NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rochelle, 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
59 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rochelle, Georgia since 1851, 5 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 88 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 5
- Tropical storms
- 54
- Tornadoes
- 88
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Rochelle
The strongest storm to pass near Rochelle was Helene in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane with 83 mph winds when its centre passed 14 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1851, whose centre came within 10 miles. The record near Rochelle begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems. Of the 59 systems, 10 have come since 2000. Rochelle has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 71% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 88 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on January 22, 2017, passed within a mile of the city centre. Of the 88, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on April 3, 2024. Rochelle has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 54% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 24 times since 1984, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rochelle.
Compare Rochelle's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rochelle
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 14 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 27 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 6 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 27 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 12 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | KingOct 19 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 34 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 15 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 7 | overhead | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 12 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 6 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 29 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 29 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 16 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 29 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 1 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 29 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 21 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 6 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 23 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 10 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rochelle: 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 Rochelle
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s14(1 EF3+)
- 2000s16
- 1990s5(1 EF3+)
- 1980s12
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s16
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 22, 2017 | EF3 | in town | 70.4 mi | 5 / 88 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 23 mi | 14.7 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 15, 1999 | F3 | 20 mi | 14.5 mi | 0 / 28 |
| Apr 23, 1971 | F3 | 21 mi | 13.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Nov 8, 1989 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.8 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Jan 12, 1975 | F2 | 18 mi | 168.5 mi | 1 / 33 |
| Dec 17, 2019 | EF2 | 23 mi | 20.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2007 | EF2 | 24 mi | 3.64 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 1, 1989 | F2 | 14 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 29, 1982 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 5, 1972 | F2 | 18 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1971 | F2 | 10 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 88, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rochelle
The Storm Prediction Center has 24 hail reports within 10 miles of Rochelle since 1984, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on October 9, 2008. The most recent report is from May 27, 2024. May and June have the most reports, 5 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rochelle
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cordele, GA, 19 miles west of Rochelle at 308 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 59°F and 37°F. December is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 50.1 inches over 69 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 48% of the year's precipitation (23.8 of 50.1 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 59 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (22); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 96 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 31 nights a year. That 50.1 inches is more than at 44 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (41%). Abbeville, 8 miles east, has its own station (Eastman 1 W, GA): 47.0 inches a year, 3.1 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 37 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Feb | 63 | 40 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Mar | 71 | 46 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Apr | 78 | 53 | 4.4 | 5 |
| May | 86 | 62 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Sep | 87 | 66 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Nov | 69 | 44 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Dec | 61 | 39 | 5.0 | 6 |
| Year | 77 | 54 | 50.1 | 69 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cordele, GA (308 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 Rochelle
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 55 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rochelle: 49 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $737,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on December 15, 2007.
October 9, 2008: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Rochelle — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “The Wilcox County Emergency Management Director reported that thunderstorm winds resulted in damage to several chicken houses. The roof was blown off nine chicken homes and five others were left leaning slightly.”
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
Wilcox County, which includes Rochelle, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wilcox County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $4.2 million a year, the 126th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.0 million (24%), is from hurricanes.
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 Rochelle
- Abbeville, GA8 mi
- Cordele, GA19 mi
- Fitzgerald, GA19 mi
- Ashburn, GA20 mi
- Sycamore, GA21 mi
- Vienna, GA23 mi
- Hawkinsville, GA23 mi
- Eastman, GA24 mi
- Ocilla, GA26 mi
- Unadilla, GA26 mi
- Tifton, GA32 mi
- Cochran, GA33 mi
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