Dougherty County, Georgia severe weather history spans 396 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 60.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,271 nationally and #23 in Georgia.
396
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
74
Direct injuries
$332.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Dougherty County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Dougherty County, Georgia severe weather history averages 5.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 139 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 54 events fall before 1990 and 342 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Dougherty County, Georgia record is tornado, responsible for 5 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $311.8M 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 Dougherty County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 239 | 0 | $19.0M | 74 | 1961–2026 |
| Hail | 63 | 0 | $1K | 3.75 | 1961–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 48 | 0 | $601K | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Tornado | 19 | 5 | $311.8M | F2 | 1951–2017 |
| Flood | 17 | 0 | $800K | 0 | 2009–2022 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $92K | 0 | 2003–2016 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2012 |
| Winter Storm | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
Decade by decade
Dougherty 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: 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-22 | EF3 | 5 | 88 | 70.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-03-01 | EF2 | 6 | 3 | 30.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2000-12-16 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-11-07 | EF2 | 0 | 36 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-08-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 34.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-01-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-11-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-01 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Dougherty County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 22, 2017 | Tornado | PRETORIA | 5 | 32 | $300.0M |
| Nov 7, 1995 | Tornado | Albany | 0 | 36 | $10.0M |
| Dec 24, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | ALBANY | 0 | 1 | $250K |
| Jul 11, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | ALBANY | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| May 1, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K | |
| Feb 13, 1966 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K | |
| Apr 4, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K | |
| Jan 28, 1952 | 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 severe thunderstorm produced a 3 to 4 mile swath of 80 to 85 mph winds across the northern half of Albany proper, causing widespread damage across the city. The NWS damage survey team found hundreds of snapped and/or uprooted trees, minor to moderate roof damage to structures and buildings, and occasional instances of extensive damage to wide-span metal roofs in areas throughout the city. Much of the severe structural damage surveyed was a result of trees falling onto structures and powerlines, especially in the Rawson Circle area, where the roads are canopied by old oak trees. The downed trees across the city were oriented in the same direction. This, along with examination of radar data from the event suggests that the damage was caused by straight line winds. Dougherty county received FEMA aid for this event due to damage cost exceeding the local threshold of $16 million.
A tornado first touched down on the north side of the Albany Dougherty County Airport then moved east north-east for five miles to just past U.S. Highway 19. In two spots along the path the tornado lifted briefly. One of these breaks in the damage path occurred at an elementary school that was in session. The worst damage was to a Winn Dixie grocery store where many of the 36 injuries occurred. One side of the store was pulled out and collapsed to the side parking area. In the parking lot, numerous cars were moved about and a few turned over. Over 40 homes were destroyed with over 50 more severely damaged. Five businesses were severely damaged.
Minor to moderate flooding along the Flint River impacted several dozen homes in the Radium Springs, Hampton and Lovers Lane at Lake Worth. Five county roads were closed. The Albany public works department was pumping 62 million gallons of water during the event.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
83,091
Population (ACS)
$134K
Median home value
17
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 14, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MICHAEL | DR |
| Oct 10, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MICHAEL | EM |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Albany 318
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Dougherty County, Georgia?
396 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths and $332.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Dougherty County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 239 recorded events — 60.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Dougherty County?
19 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 18 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Dougherty County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Dougherty County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Dougherty County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dougherty County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 83 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Dougherty 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
- Dooly County 175
- Douglas County 437
- Dodge County 206
- Early County 206
- DeKalb County 521
- Echols County 101
Cite this page
“Dougherty County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/dougherty-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.