NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lavonia, 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
14 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lavonia, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 106 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 106
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Lavonia
None of the 14 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lavonia; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The record near Lavonia begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 7 miles away. The 1880s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 14 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 76% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Lavonia. The highest rating among the 106 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 13, 2020, came within 12 miles. Of the 106, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 53 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on August 3, 2023. Lavonia has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 78% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 58 times since 1981, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Lavonia has more hail reports within 10 miles than 51% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lavonia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 27 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 Lavonia: 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 Lavonia
By decade
- 2020s12(1 EF3+)
- 2010s8
- 2000s33
- 1990s24(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s12(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 12 mi | 16.71 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 23 mi | 28 mi | 0 / 37 |
| Apr 8, 1974 | F3 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 13 mi | 5.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF2 | 1 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 26, 2008 | EF2 | 19 mi | 5.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2003 | F2 | 16 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Sep 16, 1996 | F2 | 20 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 5, 1989 | F2 | 15 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 20 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 15 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 106, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lavonia
The Storm Prediction Center has 58 hail reports within 10 miles of Lavonia since 1981, made on 51 separate days. Of these, 33 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently April 28, 2002. The most recent report is from April 10, 2025. April has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lavonia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hartwell, GA, 12 miles southeast of Lavonia at 805 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 33°F. March and December are the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and April the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 51.9 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (25.7 of 51.9 inches). September has brought the most of the 14 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 4.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 36 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 49 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 51.9 inches is more than at 67 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (62%). Martin, 5 miles northwest, has its own station (Toccoa, GA): 59.2 inches a year, 7.3 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 56 | 35 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 72 | 49 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 59 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 69 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 64 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 52 | 3.8 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 41 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 71 | 51 | 51.9 | 76 | 0.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hartwell, GA (805 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 Lavonia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 125 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lavonia: 120 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $530,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on March 6, 2003.
May 9, 2002: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Lavonia — $100,000 damage.
February 6, 2020: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Lavonia — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “5 inches of rain fell across the county in around 24 hours, with much of that falling during the morning of the 6th. Numerous roads reportedly had water flowing of them due to a combination of poor drainage and small stream flooding, with around three dozen roads reportedly closed at the height of the event.”
June 1, 2026: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Lavonia — $100,000 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
Franklin County, which includes Lavonia, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 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 Franklin County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.2 million a year, the 91st highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.1 million (51%), 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 Lavonia
- Martin, GA5 mi
- Fair Play, SC7 mi
- Canon, GA8 mi
- Eastanollee, GA10 mi
- Hartwell, GA11 mi
- Carnesville, GA13 mi
- Royston, GA13 mi
- Westminster, SC13 mi
- Townville, SC14 mi
- Toccoa, GA15 mi
- Bowman, GA18 mi
- Seneca, SC18 mi
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