NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ludowici, 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
98 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ludowici, Georgia since 1851, 17 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 44 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 17
- Tropical storms
- 81
- Tornadoes
- 44
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Ludowici
The strongest storm to pass near Ludowici was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 3 hurricane with 110 mph winds when its centre passed 37 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1947, whose centre came within 1 mile. The record near Ludowici begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 15 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 10 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 98 systems, 14 have come since 2000. Ludowici has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 94% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 44 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 10 times; the most recent, on October 27, 2009, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on April 9, 1998, killed 4 people. Of the 44, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on August 30, 2023. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 93% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ludowici. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 60 times since 1967, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Ludowici has more hail reports within 10 miles than 52% of the 405 Georgia cities.
Compare Ludowici's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ludowici
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 6 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | EtaNov 12 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 8 | 69 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 14 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 6 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | ChrisAug 28 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 74 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 29 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | DavidSep 4 | 34 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 24 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AlphaMay 28 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 25 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 7 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 29 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | Unnamed 1954 stormJul 10 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 67 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 15 | 1 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 7 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 12 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 6 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 52 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormOct 1 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 4 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 2 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 15 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 28 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 19 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 21 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 12 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 2 | 38 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 31 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 14 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 33 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 27 | 57 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 37 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 31 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 67 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1884 | Unnamed 1884 stormSep 11 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 11 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 8 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 8 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 11 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 72 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 50 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | overhead | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormJun 2 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 6 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 23 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 5 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 8 | 32 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1853 | Unnamed 1853 stormOct 21 | 74 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ludowici: 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 Ludowici
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s7
- 2000s14
- 1990s4
- 1980s2
- 1970s6
- 1960s3
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 1998 | F2 | 6 mi | 24.5 mi | 4 / 31 |
| May 12, 1974 | F2 | 15 mi | 9.4 mi | 2 / 7 |
| Oct 27, 2009 | EF2 | 18 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 22, 2005 | F2 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1974 | F2 | 7 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 23, 1971 | F2 | 21 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jan 15, 1971 | F2 | 10 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jan 15, 1971 | F2 | 16 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F2 | in town | 217.8 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Mar 31, 1961 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF1 | 23 mi | 8.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF1 | 4 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 44, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ludowici
The Storm Prediction Center has 60 hail reports within 10 miles of Ludowici since 1967, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 40 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 10 days, most recently May 26, 2025. The most recent report is from May 26, 2025. May has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ludowici
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Fort Stewart, GA, 11 miles northeast of Ludowici at 92 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 63°F and 41°F. June is the wettest at 6.7 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 51.0 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (30.2 of 51.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 98 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (31); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 94 days a year, almost all from April to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 21 nights a year. That 51.0 inches is more than at 53 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (49%). Jesup, 12 miles southwest, has its own station (Surrency, GA): 45.7 inches a year, 5.3 less than here, and the same July average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 41 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Feb | 67 | 44 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Mar | 73 | 49 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Apr | 79 | 55 | 3.3 | 5 |
| May | 85 | 63 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 6.7 | 9 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 5.7 | 9 |
| Aug | 90 | 73 | 6.6 | 9 |
| Sep | 87 | 69 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Oct | 80 | 59 | 4.7 | 5 |
| Nov | 71 | 49 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Dec | 65 | 43 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Year | 78 | 57 | 51.0 | 76 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Fort Stewart, GA (92 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 Ludowici
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 174 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ludowici: 161 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 lightning strikes and 6 flash floods. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on February 16, 2016. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 109 have had fewer than Ludowici.
October 27, 2009: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Ludowici — 1 injured, $15,000 damage.
July 1, 2012: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Ludowici — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Law Enforcement reported on tree down on top of a house along Cottage Street. One woman was trapped inside with unknown injuries.”
June 4, 2019: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Ludowici — $750,000 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 Ludowici's ZIP code 31316 have filed 16 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 2015, and were paid $332,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2024, with 12. 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, 31 have fewer than Ludowici.
Long County, which includes Ludowici, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Long County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, coastal flooding and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.5 million a year, the 114th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.2 million (39%), is from hurricanes.
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 Ludowici
- Allenhurst, GA9 mi
- Hinesville, GA10 mi
- Jesup, GA12 mi
- Fort Stewart, GA13 mi
- Glennville, GA17 mi
- Odum, GA18 mi
- Midway, GA23 mi
- Screven, GA24 mi
- Townsend, GA26 mi
- Richmond Hill, GA28 mi
- Pembroke, GA29 mi
- Claxton, GA30 mi
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