NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Plainville, 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 Plainville, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 71 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 71
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
48 deaths in all
What the records show for Plainville
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Plainville; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 2 miles away. The record near Plainville begins with an unnamed storm in 1898; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The 1900s and the 1910s 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 Plainville. The highest rating among the 71 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 15 miles. Of the 71, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 30 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on May 25, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 64% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Plainville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 120 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Plainville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 85% of the 405 Georgia cities.
Compare Plainville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Plainville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Plainville: 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 Plainville
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s11(5 EF3+)
- 2000s5(1 EF3+)
- 1990s12(3 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s11(2 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 15 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 6 mi | 29.5 mi | 9 / 67 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 17 mi | 49 mi | 3 / 20 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 9 mi | 40 mi | 9 / 70 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF3 | 21 mi | 16.93 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Jan 30, 2013 | EF3 | 7 mi | 21.78 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F3 | 11 mi | 8.8 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Dec 22, 2011 | EF3 | 3 mi | 11.42 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 14 mi | 23.05 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 21 mi | 14.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 18 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF2 | 19 mi | 14.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 71, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Plainville
The Storm Prediction Center has 120 hail reports within 10 miles of Plainville since 1962, made on 80 separate days. Of these, 66 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 10, 2009. The most recent report is from June 14, 2025. May has the most reports, 36.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Plainville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Rome R B Russell Airport, GA, 8 miles southwest of Plainville at 639 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 32°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 72 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 63 nights a year. That 50.8 inches is more than at 50 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (46%). Kingston, 12 miles south, has its own station (Rome, GA): 55.2 inches a year, 4.4 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 | 53 | 32 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Mar | 66 | 41 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 4.5 | 7 |
| May | 82 | 57 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Jul | 91 | 69 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 91 | 68 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Sep | 86 | 62 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Year | 73 | 50 | 50.8 | 81 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Rome R B Russell Airport, GA (639 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 Plainville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 168 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Plainville: 133 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 flash floods, 13 lightning strikes, 2 heavy rain events and 1 flood. They killed 1 person and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 1, 2002. March has had the most flash floods, 5 of 19. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 302 have had fewer than Plainville.
May 7, 2013: flood 3 miles from the centre of Plainville — 1 killed, 1 injured.
NWS: “The Calhoun Times Newspaper reported a car drove into flood waters off Thomas Bluff Road just inside Floyd County after a high speed chase with the Gordon County Police. The driver got out and tried to swim away.”
May 1, 2002: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Plainville — 1 injured, $1.0 million damage.
August 23, 2007: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Plainville — 1 injured, $75,000 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
Gordon County, which includes Plainville, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Tornadoes, on May 5, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Gordon County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $27.7 million a year, the 32nd highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.1 million (37%), 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 Plainville
- Adairsville, GA7 mi
- Armuchee, GA7 mi
- Calhoun, GA8 mi
- Kingston, GA12 mi
- Rome, GA14 mi
- Resaca, GA15 mi
- Rydal, GA18 mi
- Summerville, GA18 mi
- Lindale, GA18 mi
- Trion, GA18 mi
- Fairmount, GA19 mi
- Silver Creek, GA19 mi
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