NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Harlem, 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
40 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Harlem, Georgia since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 58 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 39
- Tornadoes
- 58
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Harlem
The strongest storm to pass near Harlem was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 91 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The record near Harlem begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 47 miles away. The 1850s and the 1880s were the busiest decades, with 6 systems each. Of the 40 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Harlem has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 56% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 58 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on April 10, 2009, came within 4 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. March and April have had the most tornadoes, 12 each. The most recent tornado was on September 26, 2024. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Harlem. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 69 times since 1984, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Harlem has more hail reports within 10 miles than 60% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Harlem
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 16 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoAug 30 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 12 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 7 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 31 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 68 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Harlem: 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 Harlem
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s8
- 2000s24(3 EF3+)
- 1990s10(2 EF3+)
- 1980s3
- 1970s4
- 1960s1
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 1998 | F3 | 22 mi | 12 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 20 mi | 67 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 22 mi | 26.33 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 4 mi | 17.68 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Feb 18, 2009 | EF3 | 19 mi | 19.74 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF2 | 22 mi | 16.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF2 | 20 mi | 5.05 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF2 | 9 mi | 1.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 2010 | EF2 | 21 mi | 2.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 24 mi | 25.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 15 mi | 22.07 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 2007 | EF2 | 10 mi | 11.74 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 58, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Harlem
The Storm Prediction Center has 69 hail reports within 10 miles of Harlem since 1984, made on 50 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 6 days, most recently June 11, 2018. The most recent report is from May 6, 2024. May has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Harlem
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Augusta Daniel Field Airport, GA, 16 miles east of Harlem 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 40 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (13); 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%). Blythe, 10 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 Harlem
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 129 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Harlem: 112 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 3 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 11, and the NWS estimated $804,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on August 5, 2020. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 223 have had fewer than Harlem.
July 20, 2022: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Harlem — 1 killed, 9 injured.
May 6, 1999: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Harlem — 2 injured, $150,000 damage.
April 6, 2022: lightning strike 1 mile from the centre of Harlem — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Media reported a fire to a home on Wells Dr in Harlem that was caused by a lightning strike. The home sustained major 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
Columbia County, which includes Harlem, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Columbia 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, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $51.5 million a year, the 13th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $30.9 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 Harlem
- Dearing, GA6 mi
- Grovetown, GA7 mi
- Fort Gordon, GA10 mi
- Blythe, GA10 mi
- Thomson, GA12 mi
- Evans, GA13 mi
- Appling, GA14 mi
- Martinez, GA14 mi
- Hephzibah, GA15 mi
- Wrens, GA16 mi
- Augusta, GA16 mi
- Keysville, GA19 mi
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