NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Fairburn, 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
18 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Fairburn, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 132 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 18
- Tornadoes
- 132
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Fairburn
None of the 18 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Fairburn; the strongest was Eloise in 1975, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The record near Fairburn begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 60 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 5 systems. Of the 18 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 58% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Fairburn. The highest rating among the 132 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 25, 2021, came within 9 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 24, 1975, killed 3 people. Of the 132, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 67 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 27, 2025. Fairburn has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 98% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 80 times since 1968, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Fairburn has more hail reports within 10 miles than 67% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Fairburn
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 1 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 28 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 49 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 Fairburn: 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 Fairburn
By decade
- 2020s24(1 EF3+)
- 2010s24(1 EF3+)
- 2000s19
- 1990s12(3 EF3+)
- 1980s20(1 EF3+)
- 1970s18(4 EF3+)
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF4 | 9 mi | 38.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 25 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 46 |
| Mar 24, 1975 | F3 | 15 mi | 14.8 mi | 3 / 152 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 21.68 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Jan 10, 1972 | F3 | 13 mi | 6.3 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 24 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 29, 1991 | F3 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Mar 5, 1989 | F3 | 11 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 23 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 12 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 1970 | F3 | 20 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 24, 1964 | F3 | 5 mi | 75.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 31, 1973 | F2 | 15 mi | 72.4 mi | 2 / 100 |
The strongest 12 of 132, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Fairburn
The Storm Prediction Center has 80 hail reports within 10 miles of Fairburn since 1968, made on 57 separate days. Of these, 53 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 25, 1988. The most recent report is from June 26, 2025. March has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Fairburn
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, GA, 10 miles northeast of Fairburn at 1,010 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 54°F and 36°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 50.6 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (24.7 of 50.6 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 18 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 47 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 36 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.6 inches is more than at 49 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (45%). Tyrone, 6 miles south, has its own station (Atlanta, GA): 49.4 inches a year, 1.2 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 36 | 4.6 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Feb | 58 | 39 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Mar | 66 | 45 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 74 | 53 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 61 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 69 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 71 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 66 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 55 | 3.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 44 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 56 | 38 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Year | 73 | 54 | 50.6 | 77 | 2.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, GA (1,010 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 Fairburn
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 175 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Fairburn: 154 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 lightning strikes, 6 flash floods, 2 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $3.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on June 24, 2015. December 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 Fairburn.
March 19, 2018: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Fairburn — 1 injured, $100,000 damage.
June 28, 2013: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Fairburn — 1 injured, $80,000 damage.
January 19, 2001: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Fairburn — $500,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Fairburn's ZIP code 30213 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1989, and were paid $36,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 9% 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, 6 have fewer than Fairburn.
Fulton County, which includes Fairburn, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 5 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 Fulton County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $234.6 million a year, the 2nd highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $164.3 million (70%), 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 Fairburn
- Union City, GA3 mi
- Tyrone, GA6 mi
- Palmetto, GA6 mi
- College Park, GA10 mi
- Riverdale, GA10 mi
- East Point, GA11 mi
- Fayetteville, GA11 mi
- Peachtree City, GA12 mi
- Sharpsburg, GA13 mi
- Hapeville, GA13 mi
- Forest Park, GA13 mi
- Douglasville, GA14 mi
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