Burke County, Georgia severe weather history spans 349 recorded events between 1963 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 63.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,497 nationally and #33 in Georgia.
349
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
31
Direct injuries
$7.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Burke County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Burke County, Georgia severe weather history averages 5.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 106 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 20 events fall before 1990 and 329 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $6.4M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Burke County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 221 | 0 | $1.0M | 85 | 1969–2026 |
| Hail | 71 | 0 | $87K | 1.75 | 1971–2023 |
| Tornado | 22 | 0 | $6.4M | F3 | 1963–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $114K | 0 | 2003–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2014–2022 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $11K | 0 | 2018–2024 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $42K | 0 | 2012–2020 |
| Winter Storm | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
Decade by decade
Burke County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
22 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 19 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-04-10 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 26.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-01-13 | EF3 | 0 | 21 | 33.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 16.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-03-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 22.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1963-09-28 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 52.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-01-21 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-03-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-11-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-03-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 15.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Burke County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 13, 1972 | Tornado | 0 | 19 | $2.5M | |
| Sep 28, 1963 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| Apr 11, 2009 | Tornado | TORBIT STATION | 0 | 4 | $3.0M |
| Jul 7, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | GIRARD | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 20, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | WAYNESBORO | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Storm survey found numerous trees and powerlines down along path. One home suffered moderate damage from large hail and the tornado. Windows were broken from the hail and siding was severely damaged. Shingles and a small part of the roof were gone. Several mobile homes had minor to moderate damage.
Waynesboro Fire Chief reported about 5 to 7 homes were flooded with about a half foot of water or less. This included some apartments on Martin Luther King Jr Dr and Magnolia Acres and some homes along Waters St. Several roads were flooded and closed. About 8 vehicles were flooded. 2 people were rescued from a flooded compact car at E 7th St and Fulcher St. No injuries.
Storm survey found numerous trees and a few powerlines down along a path in rural Burke county. One home had trees down on an out building and minor damage was done to the back of an abonded church. Damage was also done to several wheat fields.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
24,470
Population (ACS)
$152K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 30, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Sep 24, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | DR |
| Aug 5, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | EM |
| Sep 7, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDALIA | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Waynesboro 101
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Burke County, Georgia?
349 events are on record between 1963 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $7.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Burke County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 221 recorded events — 63.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Burke County?
22 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 19 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Burke County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Burke County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Burke County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Burke County as very low risk, placing it in the 37 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Burke County, Georgia severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Bulloch County 516
- Butts County 172
- Bryan County 219
- Calhoun County 86
- Brooks County 208
- Camden County 458
Cite this page
“Burke County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/burke-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.