Decatur County, Georgia severe weather history spans 287 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 73.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,851 nationally and #47 in Georgia.
287
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
17
Direct injuries
$7.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Decatur County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Decatur County, Georgia severe weather history averages 4.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 108 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 30 events fall before 1990 and 257 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Decatur County, Georgia record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $5.7M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Decatur County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 210 | 0 | $1.1M | 70 | 1959–2026 |
| Tornado | 28 | 0 | $5.7M | F3 | 1960–2023 |
| Hail | 26 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1980–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 10 | 0 | $455K | 0 | 2002–2022 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $550K | 0 | 1998–2016 |
| Heavy Rain | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2012 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2013 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2012 |
Decade by decade
Decatur County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
29 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 27 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-12-28 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-01-12 | EF2 | 1 | 33 | 168.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2001-03-15 | EF2 | 0 | 13 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1988-04-18 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-10-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-01-13 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-02-07 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 20.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1970-05-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-04-18 | EF2 | 0 | 30 | 217.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Decatur County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2013 | Lightning | FACEVILLE | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2001 | Tornado | CLIMAX | 0 | 4 | $500K |
| Apr 19, 1988 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Jan 13, 1972 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| Jul 24, 1969 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jul 4, 2002 | Lightning | BAINBRIDGE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Feb 14, 2000 | Tornado | BAINBRIDGE | 0 | 1 | $1.0M |
| Apr 18, 1969 | 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
A tornado destroyed several homes, and downed trees and power lines at the intersection of CR 97 and CR 262. One person was injured by flying debris. Decatur County was declared a federal disaster area. Reported by the Decatur County EMA.
An F2 tornado touched down on Fewell Road in the Bell Dixon Community and tracked northeast into western Grady County. Debris was scattered over a wide area. Four persons were injured, one critically. Five homes sustained roof and window damage. Numerous trees and power lines down. One house was destroyed and eight others were severely damaged. A double-wide mobile home on Bell Dixon Road was lifted from its foundation and reduced to bits of debris in a neighboring field. Reported by the Decatur County EMA and Bainbridge Post Searchlight.
The Flint River at Bainbridge crested in the moderate flood stage category at its 11th highest crest on record on January 4th. The Bainbridge water treatment plant suffered significant damage due to the flooding. Damage cost for Decatur county was estimated at $300,000.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
29,195
Population (ACS)
$159K
Median home value
19
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 Decatur County, Georgia?
287 events are on record between 1959 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $7.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Decatur County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 210 recorded events — 73.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Decatur County?
29 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 27 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Decatur County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Decatur County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Decatur County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Decatur County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 76 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Decatur 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
- Dawson County 195
- DeKalb County 521
- Dade County 221
- Dodge County 206
- Crisp County 207
- Dooly County 175
Cite this page
“Decatur County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/decatur-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.