NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lula, 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lula, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 96 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 96
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
21 deaths in all
What the records show for Lula
None of the 12 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lula; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 75 miles away. The record near Lula begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 23 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 12 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 82% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Lula. The highest rating among the 96 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 20, 1998, killed 12 people. Of the 96, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on May 2, 2025. Lula has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 68% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 64 times since 1970, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Lula has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lula
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 41 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 Lula: 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 Lula
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s9(1 EF3+)
- 2000s19
- 1990s20(4 EF3+)
- 1980s16(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13(1 EF3+)
- 1960s6
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 1998 | F3 | 9 mi | 4 mi | 12 / 171 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 19 mi | 23 mi | 3 / 15 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 18 mi | 44 mi | 3 / 45 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 24 mi | 36.99 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 20 mi | 10 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Nov 15, 1989 | F3 | 16 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 13, 1973 | F3 | 7 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 21 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 23 mi | 5.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF2 | 23 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 2005 | F2 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 1989 | F2 | 22 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 12 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 96, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lula
The Storm Prediction Center has 64 hail reports within 10 miles of Lula since 1970, made on 50 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 12 days, most recently March 21, 2017. The most recent report is from May 8, 2024. April has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lula
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cornelia, GA, 12 miles northeast of Lula at 1,470 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 30°F. March and August are the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and May the driest at 3.9 inches; the year adds up to 59.1 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (29.1 of 59.1 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 17 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 62 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.6 inches a year, most of it in December. That 59.1 inches is more than at 99 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (92%). Gillsville, 6 miles south, has its own station (Commerce 4 NNW, GA): 52.0 inches a year, 7.1 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 53 | 33 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 60 | 39 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 69 | 47 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 55 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 63 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 67 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 66 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 60 | 4.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 49 | 4.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 39 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 34 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Year | 68 | 48 | 59.1 | 84 | 0.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cornelia, GA (1,470 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 Lula
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 123 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lula: 99 thunderstorm wind reports, 21 flash floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on April 19, 2019. October has had the most flash floods, 13 of 21. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 320 have had fewer than Lula.
July 8, 2008: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Lula — 1 killed, $30,000 damage.
June 24, 1999: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Lula — 1 injured, $75,000 damage.
August 21, 2010: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Lula — $400,000 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
Hall County, which includes Lula, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Zeta, on January 12, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hall County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $56.8 million a year, the 11th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $30.3 million (53%), 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 Lula
- Alto, GA6 mi
- Gillsville, GA6 mi
- Clermont, GA9 mi
- Baldwin, GA11 mi
- Homer, GA11 mi
- Maysville, GA11 mi
- Cornelia, GA11 mi
- Gainesville, GA12 mi
- Demorest, GA14 mi
- Murrayville, GA14 mi
- Cleveland, GA15 mi
- Mount Airy, GA15 mi
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