608
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$3.9M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Chatham County, Georgia: 608 recorded events between 1960 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 110. That places the county #58 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Chatham County, Georgia: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Chatham County is the 2010s, when 280 of the county's 608 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Chatham County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 61.9% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #58 for this hazard and #1 within Georgia, putting it in the 98.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Chatham County with 156 recorded events, while Oct is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2005 | SAVANNAH | 45 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 9, 2023 | SAVANNAH STATE COLLE | 50 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 2, 2012 | SAVANNAH BEACH | 61 | 0 | 2 | $10K |
| Mar 3, 1991 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Apr 26, 2015 | CENTRAL JCT | 50 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 30, 1999 | SAVANNAH | 50 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 19, 1988 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 2025 | VERNONBURG | 40 | $1K |
| Sep 7, 2025 | ISLE OF HOPE | 40 | $1K |
| Sep 7, 2025 | THUNDERBOLT | 40 | $1K |
| Sep 7, 2025 | SAVANNAH | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 2025 | (SAV)SAVANNAH INTL A | 52 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 2025 | WILLIAM HILL | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2025 | SANDFLY | 40 | $1K |
| Jul 11, 2025 | SAVANNAH | 40 | $1K |
| Jul 11, 2025 | (SVN)HUNTER AAF SAVA | 40 | $1K |
| Jul 10, 2025 | SAVANNAH | 50 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Chatham County
- Hail 182
- Flash Flood 93
- Lightning 48
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous trees and powerlines down. The Mar Lin Marina suffered extensive damage and encountered 6 to 8 foot swells with the onshore component of the winds. Boats were capsized, and the docks were destroyed. At least 30 boats were damaged to varying degrees- six were completely destroyed, four capsized and five ended up in the marshes.
Numerous vehicles were damaged from wind blown debris and a few apartment chimneys were toppled by thunderstorm winds. Wind gusts of 64 knots were reported by WJCL TV in Savannah. Several trees, power lines and traffic signals were downed throughout Savannah. However, the heaviest concentration of storm damage was on Savannah's south side near the intersection of Georgia Highway 144 and 17. Over 50,000 Savannah residents and businesses were without power for at least nine hours.
A large resort ship was blown from its mooring in the Savannah River by thunderstorm winds and damaged as it collided with the New Savannah Bridge. Several large tree limbs and power lines were toppled by thunderstorm winds which caused numerous power outages throughout Savannah.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Chatham County, Georgia?
608 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Chatham County between 1960 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Chatham County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Chatham County measured 110.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Chatham County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Chatham County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/chatham-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.