NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Waynesboro, 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
51 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Waynesboro, Georgia since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 59 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 4
- Tropical storms
- 47
- Tornadoes
- 59
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Waynesboro
The strongest storm to pass near Waynesboro was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 2 hurricane with 96 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 49 miles. The record near Waynesboro begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 65 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1940s, with 6 systems. Of the 51 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Waynesboro has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 69% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 59 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on April 13, 2020, came within 21 miles. Of the 59, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on March 16, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 78% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Waynesboro. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 35 times since 1989, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 72% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Waynesboro.
Compare Waynesboro's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Waynesboro
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 16 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | ChrisAug 28 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 7 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 30 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 29 | 71 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 12 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 7 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 29 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 31 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 68 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 54 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 49 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | overhead | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Waynesboro: 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 Waynesboro
By decade
- 2020s7(1 EF3+)
- 2010s9
- 2000s20(3 EF3+)
- 1990s3
- 1980s7
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 21 mi | 37.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 3 mi | 26.33 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 24 mi | 14.57 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 24 mi | 17.68 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jan 13, 1972 | F3 | 3 mi | 33.6 mi | 0 / 21 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF2 | 7 mi | 16.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2015 | EF2 | 10 mi | 4.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 9 mi | 22.07 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 16, 2000 | F2 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 29, 1991 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 29, 1990 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Oct 1, 1989 | F2 | 18 mi | 16.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 59, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Waynesboro
The Storm Prediction Center has 35 hail reports within 10 miles of Waynesboro since 1989, made on 25 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 6 days, most recently May 3, 2016. The most recent report is from June 7, 2023. May has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Waynesboro
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Waynesboro 2 S, GA, 1 mile southwest of Waynesboro at 277 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 34°F. June is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and May and November the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 48.2 inches over 65 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (24.7 of 48.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 51 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (17); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 74 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 52 nights a year. That 48.2 inches is more than at 23 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (21%). Hephzibah, 17 miles north, has its own station (Augusta Bush Field Airport, GA): 44.3 inches a year, 3.9 less than here, and a July average high of 94°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 34 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Feb | 62 | 37 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Apr | 77 | 50 | 3.5 | 5 |
| May | 84 | 59 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 5.1 | 6 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Oct | 77 | 52 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Nov | 68 | 41 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Dec | 60 | 36 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Year | 76 | 52 | 48.2 | 65 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Waynesboro 2 S, GA (277 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 Waynesboro
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 112 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Waynesboro: 93 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods, 6 heavy rain events, 2 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 98 mph, on April 5, 2011. September has had the most flash floods, 3 of 9. Of the 392 Georgia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 172 have had fewer than Waynesboro.
August 20, 1999: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Waynesboro — 1 injured.
NWS: “EPD reported trees fell on car with one injury.”
April 5, 2011: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Waynesboro — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and powerlines down. Severe Damage to two manufacturing plants on the north side of town and trees on several homes.”
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
Burke County, which includes Waynesboro, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Burke County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.3 million a year, the 77th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.9 million (31%), 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 Waynesboro
- Keysville, GA13 mi
- Hephzibah, GA17 mi
- Millen, GA19 mi
- Blythe, GA20 mi
- Jackson, SC20 mi
- Louisville, GA23 mi
- Wrens, GA24 mi
- Augusta, GA25 mi
- Fort Gordon, GA25 mi
- Beech Island, SC26 mi
- Wadley, GA28 mi
- Grovetown, GA29 mi
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