Gilmer County, Georgia severe weather history spans 240 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,177 nationally and #58 in Georgia.
240
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
10
Direct injuries
$18.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Gilmer County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Gilmer County, Georgia severe weather history averages 3.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 82 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 13 events fall before 1990 and 227 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Gilmer County, Georgia record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $8.5M 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 Gilmer County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 125 | 0 | $2.5M | 74 | 1961–2025 |
| Hail | 58 | 0 | $1.8M | 2.75 | 1980–2020 |
| Flash Flood | 29 | 0 | $8.5M | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Tornado | 17 | 0 | $4.9M | F2 | 1970–2024 |
| Lightning | 7 | 1 | $65K | 0 | 2000–2017 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2003 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $250K | 0 | 2008–2008 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $200K | 0 | 2015–2015 |
Decade by decade
Gilmer County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
17 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 16 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-03-30 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 15.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-01-30 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 11.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-12-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-07-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-02-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-03-24 | EF1 | 0 | 3 | 36.1 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Gilmer County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 2000 | Lightning | ELLIJAY | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 30, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 20, 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | TAILS CREEK | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2003 | Flash Flood | ELLIJAY | 0 | 1 | $1.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Several Georgia newspapers reported that lightning struck and killed a 46-year old standing outside on the front porch of his home. The lightning bolt is believed to have traveled from a tall pine tree, approximately 10 feet away, through the ground, up through the man's body, and out his head. He was killed instantly.
The Gilmer County Emergency Manager reported that at least 50 trees were blown down, mainly along and near Carters Lake. The Carters Lake Marina was also damaged, with the roof of one of the covered docks completely collapsed, and many others had tin sheeting peeled from the roofs. One of the ramps was snapped and boards along the walkways were buckled. Almost a million dollars in damage was done to the marina alone. Numerous boats sustained minor to moderate damage, and some were blown off the lake. Several campers also sustained minor damage; some were blown over and others were damaged when trees fell on them. Gazebos, tents, and awnings were blown away as well. Five- to six-foot waves were observed on the lake during the storm. No injuries were reported.
The stage height of a USGS stream gage on the Cartecay River near East Ellijay reached flood stage of 7 feet. The river crest at 10.2 feet causing significant flooding. The Gilmer County emergency manager indicated around 7 roads were either flooded or damaged in the East Ellijay area by high water from the Cartecay River. Around 25 structures were flooded with some evacuations on White Water Lane, Bernhardt Road, River Lane and Riverside Drive. The East Ellijay Police Chief was injured by electric shock during an evacuation on Riverside Drive. A power line fell on the patrol car as it was passing through the flooded road. He was hospitalized and released a day or two later.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
32,426
Population (ACS)
$314K
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 |
| May 5, 2021 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Jan 12, 2021 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM ZETA | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Gilmer County, Georgia?
240 events are on record between 1961 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $18.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Gilmer County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 125 recorded events — 52.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Gilmer County?
17 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 16 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Gilmer County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Gilmer County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Gilmer County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Gilmer County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 68 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Gilmer 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
- Fulton County 902
- Glascock County 43
- Franklin County 189
- Glynn County 326
- Forsyth County 341
- Gordon County 292
Cite this page
“Gilmer County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/gilmer-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.