Early County, Georgia severe weather history spans 206 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 64.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,413 nationally and #81 in Georgia.
206
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
19
Direct injuries
$7.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Early County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Early County, Georgia severe weather history averages 2.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 63 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 28 events fall before 1990 and 178 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Early County, Georgia record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $6.4M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Early County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 132 | 0 | $964K | 75 | 1974–2026 |
| Tornado | 39 | 2 | $6.4M | F2 | 1954–2026 |
| Hail | 24 | 0 | $50K | 2.75 | 1984–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 2002–2025 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2023–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2012 |
Decade by decade
Early County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
39 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 21.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 18.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-02-15 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-01-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-01-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-01-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-04-05 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-11-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-12-05 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 6.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-12-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Early County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 13, 2005 | Tornado | CROSSROADS | 2 | 5 | $250K |
| Feb 15, 2021 | Tornado | DAMASCUS | 0 | 5 | $500K |
| Jul 12, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | JAKIN | 0 | 5 | $50K |
| Dec 24, 2002 | Tornado | BLAKELY | 0 | 2 | $750K |
| Dec 5, 1954 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado touched down just north of County Road 114 and destroyed several small structures near a goat farm before it crossed Wood Valley Road. The tornado continued on a northerly track over open fields and wooded areas before damaging a brick house. Its roof was peeled off and thrown 75 yards. Three vehicles in the yard were destroyed. The tornado crossed Blakely Road and severely damaged a large double wide trailer. Its two occupants suffered minor injuries when the trailer was blown off its foundation. Before reaching the Early-Calhoun County line, the tornado carried a small double wide trailer 35 feet before impacting the ground and disintegrating. Of the five people inside, two were killed and three injured. The ground assessment was conducted by the WFO Tallahassee MIC and a SKYWARN storm spotter. The aerial assessment was conducted by the Georgia State Patrol.
The tornado crossed the state line from Henry County Alabama into Early County Georgia. Its damage path extended from the Chattahoochee River northeast through Colomokee on U.S. Highway 27. The tornado destroyed one mobile home and damaged thirty others. Two persons were injured when their mobile home collapsed on them. Numerous trees and power lines were down. A state of emergency was declared. Reported by GEMA.
An EF2 tornado with max winds near 115 mph initially touched down on the Early County side of the Early-Miller County line near Three Notch Road. Damage in this area was mainly limited to trees and a few farm buildings that were destroyed. Damage in this area was generally consistent with EF1 damage. The tornado moved NE toward US-27 near the intersection with Bates Road. A mobile home suffered roof damage and numerous pines were snapped or uprooted on the west side of US-27. The tornado continued northeast and intensified before reaching Middleton Road. Many trees were snapped, with a few debarked in this area. One farm building was completely destroyed in this area. The tornado continued moving to the east-northeast and ultimately lifted near Old Damascus Road where a few trees were snapped and a pivot irrigation system was overturned. Damage cost was estimated.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
10,603
Population (ACS)
$131K
Median home value
15
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 14, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MICHAEL | DR |
| 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 Early County, Georgia?
206 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $7.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Early County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 132 recorded events — 64.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Early County?
39 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 36 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Early County?
15 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Early County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Early County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Early County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 43 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Early 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
- Douglas County 437
- Echols County 101
- Dougherty County 396
- Effingham County 508
- Dooly County 175
- Elbert County 228
Cite this page
“Early County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/early-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.