Union County, Georgia severe weather history spans 153 recorded events between 1980 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 45.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,692 nationally and #124 in Georgia.
153
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$3.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Union County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Union County, Georgia severe weather history averages 3.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 50 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 8 events fall before 1990 and 145 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is hail, with $966K 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 Union County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 69 | 0 | $657K | 60 | 1980–2025 |
| Hail | 45 | 0 | $966K | 2.75 | 1986–2020 |
| Flash Flood | 22 | 0 | $462K | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Flood | 9 | 0 | $95K | 0 | 2002–2020 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $310K | 0 | 2002–2011 |
| Tornado | 3 | 0 | $600K | F1 | 1994–1998 |
Decade by decade
Union County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
4 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-06-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-06-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 16.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-04-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-05-07 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Union County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 1998 | Hail | IVY LOG | 0 | 1 | $50K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A weak tornado briefly touched down 10 miles west of Blairsville along U.S Highway 76 and skipped east then lifted about six miles west of Blairsville. Three to four homes were severely damaged and several large trees were either uprooted or snapped midway.
The Union County Emergency Management Director reported that hundreds of trees and dozens of power lines were down throughout the county. Four homes sustained minor to moderate damage from downed trees. Fifty-four roads were closed, at least temporarily, from downed trees. Much of the county was left without power for many hours. The public reported that at least nine trees were down in the far western part of the county near the Fannin county line at a private residence. Two of the trees fell on the home resulting in major damage to the structure.
The Georgia Emergency Mangement Agency, and local newspapers, reported significant flooding across much of the county as anywhere from five to nine inches of rain fell during the afternoon and evening hours. Several roads were blocked from flooding and/or mudslides. Three bridges were washed out. Flash flooding forced the rescues of seven people and three animals from their homes in the Twin Pond and Pegasus Landing areas.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
26,304
Population (ACS)
$307K
Median home value
16
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Jan 12, 2021 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM ZETA | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRMA | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Union County, Georgia?
153 events are on record between 1980 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $3.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Union County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 69 recorded events — 45.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Union County?
4 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 3 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Union County?
16 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Union County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Union County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Union County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 52 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Union 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
- Twiggs County 226
- Upson County 272
- Turner County 186
- Walker County 276
- Troup County 460
- Walton County 433
Cite this page
“Union County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/union-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.