NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Forest Park, 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 Forest Park, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 131 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 18
- Tornadoes
- 131
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Forest Park
None of the 18 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Forest Park; the strongest was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Forest Park begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. The 1890s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 18 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 58% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Forest Park. The strongest of the 131 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on March 25, 2021; its path came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 24, 1975, killed 3 people. Of the 131, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 64 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on May 29, 2025. Forest Park has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 98% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 146 times since 1955, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Forest Park has more hail reports within 10 miles than 91% of the 405 Georgia cities.
Compare Forest Park's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Forest Park
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 1 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 28 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 17 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 Forest Park: 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 Forest Park
By decade
- 2020s26(2 EF3+)
- 2010s24(1 EF3+)
- 2000s14
- 1990s15(2 EF3+)
- 1980s20(1 EF3+)
- 1970s14(3 EF3+)
- 1960s12(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF4 | 16 mi | 38.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 24, 1975 | F3 | 14 mi | 14.8 mi | 3 / 152 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 19 mi | 21.68 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Jan 10, 1972 | F3 | 4 mi | 6.3 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF3 | 25 mi | 31.16 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 21 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 29, 1991 | F3 | 22 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Mar 5, 1989 | F3 | 23 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 23 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 24, 1964 | F3 | 9 mi | 75.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 31, 1973 | F2 | 6 mi | 72.4 mi | 2 / 100 |
| Mar 14, 2008 | EF2 | 9 mi | 6.25 mi | 1 / 30 |
The strongest 12 of 131, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Forest Park
The Storm Prediction Center has 146 hail reports within 10 miles of Forest Park since 1955, made on 90 separate days. Of these, 89 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 27, 2025. March has the most reports, 29.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Forest Park
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, GA, 4 miles west of Forest Park 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 (10); 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%). Morrow, 3 miles southeast, has its own station (Jonesboro, GA): 53.1 inches a year, 2.5 more than here, and the same July average high, 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 Forest Park
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 317 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Forest Park: 264 thunderstorm wind reports, 33 flash floods, 13 lightning strikes, 6 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 2 people and injured 9, and the NWS estimated $9.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 23, 2019. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 348 have had fewer than Forest Park.
March 1, 2021: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Forest Park — 1 killed, $15,000 damage.
January 9, 2024: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Forest Park — 1 killed, $1,000 damage.
June 8, 2022: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Forest Park — 5 injured.
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 Forest Park's ZIP code 30297 have filed 32 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $438,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 22% 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, 65 have fewer than Forest Park.
Clayton County, which includes Forest Park, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Clayton County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $59.9 million a year, the 9th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $30.2 million (50%), 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.