NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rome, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rome, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 75 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 15 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 75
- EF3 or stronger
- 15
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
72 deaths in all
What the records show for Rome
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rome; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre crossed the city. The record near Rome begins with an unnamed storm in 1898; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 10 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 90% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Rome. The highest rating among the 75 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 9 miles. Of the 75, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on May 25, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 60% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rome. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 101 times since 1957, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Rome has more hail reports within 10 miles than 80% of the 405 Georgia cities.
Compare Rome's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rome
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | overhead | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 5 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 15 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rome: 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 Rome
By decade
- 2020s13
- 2010s9(5 EF3+)
- 2000s11(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15(6 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s10(3 EF3+)
- 1960s6
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 9 mi | 97.33 mi | 22 / 85 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 21 mi | 50 mi | 22 / 150 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 18 mi | 29.5 mi | 9 / 67 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F4 | 14 mi | 49 mi | 3 / 20 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 14 mi | 40 mi | 9 / 70 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF3 | 13 mi | 16.93 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Jan 30, 2013 | EF3 | 15 mi | 21.78 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 17 mi | 9 mi | 1 / 35 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F3 | 5 mi | 8.8 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Dec 22, 2011 | EF3 | 13 mi | 11.42 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 19 mi | 23.05 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF3 | 22 mi | 14.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 75, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rome
The Storm Prediction Center has 101 hail reports within 10 miles of Rome since 1957, made on 77 separate days. Of these, 61 were 1 inch across or larger, and 10 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 27, 1973. The most recent report is from May 9, 2023. May has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rome
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Rome, GA, 3 miles southeast of Rome at 685 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 30°F. March is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 55.2 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 47% of the year's precipitation (25.7 of 55.2 inches); the other six months are wetter. October has brought the most of the 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal October there has highs of 74°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 49 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 66 nights a year. That 55.2 inches is more than at 86 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (80%). Armuchee, 13 miles north, has its own station (Rome R B Russell Airport, GA): 50.8 inches a year, 4.4 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 30 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Mar | 65 | 39 | 5.4 | 8 |
| Apr | 74 | 46 | 4.9 | 7 |
| May | 81 | 55 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Dec | 54 | 33 | 5.3 | 8 |
| Year | 72 | 49 | 55.2 | 83 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Rome, GA (685 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 Rome
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 247 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rome: 203 thunderstorm wind reports, 21 lightning strikes, 18 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 14, and the NWS estimated $4.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on March 18, 2013. July has had the most flash floods, 7 of 18. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 294 have had fewer than Rome.
March 18, 2013: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Rome — 7 injured, $300,000 damage.
July 22, 2003: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Rome — 2 injured, $75,000 damage.
NWS: “The Gwinnett county SkyWarn network, along with county 911 center and the public reported that a number of trees and tree limbs were blown down from Suwanee, to Lawrenceville, to Snellville. The Lawrenceville area appeared to be among the hardest hit areas.”
July 2, 2002: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Rome — 1 injured, $55,000 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 Rome's 2 ZIP codes have filed 346 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $3.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Early winter storms in 2015: 10 claims (3% of all) and $480,000. The year with the most claims was 1979, with 102. 4% 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, 143 have fewer than Rome.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Early winter storms2015 | 10 | $480,000 |
Floyd County, which includes Rome, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 29, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Floyd County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $39.7 million a year, the 15th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $18.6 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.