NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Valdosta, 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
84 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Valdosta, Georgia since 1851, 12 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 63 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 12
- Tropical storms
- 72
- Tornadoes
- 63
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
15 deaths in all
What the records show for Valdosta
The strongest storm to pass near Valdosta was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 2 hurricane with 109 mph winds when its centre passed 62 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1935, whose centre came within 10 miles. The record near Valdosta begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a Category 2 hurricane 11 miles away. The 1870s and the 1880s were the busiest decades, with 8 systems each. Of the 84 systems, 17 have come since 2000. Valdosta has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 84% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 63 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on January 22, 2017, came within 17 miles. Of the 63, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on February 4, 2024. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 73% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Valdosta. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 41 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 63% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Valdosta.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Valdosta
Of the 84 tracks on the map, 41 were moving northeast as they passed Valdosta, 12 north and 10 east. The unnamed 1896 storm, the strongest pass, was heading northeast; its centre passed 62 miles southeast of Valdosta. Within 75 miles of Valdosta, 14 of the 84 came ashore, 4 of them as hurricanes. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 19 came near Valdosta: 6.3 a decade, against 4.5 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 11 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2024 | DebbyAug 5 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 18 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | NicoleNov 11 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | MindySep 9 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 7 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 22 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 13 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 6 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 27 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2000 | GordonSep 18 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 5 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 41 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 23 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AlphaMay 28 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | Unnamed 1971 stormAug 16 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | Unnamed 1966 stormJul 2 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 12 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | LoveOct 21 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1950 | KingOct 19 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 23 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 15 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 7 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 7 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 31 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 22 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 10 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 5 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 10 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormOct 1 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 2 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 16 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 2 | 65 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 62 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 39 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 21 | 36 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 31 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 11 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 8 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 11 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormJun 2 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 5 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 26 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 23 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 4 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 71 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 15 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 70 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Valdosta: 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 Valdosta
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s7(2 EF3+)
- 2000s5
- 1990s7
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s12
- 1960s9
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 22, 2017 | EF3 | 17 mi | 24.66 mi | 11 / 45 |
| Apr 19, 1988 | F3 | 23 mi | 12 mi | 4 / 18 |
| Mar 3, 2012 | EF3 | 10 mi | 10.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 4, 2024 | EF2 | 4 mi | 7.27 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jan 22, 2023 | EF2 | 22 mi | 5.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 29, 2014 | EF2 | 3 mi | 0.74 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Apr 19, 1988 | F2 | 18 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 1982 | F2 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 29, 1971 | F2 | 13 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1970 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 3, 1968 | F2 | 3 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 1967 | F2 | 3 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 63, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Valdosta
The Storm Prediction Center has 41 hail reports within 10 miles of Valdosta since 1961, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on March 30, 1997. The most recent report is from February 4, 2024. March has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Valdosta
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Valdosta Regional Airport, GA, 5 miles south of Valdosta at 198 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 63°F and 39°F. June is the wettest at 7.1 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 48.3 inches over 68 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (27.9 of 48.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 84 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (26); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 101 days a year, almost all from April to October. 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%). Lakeland, 18 miles northeast, has its own station (Homerville 5 N, GA): 49.3 inches a year, 1.0 more than here, and an August average high of 91°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 39 | 3.8 | 4 |
| Feb | 67 | 42 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Mar | 73 | 47 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Apr | 80 | 53 | 3.7 | 5 |
| May | 86 | 60 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 7.1 | 8 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 5.3 | 9 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Sep | 88 | 67 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Oct | 81 | 57 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Nov | 71 | 47 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Dec | 65 | 41 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Year | 79 | 55 | 48.3 | 68 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Valdosta Regional Airport, GA (198 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 Valdosta
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 352 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Valdosta: 274 thunderstorm wind reports, 60 flash floods, 9 heavy rain events, 7 lightning strikes and 2 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $13.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 77 mph, on May 13, 1999. November has had the most flash floods, 23 of 60. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 380 have had fewer than Valdosta.
September 7, 2014: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Valdosta — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 57 year old male was struck by lightning at a construction site while sheltering under a pole barn. He then suffered a heart attack and died as a result of the lightning strike.”
September 5, 2015: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Valdosta — 2 injured.
July 15, 2004: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Valdosta — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Downed trees blocked several roads. One tree fell on a house.”
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 Valdosta's 4 ZIP codes have filed 122 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1984, and were paid $4.8 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Idalia in 2023: 14 claims (11% of all) and $528,000. The year with the most claims was 2024, with 34. 18% 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, 123 have fewer than Valdosta.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Idalia2023 | 14 | $528,000 |
Lowndes County, which includes Valdosta, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 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 Lowndes County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and tornadoes; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $29.8 million a year, the 30th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.5 million (42%), 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 Valdosta
- Hahira, GA10 mi
- Lake Park, GA13 mi
- Ray City, GA15 mi
- Quitman, GA17 mi
- Lakeland, GA18 mi
- Adel, GA21 mi
- Jennings, FL21 mi
- Nashville, GA24 mi
- Sparks, GA24 mi
- Pavo, GA27 mi
- Madison, FL27 mi
- Lee, FL30 mi
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