Clarke County, Georgia severe weather history spans 233 recorded events between 1959 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 65.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,226 nationally and #61 in Georgia.
233
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
119
Direct injuries
$279.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Clarke County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Clarke County, Georgia severe weather history averages 3.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 58 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 38 events fall before 1990 and 195 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Clarke County, Georgia record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $275.3M 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 Clarke County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 152 | 0 | $713K | 68 | 1959–2025 |
| Hail | 46 | 0 | $2.5M | 2.75 | 1971–2022 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $333K | 0 | 1999–2011 |
| Flash Flood | 7 | 0 | $52K | 0 | 2003–2023 |
| Tornado | 6 | 2 | $275.3M | F3 | 1973–1986 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2008 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 1998–2002 |
| Heavy Rain | 4 | 0 | $151K | 0 | 2001–2016 |
| Winter Storm | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
Decade by decade
Clarke County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
9 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 5 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-05-28 | EF3 | 1 | 65 | 18.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-03-31 | EF2 | 2 | 100 | 72.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1976-05-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-04-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-08-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1975-03-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 19.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-05-03 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-05-28 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Clarke County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 1973 | Tornado | 1 | 65 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 1, 1973 | Tornado | 1 | 50 | $250.0M | |
| Jun 25, 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Jun 7, 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | BARRETTS MILL | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 9, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | ATHENS | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Clarke County 911 Center reported that lightning set a commercial business on fire on Voyles Road, approximately two miles northwest of Winterville in northeast Clarke county. The business suffered significant damage from the resulting fire.
The Athens Banner Herald newspaper reported a portion of the flat roof of the Showtime Bowling Center building off of Macon Highway or 2.8 miles south to southwest of Athens collapsed due to the weight of heavy rain. It was likely due to clogged storm drains on the roof.
The public reported wind damage at the Athens Rifle Club on Paradise Valley Road north of Athens. Shingles and roofing material were removed from the clubhouse and the skeet houses. These roofing materials were embedded in the metal roof of a carport that was blown over. A section of safety fencing 10 feet high and 40 feet long that was set in concrete was blown down and outdoor furniture was blown over 100 yards and destroyed. Several shooting stations were destroyed and multiple trees were blown down.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
129,609
Population (ACS)
$299K
Median home value
13
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 10, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MICHAEL | EM |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Clarke County, Georgia?
233 events are on record between 1959 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $279.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Clarke County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 152 recorded events — 65.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Clarke County?
9 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 5 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Clarke County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Clarke County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Clarke County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clarke County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 67 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Clarke 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
- Cherokee County 629
- Clay County 82
- Chattooga County 331
- Clayton County 269
- Chattahoochee County 108
- Clinch County 247
Cite this page
“Clarke County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/clarke-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.