Meriwether County, Georgia severe weather history spans 229 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 62.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,259 nationally and #64 in Georgia.
229
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
40
Direct injuries
$28.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Meriwether County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Meriwether County, Georgia severe weather history averages 3.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 62 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 25 events fall before 1990 and 204 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $20.7M 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 Meriwether County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 143 | 0 | $865K | 65 | 1964–2026 |
| Hail | 47 | 0 | $999K | 2.5 | 1964–2023 |
| Tornado | 25 | 0 | $20.7M | F3 | 1954–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 8 | 0 | $5.5M | 0 | 2003–2023 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $140K | 0 | 2006–2014 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2004–2009 |
Decade by decade
Meriwether County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
28 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 20 touched down inside it and 8 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 2 | 0 | 21.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-26 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 21.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1954-12-05 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 51.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-01-12 | EF2 | 0 | 8 | 35.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-01-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 23.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-03-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 24.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2009-02-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 20.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-12-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 24.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Meriwether County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 20, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 15 | $250K | |
| Mar 26, 2023 | Tornado | CAMEO | 0 | 5 | $0 |
| May 8, 2003 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 5 | $5.0M |
| Jan 12, 2023 | Tornado | ODESSADALE | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Apr 13, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| May 8, 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | GREENVILLE | 0 | 2 | $5K |
| Dec 5, 1954 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| May 3, 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | $7K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An EF1 tornado began northeast of Pine Mountain near the Durand community and traveled north northeast along Chipley Highway downing a few thousand trees. A large oak tree fell on an unoccupied home near the 800 block of Chipley Highway completely destroying it. A manufactured home on Mandy B Rd just northeast of this area had its metal roofing blown off. The tornado continued northeast east of Greenville and west and north of Gay downing a few more thousand trees before lifting just south of the Coweta county line near Sullivan Mill Rd.
The tornado touched down near St. Marks in extreme western Meriwether County and moved east southeast toward Georgia Highway 85 before dissipating. The damage path was not continuous. The tornado destroyed six houses, one unoccupied mobile home was lifted into woods and destroyed. A total 15 to 20 homes were damaged, eight barns destroyed, one cow killed and three others injured from wind driven debris. Several large trees, power poles, power lines, and fencing were downed along the tornado path. Several vehicles were damaged from fallen trees. A large sawmill near Greenville suffered major damage. Most of the damage occurred along Georgia Highway 100, 4 miles northwest of Greenville.
The Meriwether County Emergency Management Director reported extensive flash flooding in the eastern portion of the county. Rainfall of 8-12 inches fell across much of the eastern portion of the county. Dozens of roads were washed out and several homes were flooded.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
20,929
Population (ACS)
$169K
Median home value
17
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Jan 16, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Meriwether County, Georgia?
229 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $28.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Meriwether County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 143 recorded events — 62.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Meriwether County?
28 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 20 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Meriwether County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Meriwether County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Meriwether County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Meriwether County as very low risk, placing it in the 19 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Meriwether 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
- Marion County 114
- Miller County 149
- Madison County 176
- Macon County 143
- Mitchell County 315
- McIntosh County 211
Cite this page
“Meriwether County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/meriwether-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.