NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Palmetto, 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 Palmetto, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 125 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 18
- Tornadoes
- 125
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for Palmetto
None of the 18 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Palmetto; the strongest was Eloise in 1975, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 37 miles away. The record near Palmetto begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 59 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 5 systems. Of the 18 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 58% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Palmetto. The strongest of the 125 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on March 25, 2021; its path came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 24, 1975, killed 3 people. Of the 125, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 68 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 27, 2025. Palmetto has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 95% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 85 times since 1968, with stones up to 4.25 inches. Palmetto has more hail reports within 10 miles than 70% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Palmetto
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 13 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 1 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 28 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 47 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 Palmetto: 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 Palmetto
By decade
- 2020s24(1 EF3+)
- 2010s22(1 EF3+)
- 2000s22
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s17(1 EF3+)
- 1970s17(4 EF3+)
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF4 | 8 mi | 38.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 24, 1975 | F3 | 19 mi | 14.8 mi | 3 / 152 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 24 mi | 21.68 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Jan 10, 1972 | F3 | 20 mi | 6.3 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Mar 29, 1991 | F3 | 21 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Mar 5, 1989 | F3 | 8 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 23 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 1970 | F3 | 15 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 24, 1964 | F3 | 2 mi | 75.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 31, 1973 | F2 | 21 mi | 72.4 mi | 2 / 100 |
| Mar 14, 2008 | EF2 | 22 mi | 6.25 mi | 1 / 30 |
| Aug 29, 2005 | F2 | 24 mi | 5.5 mi | 1 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 125, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Palmetto
The Storm Prediction Center has 85 hail reports within 10 miles of Palmetto since 1968, made on 59 separate days. Of these, 51 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.25 inches, fell on February 18, 2009. The most recent report is from May 21, 2025. March has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Palmetto
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Atlanta, GA, 14 miles southeast of Palmetto at 858 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 34°F. March is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and May the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 49.4 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (24.1 of 49.4 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 18 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 85°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 51 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 65 nights a year. That 49.4 inches is more than at 37 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (34%). Fairburn, 6 miles northeast, has its own station (Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, GA): 50.6 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 34 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Feb | 60 | 37 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Mar | 68 | 43 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 3.8 | 6 |
| May | 83 | 58 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 3.4 | 4 |
| Nov | 66 | 41 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Dec | 58 | 36 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Year | 75 | 52 | 49.4 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Atlanta, GA (858 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 Palmetto
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 176 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Palmetto: 151 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 lightning strikes, 9 flash floods, 4 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $73.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on June 24, 2015. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 172 have had fewer than Palmetto.
March 19, 2018: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Palmetto — 1 injured, $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous reports of trees and power lines blown down were received from the Fulton County Emergency Manager, 911 center and the local broadcast media.”
June 30, 1999: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Palmetto — 1 injured, $25,000 damage.
September 21, 2009: flood 8 miles from the centre of Palmetto — $48.0 million 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
Fulton County, which includes Palmetto, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Fulton County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $234.6 million a year, the 2nd highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $164.3 million (70%), 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 Palmetto
- Fairburn, GA6 mi
- Tyrone, GA7 mi
- Union City, GA9 mi
- Sharpsburg, GA10 mi
- Newnan, GA11 mi
- Peachtree City, GA11 mi
- Whitesburg, GA13 mi
- Winston, GA13 mi
- Douglasville, GA14 mi
- Fayetteville, GA14 mi
- Riverdale, GA16 mi
- College Park, GA16 mi
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