NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ellijay, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ellijay, 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, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 61
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
38 deaths in all
What the records show for Ellijay
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ellijay; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 5 miles away. The record near Ellijay begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 50 miles away. The 1900s and the 2020s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 6 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 97% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Ellijay. The highest rating among the 61 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 27, 1994, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 27, 1994, killed 9 people. Of the 61, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 27 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on May 25, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 77% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ellijay. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 45 times since 1980, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 58% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ellijay.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ellijay
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ellijay: 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 Ellijay
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s12(2 EF3+)
- 2000s5
- 1990s12(4 EF3+)
- 1980s3
- 1970s13(3 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 18 mi | 29.5 mi | 9 / 67 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 19 mi | 17.7 mi | 6 / 30 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 20 mi | 24 mi | 4 / 26 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 19 mi | 49 mi | 3 / 20 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 13 mi | 40 mi | 9 / 70 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 24 mi | 23 mi | 3 / 15 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 17 mi | 44 mi | 3 / 45 |
| Jan 30, 2013 | EF3 | 18 mi | 21.78 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 16 mi | 23.05 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Nov 11, 2002 | F2 | 19 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Apr 5, 1985 | F2 | 11 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 30, 1977 | F2 | 6 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 61, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ellijay
The Storm Prediction Center has 45 hail reports within 10 miles of Ellijay since 1980, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 20, 2006. The most recent report is from July 25, 2020. May has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ellijay
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Jasper 1 NNW, GA, 14 miles south of Ellijay at 1,465 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 31°F. March is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 4.0 inches; the year adds up to 58.7 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 12 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 61 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.5 inches a year, most of it in December. That 58.7 inches is more than at 98 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (91%). Blue Ridge, 13 miles northeast, has its own station (Blairsville Exp Stn, GA): 60.6 inches a year, 1.9 more than here, and the same July average high, 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 31 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.7 |
| Feb | 52 | 34 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Mar | 60 | 40 | 5.9 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 68 | 47 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 56 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 63 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 67 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 66 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 61 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 50 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 40 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 51 | 35 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Year | 67 | 49 | 58.7 | 85 | 2.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Jasper 1 NNW, GA (1,465 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 Ellijay
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 112 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ellijay: 87 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 flash floods, 3 lightning strikes and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $5.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on July 21, 2018. August has had the most flash floods, 8 of 20. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 311 have had fewer than Ellijay.
August 1, 2013: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Ellijay — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “The stage height of a USGS stream gage on the Cartecay River near East Ellijay reached flood stage of 7 feet. 2 feet causing significant flooding.”
August 1, 2013: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Ellijay — $1.5 million damage.
December 24, 2015: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Ellijay — $1.1 million damage.
NWS: “A USGS stream gauge on the Coosawattee River off Legion Road near Ellijay reached flood stage of 8 feet. 9 feet.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Ellijay's 2 ZIP codes have filed 186 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1990, and were paid $5.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004: 59 claims (32% of all) and $2.6 million, then Early winter storms in 2015 with 47. 57% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 154 Georgia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 137 have fewer than Ellijay.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 59 | $2.6 million |
| Early winter storms2015 | 47 | $691,000 |
Gilmer County, which includes Ellijay, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Gilmer County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes and hail; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.3 million a year, the 43rd highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.7 million (60%), 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 Ellijay
- Talking Rock, GA11 mi
- Blue Ridge, GA13 mi
- Jasper, GA16 mi
- Epworth, GA17 mi
- Ranger, GA19 mi
- Morganton, GA19 mi
- Mineral Bluff, GA20 mi
- Mc Caysville, GA21 mi
- Chatsworth, GA21 mi
- Copperhill, TN23 mi
- Fairmount, GA23 mi
- Ball Ground, GA23 mi
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