NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Resaca, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Resaca, 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, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 71
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
47 deaths in all
What the records show for Resaca
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Resaca; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 8 miles away. The record near Resaca begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 97% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Resaca. The highest rating among the 71 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 24 miles. Of the 71, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 34 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 18 each. The most recent tornado was on May 25, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 64% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Resaca. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 67 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Resaca has more hail reports within 10 miles than 57% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Resaca
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Resaca: 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 Resaca
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s18(5 EF3+)
- 2000s2
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s3
- 1970s12(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 24 mi | 48 mi | 20 / 335 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | in town | 29.5 mi | 9 / 67 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 19 mi | 40 mi | 9 / 70 |
| Jan 30, 2013 | EF3 | 9 mi | 21.78 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Dec 22, 2011 | EF3 | 9 mi | 11.42 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 20 mi | 23.05 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 24 mi | 14.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF2 | 15 mi | 8.88 mi | 8 / 24 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF2 | 17 mi | 14.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 22, 2011 | EF2 | 23 mi | 12.69 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 11, 2002 | F2 | 20 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F2 | 19 mi | 2 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 Resaca
The Storm Prediction Center has 67 hail reports within 10 miles of Resaca since 1962, made on 52 separate days. Of these, 38 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 April 4, 2011. The most recent report is from August 17, 2024. May has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Resaca
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Chatsworth 2, GA, 14 miles northeast of Resaca at 710 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 30°F. June is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 57.5 inches over 89 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 48 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 75 nights a year. That 57.5 inches is more than at 94 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (87%). Calhoun, 8 miles south, has its own station (Rome R B Russell Airport, GA): 50.8 inches a year, 6.7 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 30 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Feb | 55 | 33 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 5.3 | 8 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.0 | 7 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 5.5 | 9 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 5.4 | 8 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Dec | 53 | 33 | 5.4 | 8 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 57.5 | 89 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Chatsworth 2, GA (710 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 Resaca
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 130 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Resaca: 106 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 6 lightning strikes, 1 flood and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 8, and the NWS estimated $13.4 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 16. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 276 have had fewer than Resaca.
May 2, 2003: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Resaca — 5 injured, $25,000 damage.
NWS: “The public reported that a large tree fell on their vehicle, injuring the five passengers inside. All injuries were minor.”
July 13, 2003: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Resaca — 2 injured, $25,000 damage.
NWS: “The Murray county 911 center, the public, and the Daily Citizen of Dalton reported that a number of trees were blown down across the southern portion of the county, especially from Holley to Ramhurst and southward to the Gordon county line. S.”
June 5, 2014: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Resaca — 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 Resaca, 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 Resaca
- Calhoun, GA8 mi
- Dalton, GA12 mi
- Chatsworth, GA13 mi
- Rocky Face, GA13 mi
- Ranger, GA13 mi
- Plainville, GA15 mi
- Adairsville, GA16 mi
- Fairmount, GA17 mi
- Armuchee, GA17 mi
- Tunnel Hill, GA19 mi
- La Fayette, GA20 mi
- Rydal, GA21 mi
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