NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kennesaw, 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
13 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Kennesaw, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 117 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 117
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
35 deaths in all
What the records show for Kennesaw
None of the 13 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Kennesaw; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 34 miles away. The record near Kennesaw begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 4 systems. Of the 13 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 78% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Kennesaw. The highest rating among the 117 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 24 miles. Of the 117, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 50 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 31. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Kennesaw has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 89% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 207 times since 1973, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Kennesaw has more hail reports within 10 miles than 98% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kennesaw
Of the 13 tracks on the map, 10 were moving northeast as they passed Kennesaw, 1 north and 1 east. Zeta (2020), the strongest pass, was heading northeast; its centre passed 34 miles northwest of Kennesaw. None made landfall within 75 miles of Kennesaw; 9 of the 13 were hurricanes at their peak, none at their closest to the city. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 1 came near Kennesaw: 0.3 a decade, against 0.8 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Kennesaw: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Kennesaw
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s20(3 EF3+)
- 2000s16(1 EF3+)
- 1990s18(4 EF3+)
- 1980s17
- 1970s17(2 EF3+)
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 24 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 17 mi | 49 mi | 3 / 20 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 2 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 46 |
| Mar 24, 1975 | F3 | 17 mi | 14.8 mi | 3 / 152 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF3 | 15 mi | 16.93 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 12 mi | 29.02 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 22 mi | 23.05 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 7 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 29, 1991 | F3 | 9 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 25 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 1962 | F3 | 15 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2008 | EF2 | 21 mi | 6.25 mi | 1 / 30 |
The strongest 12 of 117, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kennesaw
The Storm Prediction Center has 207 hail reports within 10 miles of Kennesaw since 1973, made on 113 separate days. Of these, 136 were 1 inch across or larger, and 12 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 4 inches (softball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 7, 1998. The most recent report is from September 6, 2025. April has the most reports, 55.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kennesaw
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dallas 7 NE, GA, 8 miles west of Kennesaw at 1,028 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 31°F. February and March are the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 54.3 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 48% of the year's precipitation (25.9 of 54.3 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 85°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 55 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 73 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.8 inches a year, most of it in March. That 54.3 inches is more than at 83 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (77%). Marietta, 7 miles southeast, has its own station (Mableton 1 N, GA): 56.1 inches a year, 1.8 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 31 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 57 | 34 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 5.1 | 8 | 1.2 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.1 |
| May | 81 | 57 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 61 | 4.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 5.0 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Year | 73 | 50 | 54.3 | 84 | 3.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dallas 7 NE, GA (1,028 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 Kennesaw
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 270 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kennesaw: 213 thunderstorm wind reports, 30 lightning strikes, 18 flash floods, 7 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 16, and the NWS estimated $45.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on February 26, 2008. September has had the most flash floods, 5 of 18. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 294 have had fewer than Kennesaw.
June 18, 2011: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Kennesaw — 1 killed, $30,000 damage.
September 12, 2023: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Kennesaw — 1 killed.
February 16, 2001: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Kennesaw — 4 injured, $35,000 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 Kennesaw's 2 ZIP codes have filed 107 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $2.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late summer storms in 2009: 65 claims (61% of all) and $1.6 million. 69% 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, 120 have fewer than Kennesaw.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late summer storms2009 | 65 | $1.6 million |
Cobb County, which includes Kennesaw, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cobb County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes, hail and inland flooding; Relatively Moderate for strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $209.6 million a year, the 4th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $125.3 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 Kennesaw
- Acworth, GA4 mi
- Marietta, GA7 mi
- Woodstock, GA8 mi
- Powder Springs, GA11 mi
- Smyrna, GA12 mi
- Hiram, GA14 mi
- Mableton, GA14 mi
- Austell, GA15 mi
- Dallas, GA15 mi
- Roswell, GA15 mi
- Canton, GA15 mi
- Cartersville, GA16 mi
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