Mitchell County, Georgia severe weather history spans 315 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 67.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,696 nationally and #43 in Georgia.
315
Recorded events
17
Direct deaths
401
Direct injuries
$36.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Mitchell County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Mitchell County, Georgia severe weather history averages 4.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 105 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 38 events fall before 1990 and 277 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Mitchell County, Georgia record is tornado, responsible for 17 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $34.6M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Mitchell County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 214 | 0 | $1.0M | 65 | 1962–2026 |
| Hail | 30 | 0 | $100K | 2.75 | 1960–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 30 | 0 | $250K | 0 | 2006–2024 |
| Tornado | 28 | 17 | $34.6M | F3 | 1952–2025 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $146K | 0 | 2001–2007 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 2006–2023 |
Decade by decade
Mitchell County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
28 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 25 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-02-13 | EF3 | 11 | 175 | 9.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-03-20 | EF3 | 6 | 200 | 25.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-03-01 | EF2 | 6 | 3 | 30.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1975-01-12 | EF2 | 1 | 33 | 168.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-04-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-01-13 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-01-22 | EF2 | 0 | 8 | 8.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-08 | EF1 | 1 | 7 | 92.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Mitchell County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 14, 2000 | Tornado | CAMILLA | 11 | 175 | $20.0M |
| Mar 20, 2003 | Tornado | CAMILLA | 4 | 200 | $6.0M |
| Apr 8, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 3 | $250K | |
| Feb 14, 2000 | Tornado | CAMILLA | 1 | 1 | $1.0M |
| Jan 12, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 15 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 3, 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | BACONTON | 0 | 2 | $150K |
| Jan 13, 1972 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jan 4, 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | MITCHELL COUNTY ARPT | 0 | 1 | $10K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A strong tornado tore through two major subdivisions and four mobile home parks just south of Camilla after touching down just east of Branchville. Damage assessments from the American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency reported 200 homes destroyed and 250 homes were damaged. Two miles south of Camilla on GA Highway 112, a large trailer manufacturing plant was destroyed. Eleven fatalities were confirmed by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, all of which resided in mobile homes. Approximately 175 persons were injured. The American Red Cross and Salvation Army opened several shelters for the homeless. Hundreds of acres of pecan trees were uprooted, pine trees snapped, and power lines toppled. Numerous irrigation systems were damaged. Property damage estimates totalled $20 million with crop losses estimated at $2 million. Mitchell County was declared a federal disaster area. Reported by the Mitchell County EMA.
An F2 tornado touched down near Branchville, and traveled northeast. Its path was similar to the February 14, 2000 tornado. The tornado intensified to F3 as it passed just south of Camilla, then weakened as it neared the Mitchell-Worth County line. The tornado destroyed 66 homes, and damaged 200 homes and businesses. Numerous trees and power lines were down. At least three dozen roads were closed by debris. The tornado claimed four lives and injured 200. The hardest hit area was in the Goodson Road area of Camilla. A state of emergency was declared for Mitchell County. Reported by the Mitchell County EMA and CAP/NWS aerial survey team.
A strong tornado tracked northeast from extreme northwest Thomas County into extreme southeastMitchell County. Numerous homes were damaged as well as downed trees and power lines. One man died from injuries sustained when the tornado destroyed his mobile home and neighboring woodframe home two miles north of Meigs. Reported by the Mitchell County EMA.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
21,058
Population (ACS)
$106K
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 |
| 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 Mitchell County, Georgia?
315 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 17 direct deaths and $36.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Mitchell County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 214 recorded events — 67.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Mitchell County?
28 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 25 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Mitchell County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Mitchell County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Mitchell County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mitchell County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 63 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Mitchell 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
- Monroe County 240
- Miller County 149
- Montgomery County 100
- Meriwether County 229
- Morgan County 230
- Marion County 114
Cite this page
“Mitchell County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/mitchell-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.