NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rockmart, 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rockmart, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 102 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 15 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 102
- EF3 or stronger
- 15
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
62 deaths in all
What the records show for Rockmart
None of the 12 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rockmart; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 21 miles away. The record near Rockmart begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 12 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 82% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Rockmart. The highest rating among the 102 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 12 miles. Of the 102, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 30 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 28. The most recent tornado was on March 15, 2025. Rockmart has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 74% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1957, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 56% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rockmart.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rockmart
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rockmart: 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 Rockmart
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s12(4 EF3+)
- 2000s10(1 EF3+)
- 1990s22(8 EF3+)
- 1980s14
- 1970s18(1 EF3+)
- 1960s14(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 12 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 21 mi | 50 mi | 22 / 150 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 10 mi | 49 mi | 3 / 20 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 23 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 46 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 22 mi | 40 mi | 9 / 70 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF3 | 7 mi | 16.93 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 11 mi | 9 mi | 1 / 35 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F3 | 15 mi | 8.8 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Mar 19, 2018 | EF3 | 22 mi | 35.22 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 6 mi | 29.02 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 22 mi | 23.05 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 11 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 30 |
The strongest 12 of 102, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rockmart
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Rockmart since 1957, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 11, 2013. The most recent report is from April 10, 2025. April has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rockmart
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cedartown, GA, 11 miles northwest of Rockmart at 785 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 32°F. March is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and August and October the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 52.8 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 46% of the year's precipitation (24.1 of 52.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. October has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal October there has highs of 75°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 59 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 69 nights a year. That 52.8 inches is more than at 74 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (69%). Taylorsville, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (Cartersville Airport, GA): 48.2 inches a year, 4.6 less 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 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 5.3 | 8 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 4.4 | 7 |
| May | 82 | 58 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Year | 74 | 51 | 52.8 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cedartown, GA (785 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 Rockmart
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 121 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rockmart: 98 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 7 lightning strikes and 2 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on November 23, 2004. August has had the most flash floods, 8 of 14. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 258 have had fewer than Rockmart.
August 21, 2009: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Rockmart — 1 injured, $250,000 damage.
August 30, 2014: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Rockmart — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “The 911 Center reported numerous trees down in the eastern part of the county, especially near Rockmart. The Emergency Manager reported a tree down on a house.”
June 11, 2008: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Rockmart — $250,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Rockmart's ZIP code 30153 have filed 14 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $158,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 154 Georgia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 19 have fewer than Rockmart.
Polk County, which includes Rockmart, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 hurricanes, 3 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 Polk 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, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.3 million a year, the 51st highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.2 million (47%), 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 Rockmart
- Aragon, GA5 mi
- Taylorsville, GA10 mi
- Cedartown, GA12 mi
- Silver Creek, GA12 mi
- Buchanan, GA13 mi
- Dallas, GA13 mi
- Lindale, GA15 mi
- Temple, GA16 mi
- Kingston, GA18 mi
- Hiram, GA18 mi
- Cave Spring, GA19 mi
- Bremen, GA19 mi
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