NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sandersville, 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
41 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Sandersville, Georgia since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 52 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 40
- Tornadoes
- 52
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Sandersville
The strongest storm to pass near Sandersville was an unnamed storm in 1894, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. The record near Sandersville begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 16 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems. Of the 41 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Sandersville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 56% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 52 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 10, 2009, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on February 18, 2009, killed 1 person. Of the 52, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 41 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on March 26, 2023. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 86% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Sandersville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1980, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 75% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Sandersville.
Compare Sandersville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sandersville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 30 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 12 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 7 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 29 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 31 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 72 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Sandersville: 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 Sandersville
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s20
- 2000s13(2 EF3+)
- 1990s1
- 1980s5
- 1970s2
- 1960s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 18, 2009 | EF3 | 19 mi | 10.4 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 22 mi | 6.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 21, 2014 | EF2 | 24 mi | 17.47 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 2007 | EF2 | 17 mi | 13.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 1, 1989 | F2 | 12 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 1975 | F2 | 15 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Mar 26, 2023 | EF1 | 20 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 4, 2023 | EF1 | in town | 3.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF1 | 12 mi | 14.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF1 | 13 mi | 0.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF1 | 8 mi | 1.41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF1 | 11 mi | 0.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 52, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sandersville
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Sandersville since 1980, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 10 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently July 3, 2012. The most recent report is from March 16, 2022. May has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sandersville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sandersville, GA, 2 miles east of Sandersville at 451 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 35°F. August is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 48.7 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (24.3 of 48.7 inches). September has brought the most of the 41 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (12); a normal September there has highs of 85°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 62 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 47 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 48.7 inches is more than at 31 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (29%). Wrightsville, 20 miles southeast, has its own station (Kite, GA): 49.0 inches a year, 0.3 more than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 35 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 61 | 37 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 65 | 4.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 53 | 3.1 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 67 | 42 | 2.9 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 60 | 37 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 75 | 52 | 48.7 | 71 | 0.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sandersville, GA (451 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 Sandersville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 81 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sandersville: 75 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 flash floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $765,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on May 11, 2008.
May 11, 2008: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Sandersville — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that straight-line winds of 60 to 70 mph affected a one to two mile wide area south of an EF0 tornado that tracked across north central and east central Washington county.”
May 3, 2021: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Sandersville — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “The Washington County Emergency Manager reported dozens of trees blown down east of Warthen in the vicinity of the intersection of S. Sparta Davisboro Road and Stephens Creek Road.”
September 7, 2023: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Sandersville — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Structure struck by lightning along the 900 block of Mathis Rd near Sandersville Ga. Structure was destroyed by resulting fire.”
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 Sandersville's ZIP code 31082 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1998, and were paid $142,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 25% 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, 10 have fewer than Sandersville.
Washington County, which includes Sandersville, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Washington County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.1 million a year, the 104th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.3 million (38%), 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.