Putnam County, Georgia severe weather history spans 183 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,539 nationally and #100 in Georgia.
183
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
59
Direct injuries
$28.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Putnam County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Putnam County, Georgia severe weather history averages 2.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 56 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 15 events fall before 1990 and 168 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Putnam County, Georgia record is tornado, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $26.5M 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 Putnam County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 108 | 0 | $695K | 75 | 1959–2026 |
| Hail | 46 | 0 | $396K | 2 | 1974–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 16 | 0 | $257K | 0 | 2001–2023 |
| Tornado | 7 | 4 | $26.5M | F4 | 1992–2020 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $701K | 0 | 2008–2011 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $3K | 0 | 2001–2009 |
Decade by decade
Putnam County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
8 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-11-22 | EF4 | 5 | 86 | 32.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-04-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 12.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-02-18 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 8.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-05-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 15.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-01-21 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-12-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-12-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Putnam County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22, 1992 | Tornado | 4 | 55 | $25.0M | |
| Jul 8, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | EATONTON | 0 | 3 | $40K |
| Feb 19, 2009 | Tornado | WILLARD | 0 | 1 | $200K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Eatonton Messenger reported that lightning struck Oconee Porter Fireplace and Insulation Building, a warehouse off Sammons Industrial Boulevard on the northwest side of Eatonton, was destroyed when a lightning strike set the roof and piles of insulation on fire.
Analysis of damage photos by the National Weather Service determined that microburst winds up to 85 mph downed 50 to 100 trees at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center. Two cars were destroyed and seven cabins were damaged due by falling trees or limbs. Four hundred students and adults were visiting the center at the time, however no injuries reported.
The Putnam County 911 center reported that several roads in the county were flooded, including some state highways. Several secondary roads had to be closed, but most were reopened. While no major damage was reported, rather extensive repairs were required to some roads because of culvert damage and erosion caused by the high water. Rainfall of 3 to 5 inches in a 3 to 5 hour time period contributed to the flooding.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
22,855
Population (ACS)
$249K
Median home value
15
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 14, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MICHAEL | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Putnam County, Georgia?
183 events are on record between 1959 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $28.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Putnam County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 108 recorded events — 59.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Putnam County?
8 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 6 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Putnam County?
15 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Putnam County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Putnam County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Putnam County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 53 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Putnam 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
- Pulaski County 142
- Quitman County 66
- Polk County 328
- Rabun County 207
- Pike County 188
- Randolph County 130
Cite this page
“Putnam County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/putnam-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.