Elbert County, Georgia severe weather history spans 228 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 55.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,264 nationally and #65 in Georgia.
228
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
35
Direct injuries
$1.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Elbert County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Elbert County, Georgia severe weather history averages 3.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 78 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 33 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 costliest is tornado, with $1.1M 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 Elbert County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 126 | 0 | $104K | 70 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 60 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1968–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 16 | 0 | $347K | 0 | 1997–2021 |
| Tornado | 15 | 0 | $1.1M | F2 | 1954–2025 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $63K | 0 | 2009–2024 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $75K | 0 | 1999–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2004 |
| Winter Storm | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
Decade by decade
Elbert County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
16 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-03-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-06 | EF2 | 0 | 12 | 7.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1954-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 25 | 17.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-06-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-05-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-09-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-09-16 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 7.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-13 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 26.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1980-07-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Elbert County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 1954 | Tornado | 0 | 20 | $250K | |
| May 6, 2003 | Tornado | BOWMAN | 0 | 12 | $200K |
| Sep 28, 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | ELBERTON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | Tornado | FORTSONIA | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Apr 13, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
County comms and stream gauges reported significant flash flooding developed along multiple streams in northern Elbert County. Four to seven inches fell across the area in around a 24-hour period, but the bulk of that fell with a cluster of slow-moving thunderstorms during the morning of the 7th. Multiple roads were damaged from flood water, including Dusty Rd (from Butler Creek), where a vehicle was driven into high water and three occupants required rescue, Allen White Rd (from Deep Creek), Blue Hole Rd (from Little Dove Creek), Gin Bridge Rd, and Green Acres Rd (from a tributary of Pickens Creek). Additionally, a stream gauge on Beaverdam Creek north of Elberton indicated major flooding and a record stream level for the gauge (data from this gauge dates back to the late 1980s.) Multiple roads along the stream were damaged in Dewy Rose and vicinity, including Brickyard Rd, Horse Farm Rd, and Winns Mill Rd, while major damage occurred to a vacant building.
NWS survey found a tornado damage track in far southern and southeast Elbert County. The tornado, which was spawned from a supercell, touched down southeast of Fortsonia near the intersection of River Rd and Flatwoods Rd. As the tornado tracked east along River Rd, damage was mainly confined to trees and power lines. The tornado began to take on a more east/southeast track near the intersection of River Rd and Balchin Rd, remaining just north of the Wilkes County line. Intensification occurred just west of highway 79 near its intersection with Cooter Creek Rd. The tornado continued to track east southeast, snapping or uprooting numerous trees between Cooter Creek Rd and the Broad River. Two homes received heavy roof damage consistent with EF2 intensity on Bramblett Circle along the Broad River. A boat dock was also lifted and tossed 25 feet in this area. The tornado continued to blow down trees before finally lifting in Bobby Brown State Park in the extreme southeast corner of the county.
NWS storm survey found the path of a weak, short track tornado along Bowman Highway just northwest of the city of Elberton. A large metal storage building was heavily damaged between Allen Lane and Lena Dr. Otherwise, damage was limited to a few snapped trees and downed limbs.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
19,849
Population (ACS)
$142K
Median home value
16
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 |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 10, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MICHAEL | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Elbert County, Georgia?
228 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $1.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Elbert County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 126 recorded events — 55.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Elbert County?
16 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Elbert County?
16 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Elbert County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Elbert County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Elbert County as very low risk, placing it in the 31 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Elbert 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
- Effingham County 508
- Emanuel County 192
- Echols County 101
- Evans County 163
- Early County 206
- Fannin County 191
Cite this page
“Elbert County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/elbert-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.