Monroe County, Georgia severe weather history spans 240 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 63.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,177 nationally and #58 in Georgia.
240
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$20.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Monroe County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Monroe County, Georgia severe weather history averages 3.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 57 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 34 events fall before 1990 and 206 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $16.3M 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 Monroe County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 153 | 0 | $2.1M | 83 | 1963–2025 |
| Hail | 47 | 0 | $617K | 2.75 | 1969–2022 |
| Tornado | 19 | 0 | $16.3M | F2 | 1952–2025 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $695K | 0 | 2005–2012 |
| Flash Flood | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $555K | 0 | 2009–2009 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2005 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2007–2007 |
Decade by decade
Monroe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 2 | 22 | 30.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-04-13 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 5.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-11-22 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-01-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-04-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-11-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-04-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-08-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-01-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-05-03 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Monroe County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2011 | Tornado | SOCRATES | 0 | 10 | $5.0M |
| May 3, 1998 | Tornado | DAMES FERRY | 0 | 2 | $100K |
| Apr 13, 2020 | Tornado | COLLIER | 0 | 1 | $10.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Monroe County Emergency Management Director and local newspapers reported that up to five inches of rain fell during a 24-hour period on top of already saturated soils resulting in flooding of area creeks and streams. This caused several roads to be washed out and closed. In all, eights roads were closed as a result of flooding. Most of the damage was the result of washed out culvert or drainage pipes. Chambers Road at the intersection of Juliette Road was washed out by Chambliss Creek and left closed for an extended period of time. Montpelier Springs Road was flooded at the Tobosofkee Creek bridge near Georgia Highway 42 and left closed for several days. Zellner Road at Smith/Goodwyn Road was washed out and left impassible for an extended period of time. Ebenezer Road at Lake Juliette was flooded for several days until the water receded. Byars Road, a dirt road near the intersection of Georgia Highway 83 and Juliette Road, was covered with over a foot of water for over 24 hours, and washed out.
The Monroe County 911 Center reported that hundreds of trees were down, especially in the southern part of the county. Three homes sustained minor to moderate damage as a result of the downed trees. Many parts of the county were left without power and some roads were temporarily blocked from downed trees, especially in the vicinity of Georgia Highway 74 and Georgia Highway 42.
An official with the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency reported that an apparent thunderstorm downburst or microburst caused considerable damage throughout the city of Forsyth and along Interstate-75 from mile marker 193 in the northwest part of the county to mile marker 185 just southeast of Forsyth. The damage consisted mainly of downed trees throughout this area, including many throughout the city of Forsyth. Several homes were damaged as a result of the downed trees and several power lines were down as well. Johnstonville Road at mile marker 193 was blocked from downed trees and power lines. Several roads were blocked in two subdivisions in the Forsyth area as a result of downed trees. The Riatta subdivision appeared to be the hardest hit where in addition to tree, home, and power line damage, some horse stables were damaged by the strong winds. It was also noted that there were several traffic accidents along Interstate-75 between mile markers 195 and 183.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
29,664
Population (ACS)
$271K
Median home value
21
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 30, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 10, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MICHAEL | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Monroe County, Georgia?
240 events are on record between 1952 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $20.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Monroe County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 153 recorded events — 63.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Monroe 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 Monroe County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Monroe County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Monroe County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Monroe County as very low risk, placing it in the 19 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Monroe 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
- Mitchell County 315
- Montgomery County 100
- Morgan County 230
- Miller County 149
- Murray County 215
- Meriwether County 229
Cite this page
“Monroe County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/monroe-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.