NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rocky Face, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rocky Face, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 77 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 77
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
61 deaths in all
What the records show for Rocky Face
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rocky Face; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 21 miles away. The record near Rocky Face begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 95% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Rocky Face. The highest rating among the 77 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on April 27, 2011, killed 20 people. Of the 77, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on May 25, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 58% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rocky Face. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 66 times since 1955, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Rocky Face has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 405 Georgia cities.
Compare Rocky Face's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rocky Face
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 74 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 Rocky Face: 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 Rocky Face
By decade
- 2020s9(1 EF3+)
- 2010s25(5 EF3+)
- 2000s2
- 1990s18(1 EF3+)
- 1980s4
- 1970s11(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 11 mi | 48 mi | 20 / 335 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 18 mi | 46.98 mi | 14 / 50 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 13 mi | 29.5 mi | 9 / 67 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF3 | 17 mi | 19.34 mi | 2 / 18 |
| Jan 30, 2013 | EF3 | 22 mi | 21.78 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 25 mi | 18.1 mi | 1 / 100 |
| Dec 22, 2011 | EF3 | 22 mi | 11.42 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 21 mi | 14.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 29, 1997 | F3 | 21 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF2 | 13 mi | 8.88 mi | 8 / 24 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 23 mi | 27.95 mi | 4 / 0 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF2 | 11 mi | 14.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 77, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rocky Face
The Storm Prediction Center has 66 hail reports within 10 miles of Rocky Face since 1955, made on 54 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 7, 1998. The most recent report is from April 10, 2025. April has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rocky Face
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Chickamauga 2 SW, GA, 16 miles northwest of Rocky Face 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%). Dalton, 6 miles east, has its own station (Chatsworth 2, GA): 57.5 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 | 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 Rocky Face
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 211 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rocky Face: 176 thunderstorm wind reports, 28 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes, 2 heavy rain events and 1 flood. They killed 1 person and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $3.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on June 28, 2008. March has had the most flash floods, 11 of 28. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 342 have had fewer than Rocky Face.
July 4, 2018: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Rocky Face — 1 killed.
May 2, 2003: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Rocky Face — 5 injured, $25,000 damage.
July 13, 2003: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Rocky Face — 1 injured, $25,000 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
Whitfield County, which includes Rocky Face, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 hurricanes, 3 tornadoes, 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 Whitfield County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $37.9 million a year, the 18th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.8 million (36%), 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 Rocky Face
- Dalton, GA6 mi
- Tunnel Hill, GA7 mi
- Rock Spring, GA10 mi
- Ringgold, GA12 mi
- La Fayette, GA12 mi
- Resaca, GA13 mi
- Cohutta, GA14 mi
- Chickamauga, GA16 mi
- Chatsworth, GA16 mi
- Fort Oglethorpe, GA17 mi
- Apison, TN18 mi
- Rossville, GA19 mi
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