NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pendergrass, 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
13 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pendergrass, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 85 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 85
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
18 deaths in all
What the records show for Pendergrass
None of the 13 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Pendergrass; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. The record near Pendergrass begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 29 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 13 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 78% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Pendergrass. The highest rating among the 85 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 20, 1998, came within 19 miles. Of the 85, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 31 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on May 2, 2025. Pendergrass has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 50% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 80 times since 1968, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Pendergrass has more hail reports within 10 miles than 67% of the 405 Georgia cities.
Compare Pendergrass's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pendergrass
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 28 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 Pendergrass: 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 Pendergrass
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s8
- 2000s15
- 1990s16(1 EF3+)
- 1980s14
- 1970s14(2 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 1998 | F3 | 19 mi | 4 mi | 12 / 171 |
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | 20 mi | 18.7 mi | 1 / 65 |
| Dec 13, 1973 | F3 | 9 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 21 |
| Mar 31, 1973 | F2 | 21 mi | 72.4 mi | 2 / 100 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 25 mi | 5.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 8, 1998 | F2 | 20 mi | 19 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Jun 27, 1994 | F2 | 22 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Nov 30, 2010 | EF2 | 16 mi | 2.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 18 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 15 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 24 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 14 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 85, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Pendergrass
The Storm Prediction Center has 80 hail reports within 10 miles of Pendergrass since 1968, made on 65 separate days. Of these, 55 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on March 15, 2008. The most recent report is from May 12, 2025. April has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Pendergrass
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Gainesville Gilmer Airport, GA, 11 miles northwest of Pendergrass at 1,275 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 34°F. January is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and September and October the driest at 3.9 inches; the year adds up to 52.5 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 48% of the year's precipitation (25.3 of 52.5 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 81°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 35 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 42 nights a year. That 52.5 inches is more than at 70 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (65%). Jefferson, 7 miles southeast, has its own station (Commerce 4 NNW, GA): 52.0 inches a year, 0.5 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 34 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Feb | 55 | 36 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Mar | 63 | 43 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Apr | 72 | 50 | 4.0 | 7 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Jun | 85 | 66 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 70 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Aug | 87 | 69 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Sep | 81 | 63 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Oct | 72 | 52 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Nov | 62 | 42 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 53 | 36 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Year | 71 | 52 | 52.5 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Gainesville Gilmer Airport, GA (1,275 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 Pendergrass
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 137 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pendergrass: 111 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 lightning strikes, 11 flash floods and 2 floods. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 23, 2013. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 206 have had fewer than Pendergrass.
March 21, 2017: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Pendergrass — 1 killed, $100,000 damage.
NWS: “The Jackson County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the far western portion of the county. Trees were snapped at Guy Cooper Road and Highway 60.”
July 8, 2008: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Pendergrass — 1 killed, $30,000 damage.
August 24, 2007: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Pendergrass — 1 injured, $100,000 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
Jackson County, which includes Pendergrass, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jackson County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.0 million a year, the 44th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.8 million (46%), 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.