NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sparta, 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
31 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Sparta, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 34 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 31
- Tornadoes
- 34
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Sparta
None of the 31 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Sparta; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1851, a tropical storm with 66 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The record near Sparta begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 7 miles away. The 1850s and the 1890s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 31 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Sparta has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 57% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The strongest of the 34 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on November 22, 1992; its path came within 12 miles, and it killed 5 people. Of the 34, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 27 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on March 26, 2023. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Sparta. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 16 times since 1993, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 96% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Sparta.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sparta
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoAug 30 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 12 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 7 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 29 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 3 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 31 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Sparta: 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 Sparta
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s10
- 2000s9(2 EF3+)
- 1990s1(1 EF3+)
- 1980s1
- 1970s2
- 1960s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 12 mi | 32 mi | 5 / 86 |
| Feb 18, 2009 | EF3 | 7 mi | 10.4 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 5 mi | 6.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 23, 1965 | F2 | 15 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 2023 | EF1 | 12 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF1 | 14 mi | 18.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 4, 2023 | EF1 | 20 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF1 | 18 mi | 6.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF1 | 20 mi | 12.91 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 2017 | EF1 | 25 mi | 7.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 2017 | EF1 | 23 mi | 5.72 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 21, 2017 | EF1 | 15 mi | 0.53 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 34, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sparta
The Storm Prediction Center has 16 hail reports within 10 miles of Sparta since 1993. 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 2 days, most recently March 28, 2010. The most recent report is from August 20, 2014. March has the most reports, 4.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sparta
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Milledgeville, GA, 19 miles southwest of Sparta at 368 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 33°F. March is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 48.3 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (23.6 of 48.3 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 31 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (10); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 78 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 60 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.3 inches is more than at 25 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (23%). Sandersville, 21 miles southeast, has its own station (Sandersville, GA): 48.7 inches a year, 0.4 more than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 33 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 62 | 36 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 69 | 42 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 77 | 49 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 84 | 58 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 90 | 67 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 93 | 70 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 78 | 52 | 2.8 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 68 | 41 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 60 | 36 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 76 | 51 | 48.3 | 71 | 0.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Milledgeville, GA (368 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 Sparta
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 35 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sparta: 33 thunderstorm wind reports, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $584,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on March 18, 2013.
March 1, 2007: flood 5 miles from the centre of Sparta — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “The Hancock County Emergency Management Director reported that repeated heavy rain fell across much of the county from mid morning until shortly after midnight. Rainfall of six to eight inches fell across much of the county.”
March 1, 2007: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Sparta — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “The Hancock County Emergency Management Director reported that numerous trees and power lines were down along or near Georgia Highways 22 and 16 from Devereux, to Sparta, to Culverton, to Mayfield. Fifteen homes were damaged from downed trees.”
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
Hancock County, which includes Sparta, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 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 Hancock County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for inland flooding and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $2.9 million a year, the 139th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.8 million (60%), 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 Sparta
- Milledgeville, GA18 mi
- Eatonton, GA20 mi
- Sandersville, GA21 mi
- Warrenton, GA22 mi
- Greensboro, GA23 mi
- Gibson, GA25 mi
- Buckhead, GA27 mi
- Union Point, GA28 mi
- Tennille, GA28 mi
- Haddock, GA29 mi
- Davisboro, GA30 mi
- Gordon, GA32 mi
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