 Elberton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 82 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Elberton: 70 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods, 4 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $215,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 24, 1999. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 129 have had fewer than Elberton.
September 28, 2006: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Elberton — 1 injured.
NWS: “Widespread tree damage in locations in and around Elberton. There was also some light structural 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
Elbert County, which includes Elberton, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 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 Elbert County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.9 million a year, the 98th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.9 million (42%), 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 Elberton
- Dewy Rose, GA9 mi
- Bowman, GA13 mi
- Calhoun Falls, SC15 mi
- Iva, SC16 mi
- Tignall, GA17 mi
- Comer, GA17 mi
- Hartwell, GA18 mi
- Starr, SC19 mi
- Royston, GA20 mi
- Canon, GA22 mi
- Lexington, GA22 mi
- Colbert, GA23 mi
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