NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Savannah, 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
103 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Savannah, Georgia since 1851, 24 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 65 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 24
- Tropical storms
- 79
- Tornadoes
- 65
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Savannah
The strongest storm to pass near Savannah was Gracie in 1959, a Category 4 hurricane with 132 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was David in 1979, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Savannah begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 1 mile away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 11 systems, 3 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 103 systems, 15 have come since 2000. Savannah is tied for the most hurricanes within 75 miles among the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The strongest of the 65 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on April 5, 2022; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 1 person. The deadliest, an F2 on April 9, 1998, killed 4 people. Of the 65, 14 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 31 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on July 10, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 71% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Savannah. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 132 times since 1957, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Savannah has more hail reports within 10 miles than 88% of the 405 Georgia cities.
Compare Savannah's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Savannah
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 6 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | ColinJul 1 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | DannyJun 28 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | EtaNov 12 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 8 | 34 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 14 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 68 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | overhead | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | ChrisAug 28 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 36 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 18 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 19 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 4 | 2 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 14 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | DottieAug 20 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 24 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 25 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 7 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 29 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | GracieSep 29 | 45 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | Unnamed 1954 stormJul 10 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 34 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 15 | 15 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | overhead | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 11 | 10 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 24 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormJun 27 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormOct 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 4 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 15 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 28 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 19 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 21 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 12 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 2 | 75 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 31 | 14 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 11 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 36 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 27 | 24 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 55 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 4 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | overhead | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 59 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 31 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 39 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1884 | Unnamed 1884 stormSep 11 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 11 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 21 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 8 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 11 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 37 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 21 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 28 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 6 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormSep 7 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 19 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 5 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 22 | 72 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 14 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 8 | 10 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1853 | Unnamed 1853 stormOct 21 | 57 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Savannah: 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 Savannah
By decade
- 2020s8(1 EF3+)
- 2010s11
- 2000s12
- 1990s6(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s9
- 1960s11
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 5, 2022 | EF4 | 22 mi | 14.39 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Apr 9, 1998 | F3 | 18 mi | 8 mi | 2 / 17 |
| Apr 9, 1998 | F2 | 14 mi | 24.5 mi | 4 / 31 |
| May 23, 2017 | EF2 | 7 mi | 7.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 25 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 23, 1980 | F2 | 3 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Nov 9, 1973 | F2 | 2 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 25, 1970 | F2 | 15 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F2 | 20 mi | 217.8 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Sep 13, 1961 | F2 | 4 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1974 | F1 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 65, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Savannah
The Storm Prediction Center has 132 hail reports within 10 miles of Savannah since 1957, made on 78 separate days. Of these, 78 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 5, 1993. The most recent report is from May 24, 2024. June has the most reports, 34.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Savannah
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Savannah International Airport, GA, 10 miles northwest of Savannah at 46 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 61°F and 40°F. June is the wettest at 6.7 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 48.3 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (28.5 of 48.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 103 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (31); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 81 days a year, almost all from April to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 22 nights a year. That 48.3 inches is more than at 26 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (24%). Bluffton, SC, 21 miles northeast, has its own station (Beaufort Mcas, SC): 45.1 inches a year, 3.2 less than here, and the same July average high, 92°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Fort Pulaski, GA, 12 miles east, averaged 85°F in July and 54°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from June to September. Sea level at the Fort Pulaski tide gauge, 12 miles from Savannah, has risen 1.44 ± 0.05 inches per decade from 1935 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 14.4 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 88 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 40 | 3.3 | 6 | 54 |
| Feb | 65 | 43 | 2.8 | 5 | 55 |
| Mar | 71 | 49 | 3.5 | 5 | 61 |
| Apr | 78 | 55 | 3.4 | 4 | 68 |
| May | 85 | 63 | 3.6 | 5 | 75 |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 6.7 | 9 | 81 |
| Jul | 92 | 74 | 5.8 | 9 | 85 |
| Aug | 91 | 73 | 5.5 | 8 | 85 |
| Sep | 86 | 69 | 4.4 | 7 | 81 |
| Oct | 79 | 59 | 3.7 | 4 | 73 |
| Nov | 70 | 48 | 2.4 | 4 | 65 |
| Dec | 64 | 43 | 3.2 | 5 | 58 |
| Year | 78 | 57 | 48.3 | 70 | 70 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Savannah International Airport, GA (46 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Fort Pulaski, GA, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Savannah
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 515 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Savannah: 414 thunderstorm wind reports, 70 flash floods, 27 lightning strikes, 2 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 8, and the NWS estimated $4.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 91 mph, on April 25, 2015. August has had the most flash floods, 29 of 70. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 385 have had fewer than Savannah.
May 17, 2005: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Savannah — 1 killed, 1 injured.
NWS: “1 fatality, 1 injury. High winds knocked tree down on car near the intersection of Eisenhower Drive and Waters Avenue.”
August 8, 2023: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Savannah — 1 killed.
NWS: “The Chatham County Police Department and Chatham County Emergency Management Agency reported one fatality due to a tree falling on a vehicle in the 5600 Block of Laroche Avenue.”
August 24, 2019: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Savannah — 3 injured, $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “The media and emergency management indicated a fire was initiated by lightning at an apartment complex located along the 5000 Block of Garrard Avenue. The roof and 3rd floor of the 1300 apartment building was primarily involved in the fire, but the entire building was considered a complete loss.”
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 Savannah's 8 ZIP codes have filed 4,342 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $61.9 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1999: 1,703 claims (39% of all) and $23.2 million, then Hurricane Irma in 2017 with 635 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016 with 424. 66% 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, 153 have fewer than Savannah.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1999 | 1,703 | $23.2 million |
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 635 | $18.1 million |
| Hurricane Matthew2016 | 424 | $7.7 million |
| Hurricane Debby2024 | 70 | $1.1 million |
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 21 | $282,000 |
| Hurricane Elsa2021 | 16 | $372,000 |
Chatham County, which includes Savannah, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Chatham County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes and coastal flooding; Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $276.7 million a year, the highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $189.0 million (68%), 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 Savannah
- Garden City, GA7 mi
- Pooler, GA10 mi
- Port Wentworth, GA11 mi
- Richmond Hill, GA14 mi
- Bloomingdale, GA15 mi
- Tybee Island, GA15 mi
- Hardeeville, SC18 mi
- Rincon, GA20 mi
- Bluffton, SC21 mi
- Midway, GA22 mi
- Okatie, SC23 mi
- Ellabell, GA24 mi
All Georgia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Savannah with another place →