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Murray County, Georgia severe weather history spans 215 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 53.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,349 nationally and #73 in Georgia.
215
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
63
Direct injuries
$7.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Murray County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Murray County, Georgia severe weather history averages 3.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 78 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 15 events fall before 1990 and 200 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Murray County, Georgia record is tornado, responsible for 9 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $4.8M 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 Murray County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 115 | 0 | $809K | 61 | 1971–2026 |
| Hail | 56 | 0 | $405K | 1.75 | 1974–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 16 | 0 | $700K | 0 | 1997–2021 |
| Tornado | 13 | 9 | $4.8M | F4 | 1957–2020 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $381K | 0 | 1999–2009 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $12K | 0 | 2001–2009 |
| Heavy Rain | 4 | 0 | $500 | 0 | 2003–2007 |
Decade by decade
Murray County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
12 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 9 | 67 | 29.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-04-12 | EF2 | 8 | 24 | 8.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-03-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-03-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-04-16 | EF1 | 0 | 10 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-06-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-02-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-05-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-04-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-07-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Murray County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2020 | Tornado | TREADWELL | 8 | 24 | $500K |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 2 | $250K | |
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 15 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 17, 1998 | Tornado | CISCO | 0 | 10 | $200K |
| Jul 21, 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | ORAN | 0 | 3 | $75K |
| Apr 22, 1997 | Tornado | SUGAR CREEK | 0 | 3 | $100K |
| Apr 22, 1997 | Tornado | CHATSWORTH | 0 | 3 | $100K |
| Jul 13, 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | RAMHURST | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Dalton Daily Citizen, and other local newspapers, reported that extensive flooding was caused by up to 3 inches of rain in less than 2 hours. Flooding caused damage to businesses and residences alike. Damages to businesses were concentrated in Chatsworth, where up to twelve stores were flooded in the Murray Plaza Shopping Center. Water was reported to have been 6 inches deep in most of these businesses. Several homes were also flooded in Chatsworth, Eton, and scattered in other areas of the county, especially near the Tennessee border. Ten people had to be evacuated from a flooded mobile home park near the Tennessee border.
The Murray county 911 center reported that a majority of the roads in the county were flooded out, several were completely inundated with water and were impassable. One family in the county has to be rescued from a flooded home.
Numerous reports of hail ranging in size from pennies to quarters were received from the public from Chatsworth, Eton, and north of Ramhurst. One report of golf ball-sized hail was received from the public in Chatsworth. In addition, an amateur radio operator reported nickel-sized hail near Eton and estimated wind gusts at 66 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
40,562
Population (ACS)
$181K
Median home value
15
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | DR |
| Sep 8, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Murray County, Georgia?
215 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 9 direct deaths and $7.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Murray County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 115 recorded events — 53.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Murray County?
12 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 10 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Murray County?
15 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Murray County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Murray County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Murray County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 51 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Murray 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
- Morgan County 230
- Muscogee County 348
- Montgomery County 100
- Newton County 232
- Monroe County 240
- Oconee County 180
Cite this page
“Murray County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/murray-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.