NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Washington, 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
24 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Washington, Georgia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 38 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 24
- Tornadoes
- 38
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Washington
None of the 24 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Washington; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1851, a tropical storm with 63 mph winds when its centre passed 61 miles away. The record near Washington begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 25 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 5 systems. Of the 24 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Washington has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 51% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The strongest of the 38 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on November 22, 1992; its path came within 25 miles, and it killed 5 people. Of the 38, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 22 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on June 9, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 97% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Washington. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 19 times since 1968, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 93% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Washington.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Washington
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 16 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoAug 30 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 9 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 8 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | overhead | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Washington: 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 Washington
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s2
- 2000s18(1 EF3+)
- 1990s7(2 EF3+)
- 1980s1
- 1970s4
- 1960s1
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 25 mi | 32 mi | 5 / 86 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 15 mi | 67 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Feb 18, 2009 | EF3 | 5 mi | 19.74 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 19 mi | 8.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 2007 | EF2 | 22 mi | 11.74 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 7, 1998 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1998 | F2 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 23, 1965 | F2 | 20 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1957 | F2 | 22 mi | 23.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 2025 | EF1 | 19 mi | 1.54 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF1 | 19 mi | 18.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 19 mi | 7.76 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 38, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Washington
The Storm Prediction Center has 19 hail reports within 10 miles of Washington since 1968. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently September 7, 2023. The most recent report is from September 7, 2023. May has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Washington
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Washington 2 ESE, GA, 1 mile east of Washington at 620 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 54°F and 34°F. August is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 44.4 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 (21.7 of 44.4 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 24 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 53 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 51 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 44.4 inches is more than at 1 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (1%). Lexington, 21 miles northwest, has its own station (Lexington, GA): 49.6 inches a year, 5.2 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 34 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 58 | 36 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 52 | 2.9 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Year | 73 | 51 | 44.4 | 71 | 0.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Washington 2 ESE, GA (620 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 Washington
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 49 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Washington: 41 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $5.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 18, 2015.
September 16, 2004: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Washington — $5.0 million damage.
May 2, 2003: lightning strike in Washington — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “The Newnan Times-Herald reported that lightning struck a home on Vineyard Drive setting the attic on fire. The resulting fire was confined to the attic and adjacent garage.”
June 18, 2013: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Washington — $120,000 damage.
NWS: “The Wilkes County Emergency Manager reported that trees were blown down across the county, including on Independence, South Butler, Lincolnton Highway, Lexington Highway, Susan Road, Beaverdam Road, Newtown Road, and Alexander Drive. A few trees were down on houses.”
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
Wilkes County, which includes Washington, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wilkes 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 $3.8 million a year, the 131st highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.3 million (34%), 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 Washington
- Tignall, GA13 mi
- Lincolnton, GA17 mi
- Thomson, GA21 mi
- Lexington, GA21 mi
- Union Point, GA21 mi
- Warrenton, GA23 mi
- Appling, GA25 mi
- Calhoun Falls, SC27 mi
- Crawford, GA27 mi
- Mc Cormick, SC27 mi
- Elberton, GA28 mi
- Dearing, GA30 mi
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