NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Fort Gordon, 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
46 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Fort Gordon, Georgia since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 58 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 44
- Tornadoes
- 58
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Fort Gordon
The strongest storm to pass near Fort Gordon was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 91 mph winds when its centre passed 59 miles away. The record near Fort Gordon begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 57 miles away. The 1850s and the 1880s were the busiest decades, with 6 systems each. Of the 46 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Fort Gordon has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 60% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 58 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 10, 2009, came within 2 miles. The deadliest, an F0 on May 24, 1955, killed 3 people. Of the 58, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on May 12, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Fort Gordon. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 114 times since 1955, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Fort Gordon has more hail reports within 10 miles than 83% of the 405 Georgia cities.
Compare Fort Gordon's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Fort Gordon
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 16 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | ChrisAug 28 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoAug 30 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 29 | 74 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 12 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 7 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 29 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 31 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 59 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Fort Gordon: 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 Fort Gordon
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s10
- 2000s22(3 EF3+)
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s4
- 1970s4
- 1960s2
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 1998 | F3 | 18 mi | 12 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 21 mi | 26.33 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 17 mi | 14.57 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 2 mi | 17.68 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF2 | 17 mi | 16.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF2 | 14 mi | 5.05 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF2 | 9 mi | 1.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2015 | EF2 | 23 mi | 19.54 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2015 | EF2 | 17 mi | 4.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 2010 | EF2 | 16 mi | 2.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 15 mi | 25.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 14 mi | 22.07 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 58, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Fort Gordon
The Storm Prediction Center has 114 hail reports within 10 miles of Fort Gordon since 1955, made on 67 separate days. Of these, 57 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 6, 2022. The most recent report is from May 6, 2024. May has the most reports, 33.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Fort Gordon
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Augusta Daniel Field Airport, GA, 7 miles northeast of Fort Gordon at 423 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 40°F. August is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 44.8 inches over 67 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (24.0 of 44.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 46 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (16); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 80 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 20 nights a year. That 44.8 inches is more than at 2 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (2%). Hephzibah, 7 miles southeast, has its own station (Augusta Bush Field Airport, GA): 44.3 inches a year, 0.5 less than here, and the same July average high, 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 40 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Feb | 62 | 43 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 69 | 49 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Apr | 78 | 56 | 2.9 | 5 |
| May | 85 | 64 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Jun | 91 | 71 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Jul | 94 | 74 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Sep | 87 | 69 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Oct | 78 | 58 | 2.7 | 3 |
| Nov | 68 | 48 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Dec | 60 | 42 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Year | 77 | 57 | 44.8 | 67 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Augusta Daniel Field Airport, GA (423 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 Fort Gordon
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 258 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Fort Gordon: 200 thunderstorm wind reports, 43 flash floods, 8 heavy rain events, 5 lightning strikes and 2 floods. They killed 2 people and injured 9, and the NWS estimated $2.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on April 3, 2017. July has had the most flash floods, 14 of 43. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 363 have had fewer than Fort Gordon.
July 20, 2022: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Fort Gordon — 1 killed, 9 injured.
NWS: “According to media reports, a lightning strike at Fort Gordon, GA, killed one person and injured 9 others during a training exercise in the NW corner of the base.”
April 19, 2019: heavy rain event 4 miles from the centre of Fort Gordon — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
May 20, 2005: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Fort Gordon — $350,000 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
Richmond County, which includes Fort Gordon, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Richmond County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $56.8 million a year, the 10th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $24.0 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.