Cook County, Georgia severe weather history spans 147 recorded events between 1962 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 63.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,720 nationally and #131 in Georgia.
147
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
48
Direct injuries
$3.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Cook County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Cook County, Georgia severe weather history averages 2.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 54 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 22 events fall before 1990 and 125 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Cook County, Georgia record is tornado, responsible for 7 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $2.4M 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 Cook County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 93 | 0 | $1.1M | 65 | 1962–2026 |
| Hail | 20 | 0 | $50K | 2.75 | 1973–2025 |
| Tornado | 17 | 7 | $2.4M | F2 | 1970–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2004–2025 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $123K | 0 | 2008–2022 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2013 |
| Winter Storm | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
Decade by decade
Cook County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
19 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 touched down inside it and 6 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 | Crossed in |
| 2023-01-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-06-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-04-18 | EF2 | 0 | 30 | 217.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-04-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 37.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-08-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-03-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-04-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 13.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1977-04-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Cook County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 22, 2017 | Tornado | GREGGS | 7 | 45 | $1.5M |
| Jun 6, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | ADEL | 0 | 1 | $30K |
| Apr 5, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | PINE VALLEY | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| Jun 27, 1972 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This is a continuation of the northeast Brooks county tornado. The tornado then continued into Cook County. Still at EF-3 strength, it swept about 35 manufactured homes into a pile of rubble at the far end of the Sunshine Acres mobile home park. Seven people lost their lives. The tornado then went on to destroy about two thirds of a brick home on Val Del Road, collapsing in two walls and removing most of the second story. Another home built of concrete blocks was destroyed. A nearby farm had several concrete anchors for a large metal structure pulled from the ground. Max winds were estimated near 140 mph. Damage cost was estimated.
Thunderstorm winds severely damaged a manufacturing plant in Adel. Approximately 35,000 square feet of the building was destroyed while another 20,000 square feet was heavily damaged. In a trailer park in Adel, one trailer was flipped over and another had its roof removed.
Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees along a line from Lenox to Adel. Several trees fell on houses. Three large trees were uprooted at a residence on Concord Church Circle near Sparks, with one falling on a trailer. Winds also tore the top off a shelter.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
17,532
Population (ACS)
$158K
Median home value
18
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 Cook County, Georgia?
147 events are on record between 1962 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths and $3.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Cook County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 93 recorded events — 63.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Cook County?
19 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 Cook County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Cook County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Cook County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cook County as very low risk, placing it in the 35 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Cook 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
- Columbia County 384
- Coweta County 658
- Colquitt County 349
- Crawford County 171
- Coffee County 381
- Crisp County 207
Cite this page
“Cook County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/cook-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.