74
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$884K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Wilkes County, Georgia: 74 recorded events between 1966 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 65. That places the county #2,524 nationally and #141 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Wilkes County, Georgia: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Wilkes County is the 2010s, when 23 of the county's 74 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Wilkes County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 62.2% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,524 for this hazard and #141 within Georgia, putting it in the 20.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Wilkes County with 14 recorded events, while Sep is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 2025 | BRICKHOUSE | 39 | $1K |
| Jan 9, 2024 | WASHINGTON | 52 | $0 |
| Jan 9, 2024 | WASH WILKES CO ARPT | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 20, 2023 | WASH WILKES CO ARPT | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 3, 2020 | WASH WILKES CO ARPT | 50 | $10K |
| Jul 21, 2020 | BESSIE | 50 | $3K |
| Jun 27, 2020 | WASHINGTON | 45 | $500 |
| May 28, 2020 | PRATHER | 50 | $5K |
| Jan 12, 2020 | WASHINGTON | 45 | $1K |
| Aug 23, 2019 | NEW TOWN | 50 | $8K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Wilkes County Emergency Manager reported that trees were blown down across the county, including on Independence, South Butler, Lincolnton Highway, Lexington Highway, Susan Road, Beaverdam Road, Newtown Road, and Alexander Drive. A few trees were down on houses.
The Wilkes county Emergency Management Director reported that a vacant home north of Washington was destroyed and another home west of Washington suffered significant damage. A third home in Washington suffered minor damage. Numerous trees and power lines were also down in the area. Georgia Highway 17, Tignall Road, was completely blocked north of Washington. In addition, up to 3500 residents were without power for several hours.
The Wilkes county Emergency Management Director reported that a number of large trees were blown down or uprooted, many of which fell on power lines. Other trees were blocking roads. Power outages were widespread in the area. One large uprooted tree fell on a house and caused significant damage to the structure. The Emergency Management Director reported that the damage appeared to be a fairly consistent path from Washington to Metasville and on into Lincoln county. However, the damage was not indicative of a tornadic circulation.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Wilkes County, Georgia?
74 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Wilkes County between 1966 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Wilkes County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Wilkes County measured 65.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Wilkes County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Wilkes County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/wilkes-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.