Cherokee County, Georgia severe weather history spans 629 recorded events between 1962 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 54.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #512 nationally and #6 in Georgia.
629
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
51
Direct injuries
$180.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Cherokee County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Cherokee County, Georgia severe weather history averages 9.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 189 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 31 events fall before 1990 and 598 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Cherokee County, Georgia record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $80.7M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Cherokee County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 342 | 2 | $10.5M | 78 | 1974–2026 |
| Hail | 170 | 0 | $27.0M | 4 | 1964–2025 |
| Lightning | 54 | 0 | $6.0M | 0 | 1997–2018 |
| Tornado | 29 | 0 | $80.7M | F4 | 1962–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 18 | 0 | $3.7M | 0 | 1996–2020 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $53.0M | 0 | 2000–2009 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2008 |
| Winter Storm | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2003 |
Decade by decade
Cherokee County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
35 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 29 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 6 | 30 | 17.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-03-27 | EF4 | 3 | 20 | 49.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-11-22 | EF4 | 0 | 46 | 20.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1994-03-27 | EF3 | 9 | 70 | 40.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 0 | 25 | 23.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1962-03-21 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 1 | 20 | 65.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-11-11 | EF2 | 0 | 13 | 23.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-04-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-04-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Cherokee County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 1 | $0 | |
| Jul 30, 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | HICKORY FLAT | 1 | 0 | $1K |
| Nov 22, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 12 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 21, 2000 | Lightning | WOODSTOCK | 0 | 6 | $30K |
| May 20, 2008 | Tornado | LEBANON | 0 | 4 | $46.0M |
| Sep 16, 2004 | Tornado | ORANGE | 0 | 4 | $300K |
| Feb 16, 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | WOODSTOCK | 0 | 4 | $35K |
| Nov 5, 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 3 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Cherokee county emergency management personnel and USGS stream gages confirmed that major to record flooding continued across much of the county. Hundreds of homes, apartments, businesses, and roads sustained damages from flooding. A number of culverts and/or bridges were washed out and several roads were closed, including portions of Interstate-575 near Woodstock. Flood waters began to recede after 830 am EDT on the 22nd, but many locations remained in major to record flood through 830 am EDT on the 23rd. Monetary damage from flooding continued to mount, with damages exceeding $44.5 million during this time frame, one of the highest flood damage amounts reported during this period of historical flooding.
USGS stream gages on Settingdown Creek near Free Home and on Sharp Mountain Creek near Ballground both exceeded their flood stages of 13 and 18 feet, respectively. The former occurred at 441 pm EDT and the later at 825 pm EDT. Significant flooding was reported throughout the county, impacting roads, homes, apartments, and businesses. Monetary damage was estimated to be near $9 million during this time frame.
The Cherokee County Emergency Management Director observed baseball-sized hail fell just south of Holly Springs. The public reported penny-sized hail in Woodstock. Ping-pong ball-sized hail fell near the Bartow/Cherokee county line west of Cherokee. Radar supported that large hail, nickel-size or larger, fell across a large swath of the southern half of Cherokee county from near Lake Allatoona across Holly Springs, Lebanon, and Woodstock.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
281,032
Population (ACS)
$435K
Median home value
19
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Jan 12, 2021 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM ZETA | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Woodstock 137
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Cherokee County, Georgia?
629 events are on record between 1962 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $180.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Cherokee County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 342 recorded events — 54.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Cherokee County?
35 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 29 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Cherokee County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Cherokee County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Cherokee County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cherokee County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 85 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Cherokee 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
- Chattooga County 331
- Clarke County 233
- Chattahoochee County 108
- Clay County 82
- Chatham County 983
- Clayton County 269
Cite this page
“Cherokee County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/cherokee-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.