NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Fortson, 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
27 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Fortson, Georgia since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Fred in 2021. Since 1950, 117 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 25
- Tornadoes
- 117
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
35 deaths in all
What the records show for Fortson
The strongest storm to pass near Fortson was Michael in 2018, a Category 1 hurricane with 79 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Eloise in 1975, whose centre came within 44 miles. The record near Fortson begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Fred in 2021, a tropical storm 69 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 6 systems. Of the 27 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Fortson has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 60% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The strongest of the 117 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on March 3, 2019; its path came within 4 miles, and it killed 23 people. Of the 117, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 61 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 33. The most recent tornado was on May 3, 2025. Fortson has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 89% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 66 times since 1955, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Fortson has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 405 Georgia cities.
Compare Fortson's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Fortson
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | FredAug 17 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 73 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 12 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 44 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1950 | KingOct 19 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 15 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 29 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 29 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 4 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 1 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 28 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 6 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 Fortson: 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 Fortson
By decade
- 2020s11(1 EF3+)
- 2010s36(2 EF3+)
- 2000s14
- 1990s15
- 1980s9
- 1970s14(1 EF3+)
- 1960s11(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF4 | 4 mi | 68.04 mi | 23 / 90 |
| Apr 18, 1953 | F3 | 10 mi | 39.8 mi | 8 / 495 |
| Mar 19, 1970 | F3 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 2 / 14 |
| Mar 13, 1954 | F3 | 19 mi | 7 mi | 2 / 20 |
| Mar 26, 2023 | EF3 | 18 mi | 21.54 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 29, 2014 | EF3 | 7 mi | 11.45 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Mar 31, 1961 | F3 | 13 mi | 8.2 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Dec 5, 1954 | F3 | 9 mi | 51 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF2 | 25 mi | 35.82 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF2 | 19 mi | 29.07 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 27, 2017 | EF2 | 21 mi | 21.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 2011 | EF2 | 6 mi | 61.51 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 117, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Fortson
The Storm Prediction Center has 66 hail reports within 10 miles of Fortson since 1955, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 15, 2011. The most recent report is from December 30, 2021. April has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Fortson
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Columbus #2, GA, 9 miles southeast of Fortson at 435 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 33°F. March and December are the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 51.8 inches. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 47% of the year's precipitation (24.3 of 51.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 27 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (12); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 3.5 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 46 nights a year. That 51.8 inches is more than at 65 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (60%). Smiths Station, AL, 8 miles southwest, has its own station (Columbus Metro Airport, GA): 48.8 inches a year, 3.0 less than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 33 | 4.5 |
| Feb | 62 | 36 | 4.9 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 5.2 |
| Apr | 77 | 49 | 4.2 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 3.5 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.5 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 4.6 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 4.4 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 3.5 |
| Oct | 78 | 53 | 3.1 |
| Nov | 68 | 41 | 4.2 |
| Dec | 60 | 36 | 5.2 |
| Year | 76 | 52 | 51.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Columbus #2, GA (435 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 Fortson
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 137 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Fortson: 114 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 flash floods, 3 heavy rain events and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $854,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 26, 2015. April has had the most flash floods, 4 of 17. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 284 have had fewer than Fortson.
July 21, 2017: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Fortson — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 34 year old male died when he was struck by lightning while boating on Lake Harding.”
July 20, 2024: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Fortson — 1 killed.
April 12, 2020: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Fortson — 1 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
Harris County, which includes Fortson, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Harris County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.4 million a year, the 88th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.4 million (64%), 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.