Live
Active alerts for this county
Heat Advisory
Dade; Walker; Catoosa; Whitfield; Murray; Chattooga; Gordon; Floyd; Bartow; Polk
Whitfield County, Georgia severe weather history spans 361 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 61.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,423 nationally and #30 in Georgia.
361
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
30
Direct injuries
$9.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Whitfield County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Whitfield County, Georgia severe weather history averages 4.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 116 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 24 events fall before 1990 and 337 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Whitfield County, Georgia record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $2.9M 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 Whitfield County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 223 | 0 | $2.9M | 75 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 70 | 0 | $26K | 2.75 | 1955–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 36 | 0 | $1.6M | 0 | 1997–2021 |
| Lightning | 12 | 1 | $187K | 0 | 1999–2018 |
| Tornado | 7 | 2 | $2.9M | F4 | 1950–2017 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $961K | 0 | 2008–2009 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $426K | 0 | 2003–2008 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2019–2019 |
Decade by decade
Whitfield 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: 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-02-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 22.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-04-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-04-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-05-19 | EF1 | 0 | 3 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-01-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1950-05-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-04-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Whitfield County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 2 | 25 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 4, 2018 | Lightning | FILLMORE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 20, 1983 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jul 13, 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| Jul 19, 2001 | Lightning | TUNNEL HILL | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Amateur radio operators and the public reported that hundreds of trees were down across the county from west of Rocky Face to Dalton. Wind gusts were estimated at 65 to 70 mph. At least 40 homes across the county sustained minor to moderate damage from fallen trees. Four homes in Dalton and two homes in Rocky Face suffered extensive damage from trees which fell on the structures. Multiple trees and several power lines were down on Cleveland Highway north of Dalton. A number of power lines were down throughout the city of Dalton.
The Whitfield County Emergency Management Director reported that significant flooding continued across much of the county during this time frame. A number of roads remained flooded, impassable and closed. Dozens of homes and businesses were flooded. Coahulla Creek at Keith's Mill near Dalton exceeded flood stage of 16 feet at 1157 am EDT and remained above flood stage for several days. Additional monetary damage during this time frame was estimated to be $500,000.
The Whitfield County Emergency Management Director reported that the older of two pillow manufacturing facility buildings collapsed as a result of the weight of rain water runoff on the roof of the two adjacent buildings. The older building was in need of repair. The wash-out effect caused by the water runoff resulted in the collapse of a wall on the older of the two buildings, which result in the roof caving in as well. Because of the age and condition of the building, it was considered a total loss.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
103,598
Population (ACS)
$218K
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 |
| 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Dalton 111
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Whitfield County, Georgia?
361 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $9.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Whitfield County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 223 recorded events — 61.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Whitfield County?
8 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 7 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Whitfield County?
16 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Whitfield County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Whitfield County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Whitfield County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 81 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Whitfield 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
- White County 250
- Wilcox County 112
- Wheeler County 89
- Wilkes County 119
- Webster County 75
- Wilkinson County 153
Cite this page
“Whitfield County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/whitfield-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.