Wilcox County, Georgia severe weather history spans 112 recorded events between 1955 and 2023. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 60.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,844 nationally and #142 in Georgia.
112
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$3.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Wilcox County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wilcox County, Georgia severe weather history averages 1.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 37 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 12 events fall before 1990 and 100 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Wilcox County, Georgia record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $1.7M 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 Wilcox County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 68 | 0 | $926K | 87 | 1958–2022 |
| Hail | 21 | 0 | $125K | 2.75 | 1984–2020 |
| Tornado | 14 | 1 | $1.7M | F2 | 1955–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 5 | 0 | $230K | 0 | 2000–2020 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $300K | 0 | 2000–2006 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2008 |
Decade by decade
Wilcox County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
13 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-22 | EF3 | 5 | 88 | 70.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-04-23 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-01-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-05-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-04-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 25.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2009-04-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 25.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2007-12-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-01-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-01-12 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-01-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Wilcox County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 8, 1989 | Tornado | 1 | 8 | $250K | |
| May 11, 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | ABBEVILLE | 0 | 2 | $50K |
| Apr 24, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A National Weather Service survey team found that an EF1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 100 MPH and a maximum path width of 50 yards began in a pecan orchard south of Bowen Road and east of Worley Road where it quickly intensified with wind speeds of 100 mph. At least 100 pecan trees were snapped and shredded along a narrow, 30 yard wide, path with no damage on either side. The tornado traveled east-northeast and weakened slightly snapping several more trees. A 400ft section of a large chicken house was destroyed west of Highway 159 and a few more trees were blown down before the tornado lifted just east of the intersection of Bowen Road and Highway 159. No injuries were reported. [05/23/17: Tornado #3, County #1/1, EF-1, Wilcox, 2017:074].
The public reported that extensive flash flooding was ongoing, mainly in the western portion of the county. Several roads were washed out. A number of people were trapped in their homes by rising flood waters and others were trapped in their cars with water rising up to the hood level. Four to six inches of rain fell across the northwest part of the county, mainly northwest of Rochelle. Much of this information was confirmed by the county 911 Center.
The Wilcox County 911 Center reported, and which was later confirmed by the Wilcox County Emergency Management Director, that an F0 tornado had touched down north-northwest of Pitts and traveled east-northeast across for approximately 2.5 miles. The path width was 50 yards. The tornado crossed Georgia Highway 215, but traveled mostly through rural areas. One home near Georgia Highway 215 sustained major damage and the roof was lifted off an industrial building. Some peanut trailers were tossed into a pond. At least three vehicles were damaged as a result of downed trees.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
8,798
Population (ACS)
$88K
Median home value
18
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 |
| Aug 5, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wilcox County, Georgia?
112 events are on record between 1955 and 2023, causing 1 direct deaths and $3.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wilcox County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 68 recorded events — 60.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wilcox County?
13 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 10 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Wilcox County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wilcox County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wilcox County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wilcox County as very low risk, placing it in the 13 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wilcox 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
- Whitfield County 361
- Wilkes County 119
- White County 250
- Wilkinson County 153
- Wheeler County 89
- Worth County 425
Cite this page
“Wilcox County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/wilcox-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.