Brooks County, Georgia severe weather history spans 208 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 70.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,395 nationally and #78 in Georgia.
208
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$2.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Brooks County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Brooks County, Georgia severe weather history averages 3.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 79 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 16 events fall before 1990 and 192 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Brooks County, Georgia record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $1.2M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Brooks County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 147 | 0 | $422K | 65 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 20 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1957–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 17 | 0 | $620K | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Tornado | 15 | 2 | $1.2M | F2 | 1963–2022 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2008–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2006 |
| Lightning | 1 | 2 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2012 |
| Winter Storm | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
Decade by decade
Brooks County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
15 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-22 | EF3 | 11 | 45 | 24.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-01-22 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 18.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-04-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-03-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-04-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-11-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-07-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-05-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-02-08 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Brooks County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 22, 2017 | Tornado | SAND HILL | 2 | 0 | $500K |
| Mar 26, 2000 | Lightning | QUITMAN | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 12, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quitman | 0 | 4 | $75K |
| Feb 8, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The remnants of Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to 10 inches of rain Monday night and early Tuesday morning. More than 50 county and secondary roads were impassable, with some washouts. U.S. Highway 84 was temporarily closed. A state of emergency was declared in Brooks County. Reported by the Brooks County EMA.
Excessive runoff from heavy rains during the past 24 hours contributed to localized flooding with several county roads closed to high water. Railroad tracks were washed out. Ponds, creeks and streams were rising into residential areas. A spotter in Barney, GA reported nearly 8.5 inches of rain in a 24-hour period. Reported by the Brooks County Sheriff.
Two houses were destroyed by an apparent microburst. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down. Several trees were uprooted and many large pine trees were snapped. One small cinder block house was a total loss after its windward side collapsed inward. Two other homes were damaged by falling trees.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
16,293
Population (ACS)
$139K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Sep 24, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | DR |
| Aug 5, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | EM |
| Sep 7, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDALIA | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Brooks County, Georgia?
208 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $2.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Brooks County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 147 recorded events — 70.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Brooks County?
15 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 Brooks County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Brooks County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Brooks County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Brooks County as very low risk, placing it in the 42 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Brooks 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
- Brantley County 222
- Bryan County 219
- Bleckley County 128
- Bulloch County 516
- Bibb County 393
- Burke County 349
Cite this page
“Brooks County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/brooks-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.