NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit La Fayette, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of La Fayette, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 78 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 78
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
77 deaths in all
What the records show for La Fayette
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed La Fayette; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The record near La Fayette begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 94% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than La Fayette. The strongest of the 78 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 25 people. Of the 78, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 45 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on May 25, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 56% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than La Fayette. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 45 times since 1987, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 58% have more hail reports within 10 miles than La Fayette.
Compare La Fayette's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near La Fayette
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in La Fayette: 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 La Fayette
By decade
- 2020s9(2 EF3+)
- 2010s27(5 EF3+)
- 2000s9(1 EF3+)
- 1990s14(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 17 mi | 33.66 mi | 25 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 13 mi | 48 mi | 20 / 335 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 16 mi | 46.98 mi | 14 / 50 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 18 mi | 29.5 mi | 9 / 67 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF4 | 25 mi | 10.9 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | EF3 | 19 mi | 13.48 mi | 4 / 9 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF3 | 17 mi | 19.34 mi | 2 / 18 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF3 | 23 mi | 12.34 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 10 mi | 14.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 29, 1997 | F3 | 24 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Apr 15, 1965 | F3 | 18 mi | 9.6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF2 | 3 mi | 14.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 78, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in La Fayette
The Storm Prediction Center has 45 hail reports within 10 miles of La Fayette since 1987, made on 36 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 7 days, most recently October 6, 2014. The most recent report is from April 10, 2025. April has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in La Fayette
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Chickamauga 2 SW, GA, 11 miles north of La Fayette at 799 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 33°F. December is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 57.0 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 37 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 76 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.1 inches a year, most of it in March. That 57.0 inches is more than at 93 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (86%). Trion, 10 miles south, has its own station (Summerville, GA): 58.3 inches a year, 1.3 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 33 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 55 | 36 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 5.6 | 8 | 1.2 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 51 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 41 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 36 | 5.9 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Year | 71 | 51 | 57.0 | 87 | 2.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Chickamauga 2 SW, GA (799 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 La Fayette
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 120 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of La Fayette: 106 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $16.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 23, 2000. March has had the most flash floods, 3 of 9. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 172 have had fewer than La Fayette.
July 25, 2004: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of La Fayette — 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
NWS: “A storm spotter reported that an 18-year old male was struck and injured by lightning while standing by a tree. In addition, two homes in the same general area were struck by lightning.”
July 4, 1997: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of La Fayette — 1 injured, $40,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees and power lines across the northern portion of Walker county. One tree fell onto the electrical wiring running to a trailer, which ignited a fire.”
September 21, 2009: flood 10 miles from the centre of La Fayette — $7.4 million 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 La Fayette's ZIP code 30728 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1989, and were paid $2.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 42% 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, 10 have fewer than La Fayette.
Walker County, which includes La Fayette, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Walker County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $29.8 million a year, the 29th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.6 million (36%), 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 La Fayette
- Rock Spring, GA8 mi
- Trion, GA10 mi
- Chickamauga, GA10 mi
- Rocky Face, GA12 mi
- Summerville, GA15 mi
- Rising Fawn, GA15 mi
- Menlo, GA16 mi
- Ringgold, GA17 mi
- Tunnel Hill, GA17 mi
- Flintstone, GA17 mi
- Fort Oglethorpe, GA17 mi
- Dalton, GA18 mi
All Georgia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare La Fayette with another place →