NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Helena, GA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
59 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Helena, Georgia since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 63 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 4
- Tropical storms
- 55
- Tornadoes
- 63
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Helena
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 17 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 6 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1994 | JohnSep 8 | 50 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 7 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 12 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 15 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 12 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 6 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormOct 1 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 15 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 68 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 | 17 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 31 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 21 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 21 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 6 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 23 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Helena: 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 Helena
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s15
- 2000s9
- 1990s6
- 1980s7
- 1970s4
- 1960s6
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 17 mi | 14.7 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Nov 8, 1996 | F2 | 25 mi | 4 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Apr 5, 2017 | EF2 | 17 mi | 20.19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 15, 2007 | EF2 | 23 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2007 | EF2 | 14 mi | 3.64 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 2007 | EF2 | 23 mi | 6.03 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 29, 1982 | F2 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1971 | F2 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 28, 1966 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 20, 1963 | F2 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 1961 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 28, 1958 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 63, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
How to read this page
A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Helena while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.
Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.
Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.