Ben Hill County, Georgia severe weather history spans 150 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 67.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,706 nationally and #127 in Georgia.
150
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$7.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Ben Hill County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Ben Hill County, Georgia severe weather history averages 2.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 43 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 40 events fall before 1990 and 110 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $5.6M 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 Ben Hill County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 101 | 0 | $5.6M | 85 | 1959–2026 |
| Hail | 22 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1958–2024 |
| Tornado | 14 | 0 | $1.8M | F2 | 1961–2019 |
| Flash Flood | 10 | 0 | $420K | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2018 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2015–2015 |
Decade by decade
Ben Hill County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
14 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-12-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 20.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1967-06-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-06-14 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-04-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-12-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-02-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-05-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-12-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-01-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-05-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Ben Hill County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fitzgerald to | 0 | 4 | $5.0M |
| Mar 12, 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | ASHTON | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 1963 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Aug 6, 2015 | Lightning | WESTWOOD | 0 | 1 | $5K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm winds damaged several mobile homes and pre-fab homes. Several small sheds and outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. Four injuries occurred when an unanchored mobile home was overturned by thunderstorm winds. Several large trees were uprooted and power lines downed by thunderstorm winds. Over 8600 people in Fitzgerald were left without power for about eight hours. Nearly 25 percent of the pecan crop was destroyed in Ben Hill county at a cost of 100,000 dollars.
The tornado touched down four miles east of Fitzgerald just south of Georgia Highway 206 and U.S. Highway 319. There were several areas along its northeasterly track where trees had been twisted off at approximately 15 feet above ground level. Debris from the initial touchdown was discovered three miles due north. The tornado touched down four times as evidenced by the sporadic damage. Two homes were destroyed, two homes were heavily damaged, and three irrigation pivots were destroyed. The tornado finally lifted at an old recreation area known as Red Bluff where roof damage was reported.
The Ben Hill County EMA reported numerous county and state roads closed due to high water from five to six inches of rain which had fallen since 4 am EST. Numerous streets in Fitzgerald were closed by high water. Several flooded downtown businesses reported water up to three feet deep. One family was rescued from their stranded pickup truck on Stuart Street in Fitzgerald. The Rainbow Irrigation warehouse and welding shop along the Ocilla highway were flooded.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
17,089
Population (ACS)
$113K
Median home value
15
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Aug 5, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 14, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MICHAEL | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Ben Hill County, Georgia?
150 events are on record between 1958 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $7.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Ben Hill County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 101 recorded events — 67.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Ben Hill County?
14 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 13 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Ben Hill County?
15 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Ben Hill County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Ben Hill County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ben Hill County as very low risk, placing it in the 25 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Ben Hill 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
- Bartow County 490
- Berrien County 228
- Barrow County 202
- Bibb County 393
- Banks County 196
- Bleckley County 128
Cite this page
“Ben Hill County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/ben-hill-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.