Newton County, Georgia severe weather history spans 232 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 57.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,236 nationally and #62 in Georgia.
232
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
20
Direct injuries
$9.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Newton County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Newton County, Georgia severe weather history averages 3.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 68 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 30 events fall before 1990 and 202 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Newton County, Georgia record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $3.8M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Newton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 133 | 2 | $1.1M | 65 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 60 | 0 | $3.8M | 1.75 | 1985–2022 |
| Tornado | 17 | 1 | $2.6M | F3 | 1964–2025 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $791K | 0 | 2000–2012 |
| Flash Flood | 8 | 0 | $787K | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2017 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $700K | 0 | 2002–2009 |
Decade by decade
Newton County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
22 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 12 touched down inside it and 10 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-12-24 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 75.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-01-12 | EF2 | 4 | 40 | 125.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-03-31 | EF2 | 2 | 100 | 72.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2013-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 7.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 17.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1969-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1965-07-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-02-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-01-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 20.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-31 | EF1 | 0 | 6 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Newton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 12, 2023 | Tornado | STEWART | 1 | 10 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | LASSITER | 1 | 1 | $20K |
| May 15, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Snapping Shoals | 1 | 0 | $95K |
| Dec 31, 2021 | Tornado | ABIDE AWHILE | 0 | 6 | $0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Apr 19, 2013 | Tornado | JERUSALEM | 0 | 1 | $500K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm winds knocked down tree limbs throughout Snapping Shoals, as well as the southern part of the county. A woman was killed by a tree limb from a six to eight foot in diameter tree which fell on her car during the height of the storm. (F43V)
The Newton County Emergency Manager reported that dozens of trees were blown down at the Bert Adams Boy Scout Camp south of Covington. One of the trees fell onto a tent occupied by two scouts. A 14 year old male camper was killed by the falling tree while the other teenaged occupant escaped with only minor injuries.
The Newton County Emergency Management Director reported that a mobile home community was completely flooded out. Many creeks, streams, and rivers in the area were at or above bankfull. Some roads were also flooded. Monetary damage within the county, mostly within the flooded mobile home park, was estimated to be $700,000.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
118,152
Population (ACS)
$265K
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 |
| 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 |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Newton County, Georgia?
232 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $9.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Newton County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 133 recorded events — 57.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Newton County?
22 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 12 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Newton County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Newton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Newton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Newton County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 51 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Newton 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
- Muscogee County 348
- Oconee County 180
- Murray County 215
- Oglethorpe County 154
- Morgan County 230
- Paulding County 351
Cite this page
“Newton County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/newton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.