Rabun County, Georgia severe weather history spans 207 recorded events between 1966 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,403 nationally and #79 in Georgia.
207
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$6.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Rabun County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Rabun County, Georgia severe weather history averages 3.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 64 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 18 events fall before 1990 and 189 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Rabun County, Georgia record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $5.8M 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 Rabun County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 109 | 0 | $28K | 65 | 1966–2026 |
| Hail | 61 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1984–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 19 | 0 | $19K | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $11K | 0 | 2002–2024 |
| Tornado | 6 | 1 | $5.8M | F2 | 1973–2021 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | $500K | 0 | 2010–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2009 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2007 |
Decade by decade
Rabun County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
7 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 1 | 1 | 37.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1994-03-27 | EF3 | 0 | 37 | 28.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-10-12 | EF1 | 0 | 6 | 15.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-06-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-08-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Rabun County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2, 2022 | Lightning | MOUNTAIN CITY | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | Tornado | PERSIMMON | 1 | 0 | $5.0M |
| Aug 2, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | CLAYTON | 0 | 1 | $2K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Emergency manager reported flash flooding developed across portions of Rabun County after 5.5 to 7 inches of rain fell across much of the county in around 24 hours. The most significant flooding occurred along the Tallulah River, especially just downstream of Mathis Dam, where inundation occurred along Shady Ln, a portion of Old 441, and Mathis Dam Rd. Multiple other roads were reported as flooded and closed throughout the county, including Highway 15 in the Clayton area.
County comms reported multiple roads flooded and closed throughout Rabun County due to a combination of small stream and poor drainage flooding after 4.5 to 5.5 inches of rain fell in about an 18 hour period. At least half of that fell in less than six hours during the morning of the 6th.
EM reported that minor flash flooding developed along the Tallulah River downstream of Lake Burton due to dam releases caused by high water levels after 2 to 5 inches of rain fell across western Rabun County throughout the 29th and ealry part of the 30th. A few roads along the river became flooded, including Shady Lane in the Lakemont area. Flooding was also reported elsewhere in the county.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
17,312
Population (ACS)
$295K
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 |
| May 5, 2021 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Jan 12, 2021 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM ZETA | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Rabun County, Georgia?
207 events are on record between 1966 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $6.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Rabun County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 109 recorded events — 52.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Rabun County?
7 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 4 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Rabun County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Rabun County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Rabun County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rabun County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 45 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Rabun 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
- Quitman County 66
- Randolph County 130
- Putnam County 183
- Richmond County 401
- Pulaski County 142
- Rockdale County 181
Cite this page
“Rabun County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/rabun-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.