Thomas County, Georgia severe weather history spans 352 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 63.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,482 nationally and #31 in Georgia.
352
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$19.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Thomas County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Thomas County, Georgia severe weather history averages 5.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 134 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 33 events fall before 1990 and 319 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Thomas County, Georgia record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $14.2M 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 Thomas County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 225 | 0 | $2.2M | 65 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 42 | 0 | $650K | 4 | 1965–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 41 | 0 | $2.4M | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Tornado | 20 | 0 | $14.2M | F3 | 1955–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 12 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2011–2018 |
| Lightning | 5 | 1 | $18K | 0 | 1998–2012 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $225K | 0 | 1999–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2012 |
Decade by decade
Thomas County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
22 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 18 touched down inside it and 4 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 | 7 | 15 | 15.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2009-02-19 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-01-22 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 18.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-02-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1979-11-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-04-18 | EF2 | 0 | 30 | 217.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-04-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-02-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Thomas County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 1999 | Lightning | THOMASVILLE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 22, 2017 | Tornado | PASCO | 0 | 3 | $250K |
| Dec 24, 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | THOMASVILLE | 0 | 1 | $15K |
| Jun 6, 2012 | Flash Flood | HOMESTEAD PARK | 0 | 1 | $750K |
| Nov 11, 1995 | Tornado | Thomasville | 0 | 1 | $50K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Many roads and low lying areas were flooded, including Thomasville and surrounding areas. U.S. Highway 84 was closed to flood waters near the Grady County line. Four vehicles passed Georgia State Patrol barricades and were swept away into Barnett's Creek. All six occupants were rescued. A dozen homes in the Plantation Woods subdivision near Thomasville were flooded. Rainfall amounts ranged from eight inches in northeast Thomas County, to as much as two feet across southern Thomas County, including Thomasville.
Significant flash flooding occurred in Thomasville. Between 5 and 8 roads were closed in Thomasville due to high water with cars submerged in many areas. Water was up to the car bumpers on Walcott and Young Streets with some basements flooding as well. The Days Inn located near the intersection of the Thomasville Bypass and E Jackson Street had water in the first floor rooms with a water mark around 2 feet high. Radar estimates and rain gauge measurements indicate that between 5 and 7 inches of rain fell in around a 3 hour period with over 4 inches of rain falling in just one hour northwest of town. A 12 year old boy was sucked into a manhole on Remington Avenue and required hospitalization. Monetary damage was estimated.
A severe thunderstorm downed numerous trees and power lines. Several homes and vehicles were damaged by fallen trees and limbs in Thomasville. Power outages affected more than 6,000 residences. Lightning struck several trees setting them ablaze in Thomasville. Numerous roads and intersections in and around Thomasville were blocked by fallen debris. Reported by the Thomas County EMA and SKYWARN storm spotter.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
45,777
Population (ACS)
$197K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Sep 24, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | DR |
| Aug 5, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | EM |
| Sep 7, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDALIA | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Thomasville 182
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Thomas County, Georgia?
352 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $19.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Thomas County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 225 recorded events — 63.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Thomas County?
22 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 Thomas County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Thomas County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Thomas County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Thomas County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 66 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Thomas 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
- Terrell County 153
- Tift County 263
- Telfair County 155
- Toombs County 154
- Taylor County 164
- Towns County 56
Cite this page
“Thomas County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/thomas-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.