NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Menlo, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Menlo, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 94 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 16 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 94
- EF3 or stronger
- 16
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
59 deaths in all
What the records show for Menlo
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Menlo; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The record near Menlo begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The 1890s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 9 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 91% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Menlo. The strongest of the 94 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 12 miles, and it killed 25 people. Of the 94, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 62 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on May 25, 2025. Menlo has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 65% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 77 times since 1973, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Menlo has more hail reports within 10 miles than 66% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Menlo
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Menlo: 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 Menlo
By decade
- 2020s17(1 EF3+)
- 2010s26(6 EF3+)
- 2000s19(2 EF3+)
- 1990s14(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8(3 EF3+)
- 1960s2(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 12 mi | 33.66 mi | 25 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 18 mi | 46.98 mi | 14 / 50 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 25 mi | 29.5 mi | 9 / 67 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF4 | 19 mi | 10.9 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF4 | 20 mi | 16.62 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 19, 1973 | F4 | 12 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | EF3 | 16 mi | 13.48 mi | 4 / 9 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF3 | 10 mi | 12.34 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | in town | 14.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 18 mi | 21.25 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 17 mi | 32.53 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 18 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 20 |
The strongest 12 of 94, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Menlo
The Storm Prediction Center has 77 hail reports within 10 miles of Menlo since 1973, made on 53 separate days. Of these, 50 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently February 21, 2005. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. April has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Menlo
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Valley Head, AL, 7 miles west of Menlo at 1,121 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. December is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 57.9 inches over 86 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 27 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 85 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.0 inches a year, most of it in March. That 57.9 inches is more than at 95 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (88%). Summerville, 10 miles southeast, has its own station (Summerville, GA): 58.3 inches a year, 0.4 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 5.5 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Feb | 53 | 32 | 5.4 | 8 | 1.3 |
| Mar | 61 | 39 | 5.3 | 8 | 1.4 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 67 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 66 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 60 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 38 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 52 | 33 | 5.7 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Year | 69 | 48 | 57.9 | 86 | 5.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Valley Head, AL (1,121 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 Menlo
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 208 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Menlo: 169 thunderstorm wind reports, 27 flash floods, 6 heavy rain events, 4 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on May 25, 2025. March has had the most flash floods, 12 of 27. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 340 have had fewer than Menlo.
September 21, 2009: flood 3 miles from the centre of Menlo — 1 killed, $740,000 damage.
NWS: “The Chattooga County Emergency Management Director reported that significant flooding continued across the county in the wake of earlier flash flooding.”
August 12, 2013: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Menlo — 2 injured, $5,000 damage.
April 29, 2014: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Menlo — 1 injured, $40,000 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
Chattooga County, which includes Menlo, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Chattooga County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.5 million a year, the 60th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.2 million (49%), 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 Menlo
- Summerville, GA10 mi
- Trion, GA10 mi
- Valley Head, AL10 mi
- Lyerly, GA13 mi
- Henagar, AL16 mi
- Gaylesville, AL16 mi
- La Fayette, GA16 mi
- Fort Payne, AL16 mi
- Rising Fawn, GA17 mi
- Sylvania, AL18 mi
- Flat Rock, AL20 mi
- Armuchee, GA20 mi
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