Bacon County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13005 · population 11,116 · 284 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 190 records for Bacon County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 144 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (101 records). The most damaging was the December 2, 2009 tornado ($4.1 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1977, 17 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Helene” on September 30, 2024.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 190on 144 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 019 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $7.3Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 18strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 2024
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Bacon County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 101 since 1957. 45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Georgia's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 101 | 85 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 2 | $176K | 79 of 159 |
| Hail | 28 | 19 | 1996-2013 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 117 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 16 | 1957-2024 | 0 | 14 | $6.9M | 26 of 159 |
| Drought | 9 | 9 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 141 of 159 |
| Floods | 8 | 8 | 1998-2015 | 0 | 0 | $248K | 97 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 8 | 8 | 2004-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 114 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 5 | 2003-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 6 | 6 | 2010-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 99 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2003-2015 | 0 | 2 | – | 81 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 141 of 159 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | $38K | 134 of 159 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2014-2014 | 0 | 1 | – | 31 of 159 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Bacon County had?
NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Bacon County from 1957 to 2024, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 14 injuries recorded in the county. That is 26th of 159 Georgia counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 19 tornadoes whose track touched Bacon County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Bacon County (18)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-09 | Sessoms Station, Bacon County | EF1 2.91 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-22 | Rockingham, Bacon County | EF1 7.55 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-01-04 | Rockingham, Bacon County | EF1 4.81 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 2009-12-02 | Sessoms Station, Bacon County | EF1 0.66 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.1M |
| 2005-12-28 | Alma Bacon Co Airport, Bacon County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $302K |
| 2003-03-20 | Alma, Bacon County | F0 0.1 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-12-24 | Alma, Bacon County | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2002-12-24 | Alma, Bacon County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2002-11-12 | Alma, Bacon County | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $164K |
| 2000-03-30 | Alma, Bacon County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $43K |
| 1997-10-26 | Alma, Bacon County | F2 6 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 1 | $368K |
| 1983-02-22 | Bacon County | F1 4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1983-02-22 | Bacon County | F1 2 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-01-15 | Bacon County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-04-18 | Bacon County | F2 59.1 mi x 233 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1962-01-06 | Bacon County | F2 5.4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-04-12 | Bacon County | F2 15.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1957-11-29 | Bacon County | F2 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 6 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Bacon County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 20, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindBacon Co Airport A, Bacon County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-19 | Heavy RainBacon Co Airport A, Bacon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-19 | Heavy RainBacon Co Airport A, Bacon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-18 | Heavy RainBacon Co Airport A, Bacon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBacon County · forecast zone Bacon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBacon County · forecast zone Bacon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtBacon County · forecast zone Bacon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtBacon County · forecast zone Bacon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtBacon County · forecast zone Bacon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | DroughtBacon County · forecast zone Bacon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtBacon County · forecast zone Bacon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-11 | DroughtBacon County · forecast zone Bacon | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-11-29 | TornadoBacon County | F2 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 6 | $25K step |
| 1983-02-22 | TornadoBacon County | F1 4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 2015-01-04 | Funnel CloudRockingham, Bacon County A funnel cloud was reported in Alma. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2015-01-04 | TornadoRockingham, Bacon County The tornado touched down near Radio Station Road. High end EF1 damage occurred along the path east of Johnson Lake Road along Georgia State Road 32. In this path the tornado severely damaged two mobile homes including a double wide trailer in which the walls were separated, the frame bent and flipped on its side. ... | EF1 4.81 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1991-06-04 | Thunderstorm WindBacon County | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1961-04-12 | TornadoBacon County | F2 15.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 2014-07-29 | WildfireBacon County · forecast zone Bacon About 200 firefighters were battling a 600 acre wildfire located just north of Alma along Bennett Still Highway. Crews reported that the fire was 80 percent contained. Twelve homes were threatened. One forest service crew member was taken to the hospital due to heat related illness. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1997-10-26 | TornadoAlma, Bacon County Ten homes destroyed, four with major damage, and 17 sustained minor damage. A four mile line of standing pine timber was completely destroyed. | F2 6 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 1 | $368K |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-12-02 | TornadoSessoms Station, Bacon County | EF1 0.66 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.1M |
| 1997-10-26 | TornadoAlma, Bacon County | F2 6 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 1 | $368K |
| 2005-12-28 | TornadoAlma Bacon Co Airport, Bacon County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $302K |
| 2002-11-12 | TornadoAlma, Bacon County | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $164K |
| 2002-12-24 | TornadoAlma, Bacon County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2000-03-30 | TornadoAlma, Bacon County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $43K |
| 2002-12-24 | TornadoAlma, Bacon County | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindBacon Co Airport A, Bacon County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: February 22, 1983 (tornado, Bacon County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Bacon County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 28 | 34 | 8 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 13 · Feb 13 · Mar 23 · Apr 12 · May 24 · Jun 32 · Jul 26 · Aug 17 · Sep 5 · Oct 7 · Nov 7 · Dec 11 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Bacon County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Bacon County: 10 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (9) and tropical storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-30 | DR-4830 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3616 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-09-24 | DR-4821 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024-08-05 | EM-3607 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2023-09-07 | DR-4738 | Hurricane | Hurricane Idalia |
| 2020-03-29 | DR-4501 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3464 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-10-14 | DR-4400 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2018-10-10 | EM-3406 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2017-09-15 | DR-4338 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-08 | EM-3387 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2016-10-06 | EM-3379 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2009-04-23 | DR-1833 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3218 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-24 | DR-1560 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Frances |
| 1998-03-11 | DR-1209 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3097 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1991-03-15 | DR-897 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3044 | Drought | Drought |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Bacon County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 8 flood or flash flood records for Bacon County from 1998 to 2015, on 8 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Bacon County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $0 on 1 claim filed in Bacon County; the most in one year was 1 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2024: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Bacon County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bacon County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.5 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $2.6M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $281K | 22 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $570K | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $88K | 70 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $51K | once in about 998 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $207K | once in about 661 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $121K | 4.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $1.4M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Bacon County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in GeorgiaEvery Georgia tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in GeorgiaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Georgia recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Bacon CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Bacon County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis