NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Vidalia, 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
69 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Vidalia, Georgia since 1851, 8 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 44 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 8
- Tropical storms
- 61
- Tornadoes
- 44
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Vidalia
The strongest storm to pass near Vidalia was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 2 hurricane with 102 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1894, whose centre came within 14 miles. The record near Vidalia begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane 45 miles away. Of the 69 systems, 10 have come since 2000. Vidalia has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 76% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 44 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 11, 2008, came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an EF1 on September 26, 2024, killed 2 people. Of the 44, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 22 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on September 26, 2024. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 93% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Vidalia. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 30 times since 1971, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 79% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Vidalia.
Compare Vidalia's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Vidalia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 45 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2024 | DebbyAug 6 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 6 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 4 | 75 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 25 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 7 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 12 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 29 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 15 | 38 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 12 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 6 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormOct 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 30 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 4 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 15 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 29 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 2 | 41 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 31 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 63 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 14 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 71 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1884 | Unnamed 1884 stormSep 11 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormJun 2 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 6 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 23 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 57 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 35 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 Vidalia: 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 Vidalia
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s4
- 2000s9(2 EF3+)
- 1990s5
- 1980s5
- 1970s6
- 1960s3
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2008 | EF3 | 11 mi | 7.32 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 11, 2008 | EF3 | 8 mi | 7.66 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 2017 | EF2 | 20 mi | 20.19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 2008 | EF2 | 3 mi | 1.15 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 15, 2007 | EF2 | 16 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 12, 1975 | F2 | 6 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jan 15, 1971 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1968 | F2 | in town | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 28, 1966 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 20, 1963 | F2 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 26, 2024 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.69 mi | 2 / 0 |
| May 9, 2024 | EF1 | in town | 14.66 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 44, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Vidalia
The Storm Prediction Center has 30 hail reports within 10 miles of Vidalia since 1971, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 8 days, most recently June 5, 2012. The most recent report is from May 6, 2022. June has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Vidalia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Metter, GA, 24 miles northeast of Vidalia at 120 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 39°F. July is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 47.2 inches over 65 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (24.5 of 47.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 69 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 82 days a year, almost all from April to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 24 nights a year. That 47.2 inches is more than at 15 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (14%). Mount Vernon, 11 miles west, has its own station (Hazlehurst, GA): 51.1 inches a year, 3.9 more than here, and the same July average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 39 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Feb | 65 | 42 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Mar | 71 | 48 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Apr | 78 | 54 | 2.8 | 5 |
| May | 86 | 63 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Aug | 91 | 73 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Sep | 86 | 68 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 78 | 57 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Nov | 69 | 47 | 3.0 | 3 |
| Dec | 63 | 41 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Year | 78 | 56 | 47.2 | 65 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Metter, GA (120 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 Vidalia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 75 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Vidalia: 67 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods, 2 floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 71 mph, on August 22, 2005.
March 27, 2005: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Vidalia — $250,000 damage.
August 11, 2007: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Vidalia — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “The Toombs County Emergency Management Director reported that a thunderstorm downburst or microburst resulted in considerable damage across the northwest and north central part of the county, but especially in the Vidalia area.”
June 22, 2000: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Vidalia — $213,000 damage.
NWS: “S. 280 east of Mt.”
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
Toombs County, which includes Vidalia, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 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 Toombs County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.9 million a year, the 72nd highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.6 million (33%), 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 Vidalia
- Lyons, GA7 mi
- Mount Vernon, GA11 mi
- Uvalda, GA14 mi
- Soperton, GA15 mi
- Glenwood, GA16 mi
- Collins, GA18 mi
- Reidsville, GA21 mi
- Alamo, GA23 mi
- Adrian, GA25 mi
- Metter, GA25 mi
- Twin City, GA27 mi
- Swainsboro, GA27 mi
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