NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Toccoa, 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Toccoa, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 88 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 88
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
21 deaths in all
What the records show for Toccoa
None of the 12 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Toccoa; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 59 miles away. The record near Toccoa begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm directly overhead. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 12 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 405 Georgia cities on this site, 82% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Toccoa. The highest rating among the 88 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on April 13, 2020, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 20, 1998, killed 12 people. Of the 88, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on September 25, 2024. Toccoa has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 54% of the 405 Georgia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 77 times since 1962, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Toccoa has more hail reports within 10 miles than 66% of the 405 Georgia cities.
Compare Toccoa's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Toccoa
Of the 12 tracks on the map, 6 were moving northeast as they passed Toccoa, 2 north and 2 east. The unnamed 1949 storm, the strongest pass, was heading north; its centre passed 59 miles east of Toccoa. None made landfall within 75 miles of Toccoa; 9 of the 12 were hurricanes at their peak, none at their closest to the city. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 2 came near Toccoa: 0.7 a decade, against 0.7 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | overhead | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Toccoa: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Check hail and hurricane history for any address
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Toccoa
By decade
- 2020s9(1 EF3+)
- 2010s8(1 EF3+)
- 2000s20
- 1990s21(4 EF3+)
- 1980s12(1 EF3+)
- 1970s12
- 1960s3
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 1998 | F3 | 22 mi | 4 mi | 12 / 171 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 20 mi | 23 mi | 3 / 15 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 14 mi | 44 mi | 3 / 45 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 14 mi | 16.71 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 24 mi | 36.99 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 11 mi | 28 mi | 0 / 37 |
| Nov 15, 1989 | F3 | 14 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 16 mi | 5.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF2 | 10 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 2005 | F2 | 23 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 1989 | F2 | in town | 10.5 mi | 0 / 15 |
The strongest 12 of 88, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Toccoa
The Storm Prediction Center has 77 hail reports within 10 miles of Toccoa since 1962, made on 65 separate days. Of these, 38 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on April 28, 2002. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. May has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Toccoa
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Toccoa, GA, 1 mile northwest of Toccoa at 1,012 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 33°F. December is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and May the driest at 4.1 inches; the year adds up to 59.2 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (28.8 of 59.2 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 46 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 51 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.4 inches a year, most of it in January and December. That 59.2 inches is more than at 100 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (93%). Mount Airy, 9 miles west, has its own station (Cornelia, GA): 59.1 inches a year, 0.1 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Feb | 57 | 36 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Mar | 64 | 41 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Year | 72 | 51 | 59.2 | 83 | 1.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Toccoa, GA (1,012 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 Toccoa
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 141 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Toccoa: 124 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 4 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $4.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on June 16, 1998. April has had the most flash floods, 3 of 12. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 223 have had fewer than Toccoa.
September 20, 2009: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Toccoa — $4.5 million damage.
NWS: “Severe flash flooding affected Stephens County. Numerous creeks left their banks in the central and western part of the county, including Toccoa Creek which flooded highway 17.”
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 Toccoa's ZIP code 30577 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $102,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 58% 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 Toccoa.
Stephens County, which includes Toccoa, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Stephens County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.3 million a year, the 90th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.3 million (52%), 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.