NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rising Fawn, 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 Rising Fawn, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 107 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 15 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 107
- EF3 or stronger
- 15
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
69 deaths in all
What the records show for Rising Fawn
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rising Fawn; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 39 miles away. The record near Rising Fawn 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 Rising Fawn. The strongest of the 107 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 5 miles, and it killed 25 people. Of the 107, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 68 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 35. The most recent tornado was on May 25, 2025. Rising Fawn has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 80% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 72 times since 1985, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Rising Fawn has more hail reports within 10 miles than 62% of the 405 Georgia cities.
Compare Rising Fawn's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rising Fawn
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 50 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 Rising Fawn: 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 Rising Fawn
By decade
- 2020s15(2 EF3+)
- 2010s38(6 EF3+)
- 2000s15(2 EF3+)
- 1990s18(1 EF3+)
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 5 mi | 33.66 mi | 25 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 19 mi | 48 mi | 20 / 335 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 3 mi | 46.98 mi | 14 / 50 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 15 mi | 20.24 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF4 | 11 mi | 10.9 mi | 1 / 12 |
| May 19, 1973 | F4 | 23 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | EF3 | 4 mi | 13.48 mi | 4 / 9 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF3 | 17 mi | 19.34 mi | 2 / 18 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF3 | 16 mi | 12.34 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 17 mi | 14.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 23 mi | 32.53 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 29, 1997 | F3 | 20 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 44 |
The strongest 12 of 107, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rising Fawn
The Storm Prediction Center has 72 hail reports within 10 miles of Rising Fawn since 1985, made on 57 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 15, 2011. The most recent report is from August 17, 2024. April has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rising Fawn
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Chickamauga 2 SW, GA, 11 miles east of Rising Fawn at 799 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 33°F. December is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 57.0 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 37 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 76 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.1 inches a year, most of it in March. That 57.0 inches is more than at 93 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (86%). Flat Rock, AL, 10 miles west, has its own station (Valley Head, AL): 57.9 inches a year, 0.9 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 33 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 55 | 36 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 5.6 | 8 | 1.2 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 51 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 41 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 36 | 5.9 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Year | 71 | 51 | 57.0 | 87 | 2.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Chickamauga 2 SW, GA (799 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 Rising Fawn
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 146 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rising Fawn: 126 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on April 27, 2011. July has had the most flash floods, 4 of 17. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 284 have had fewer than Rising Fawn.
April 16, 1998: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Rising Fawn — 2 injured, $75,000 damage.
December 25, 2015: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Rising Fawn — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “The Dade County Emergency Manager reported a debris flow which blocked Burkhalter Gap Road. A portion of Newsome Gap Road in the same area washed out.”
April 27, 2011: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Rising Fawn — $500,000 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
Dade County, which includes Rising Fawn, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Dade County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.4 million a year, the 89th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.5 million (41%), 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 Rising Fawn
- Trenton, GA7 mi
- Chickamauga, GA10 mi
- Flat Rock, AL10 mi
- Bryant, AL12 mi
- Flintstone, GA13 mi
- Lookout Mountain, GA13 mi
- La Fayette, GA15 mi
- Rock Spring, GA16 mi
- Lookout Mountain, TN17 mi
- Menlo, GA17 mi
- Bridgeport, AL17 mi
- Valley Head, AL17 mi
All Georgia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Rising Fawn with another place →