NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ringgold, 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 Ringgold, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 93 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 93
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
64 deaths in all
What the records show for Ringgold
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ringgold; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 33 miles away. The record near Ringgold begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. 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 Ringgold. The highest rating among the 93 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 7 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on April 27, 2011, killed 20 people. Of the 93, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 45 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 42. The most recent tornado was on March 2, 2023. Ringgold has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 63% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 118 times since 1955, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Ringgold has more hail reports within 10 miles than 84% of the 405 Georgia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ringgold
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ringgold: 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 Ringgold
By decade
- 2020s6(1 EF3+)
- 2010s37(3 EF3+)
- 2000s2
- 1990s23(2 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s10(3 EF3+)
- 1960s5(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | in town | 48 mi | 20 / 335 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 7 mi | 46.98 mi | 14 / 50 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 24 mi | 29.5 mi | 9 / 67 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 24 mi | 21.2 mi | 3 / 50 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF3 | 5 mi | 19.34 mi | 2 / 18 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 18 mi | 18.1 mi | 1 / 100 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 15 mi | 41 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Mar 29, 1997 | F3 | 21 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 50 |
| Mar 29, 1997 | F3 | 9 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Apr 15, 1965 | F3 | 24 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 50 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF2 | 19 mi | 8.88 mi | 8 / 24 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 16 mi | 27.95 mi | 4 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 93, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ringgold
The Storm Prediction Center has 118 hail reports within 10 miles of Ringgold since 1955, made on 76 separate days. Of these, 57 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on June 7, 1985. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. May has the most reports, 29.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ringgold
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Chickamauga Pk Larc, GA, 7 miles west of Ringgold at 782 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 29°F. January is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 56.5 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 51 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 84 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.7 inches a year, most of it in December. That 56.5 inches is more than at 91 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (84%). Rock Spring, 9 miles southwest, has its own station (Chickamauga 2 SW, GA): 57.0 inches a year, 0.5 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 29 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Feb | 56 | 32 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 64 | 37 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 73 | 45 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 54 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 66 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 47 | 3.7 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 35 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 31 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Year | 72 | 47 | 56.5 | 78 | 0.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Chickamauga Pk Larc, GA (782 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 Ringgold
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 264 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ringgold: 221 thunderstorm wind reports, 24 flash floods, 15 floods, 3 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 5 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $16.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on February 21, 2005. September has had the most flash floods, 8 of 24. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 328 have had fewer than Ringgold.
August 12, 2025: heavy rain event 8 miles from the centre of Ringgold — 3 killed, $25,000 damage.
April 27, 2011: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Ringgold — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
August 12, 2025: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Ringgold — 1 killed.
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Ringgold's ZIP code 30736 have filed 81 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1990, and were paid $985,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late summer storms in 2009: 22 claims (27% of all) and $261,000. 33% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 154 Georgia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 108 have fewer than Ringgold.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late summer storms2009 | 22 | $261,000 |
Catoosa County, which includes Ringgold, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Catoosa County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $27.3 million a year, the 33rd highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.1 million (44%), 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 Ringgold
- Fort Oglethorpe, GA7 mi
- Tunnel Hill, GA7 mi
- Rossville, GA8 mi
- Rock Spring, GA9 mi
- Apison, TN10 mi
- Chattanooga, TN10 mi
- Cohutta, GA11 mi
- Flintstone, GA12 mi
- Rocky Face, GA12 mi
- Chickamauga, GA12 mi
- Ooltewah, TN13 mi
- Lookout Mountain, TN13 mi
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