NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lexington, 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
18 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lexington, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 42 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 18
- Tornadoes
- 42
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Lexington
None of the 18 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lexington; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 32 miles away. The record near Lexington begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 6 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 4 systems. Of the 18 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 58% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Lexington. The highest rating among the 42 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on February 18, 2009, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on March 31, 1973, killed 2 people. Of the 42, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on August 3, 2023. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 95% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lexington. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 24 times since 1968, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lexington.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lexington
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoAug 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 48 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 Lexington: 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 Lexington
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s2
- 2000s10(1 EF3+)
- 1990s6
- 1980s7
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | 17 mi | 18.7 mi | 1 / 65 |
| Feb 18, 2009 | EF3 | 17 mi | 19.74 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 1973 | F2 | 15 mi | 72.4 mi | 2 / 100 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 21 mi | 8.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2003 | F2 | 23 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Aug 16, 1994 | F2 | 7 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 1976 | F2 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 13, 1966 | F2 | 6 mi | 6.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 31, 1954 | F2 | 19 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Jun 27, 1994 | F1 | 23 mi | 2.5 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Aug 17, 2021 | EF1 | 22 mi | 5.94 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 17, 2021 | EF1 | 20 mi | 5.54 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 42, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lexington
The Storm Prediction Center has 24 hail reports within 10 miles of Lexington since 1968, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 8 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 7, 1998. The most recent report is from March 4, 2008. May has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lexington
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lexington, GA, 3 miles west of Lexington at 726 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 32°F. February is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 49.6 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 48% of the year's precipitation (23.8 of 49.6 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 18 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 85°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 64 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 58 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.5 inches a year, most of it in February and March. That 49.6 inches is more than at 39 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (36%). Winterville, 13 miles northwest, has its own station (Winterville, GA): 51.8 inches a year, 2.2 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 32 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 58 | 36 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 57 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 65 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 69 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 50 | 3.0 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 57 | 35 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 74 | 50 | 49.6 | 71 | 0.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lexington, GA (726 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 Lexington
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 62 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lexington: 58 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 3, 2015.
July 22, 2003: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Lexington — 2 injured, $50,000 damage.
May 7, 2003: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Lexington — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “An aerial storm survey, conducted by an employee of the National Weather Service Office in Peachtree City, Georgia, along with numerous reports from the public, amateur radio operators, and a plethora of articles and pictures from the Newnan Times-Herald newspaper, indicated that strong thunderstorm winds caused…”
April 5, 2011: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Lexington — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “The Wilkes County Emergency Management Director reported that more than a dozen trees and several power lines were down across the county. Two homes sustained minor to moderate 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
Oglethorpe County, which includes Lexington, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Oglethorpe County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Very Low for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $4.2 million a year, the 127th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.7 million (41%), 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 Lexington
- Crawford, GA6 mi
- Winterville, GA13 mi
- Union Point, GA15 mi
- Comer, GA15 mi
- Colbert, GA15 mi
- Athens, GA20 mi
- Hull, GA20 mi
- Watkinsville, GA20 mi
- Washington, GA21 mi
- Elberton, GA22 mi
- Tignall, GA23 mi
- Bowman, GA23 mi
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