Bartow County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13015 · population 108,726 · 459 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 739 records for Bartow County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 427 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (252 records). The deadliest single record is the January 30, 2013 tornado: 1 death, 9 injuries and $76.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1974, 17 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 2026.
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
- 739on 427 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 351 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $140Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 26strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 2026
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 Bartow County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 252 since 1957. 44% 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 | 252 | 178 | 1957-2026 | 1 | 3 | $5.4M | 51 of 159 |
| Hail | 139 | 95 | 1971-2025 | 0 | 0 | $10M | 34 of 159 |
| Drought | 63 | 41 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | 92 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 63 | 45 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | 40 of 159 |
| Floods | 52 | 25 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 46 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 32 | 17 | 2002-2024 | 0 | 0 | $62K | 93 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 28 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 90 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 26 | 24 | 1954-2021 | 2 | 46 | $111M | 33 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 24 | 16 | 1998-2019 | 0 | 0 | $890K | 43 of 159 |
| Heat | 22 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 91 of 159 |
| Lightning | 22 | 21 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 2 | $2.6M | 17 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 9 | 7 | 1998-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 5 | 2001-2010 | 0 | 0 | $406K | 58 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 Bartow County had?
NOAA records 26 tornadoes in Bartow County from 1954 to 2021, the strongest rated EF3, with 2 deaths and 46 injuries recorded in the county. That is 33rd 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 30 tornadoes whose track touched Bartow County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 26: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 39 people, 2 of them in Bartow County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 17:28, as SPC files it | Trussville to SouthsideCrossed AL, GA | EF4 | 97.33 mi | 22 |
| 1994-03-27 13:01, as SPC files it | Jasper | F3 | 40 mi | 9 |
| 1994-03-27 11:14, as SPC files it | Cartersville | F4 | 49 mi | 3 |
| 2008-03-15 10:25, as SPC files it | Cartersville | EF3 | 16.93 mi | 2 |
| 2013-01-30 10:12, as SPC files it | Adairsville | EF3 | 21.78 mi | 1 |
| 1974-04-03 16:50, as SPC files it | Tallapoosa to EmersonCrossed AL, GA | F2 | 65.9 mi | 1 |
| 2020-04-12 23:06, as SPC files it | Cartersville | EF1 | 12.76 mi | 1 |
| 2011-12-22 16:03, as SPC files it | Plainville to Calhoun | EF3 | 11.42 mi | 0 |
| 2011-04-27 19:20, as SPC files it | Talking Rock | EF3 | 23.05 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Bartow County (26)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-29 | Folsom, Bartow County | EF0 1.93 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-25 | Cass, Bartow County | EF1 2.76 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $436K |
| 2021-03-25 | Taylorsville, Bartow County | EF1 1.68 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $109K |
| 2020-04-13 | Ladds, Bartow County | EF1 12.76 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 2 | $114K |
| 2020-02-06 | Folsom, Bartow County | EF0 0.33 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2013-01-30 | Adairsville, Bartow County | EF3 5.06 mi x 900 yd | 1 | 9 | $76M |
| 2011-12-22 | Adairsville, Bartow County | EF0 1.33 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $197K |
| 2011-04-27 | Cassville, Bartow County | EF3 15.18 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 25 | $20M |
| 2011-04-27 | Wooleys, Bartow County | EF1 3.12 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $328K |
| 2008-03-15 | Taylorsville, Bartow County | EF3 10.89 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.1M |
| 2002-11-11 | Halls, Bartow County | F2 12 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M |
| 1994-06-29 | Adairsville To 4n Of, Bartow County | F0 2.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1994-06-27 | Adairsville, Bartow County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $995K |
| 1993-02-21 | Cartersville, Bartow County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.0M |
| 1989-04-04 | Bartow County | F2 2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1984-05-07 | Bartow County | F1 12 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1984-05-03 | Bartow County | F1 3 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1983-12-03 | Bartow County | F1 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-04-26 | Bartow County | F2 5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 5 | $250K step |
| 1977-04-04 | Bartow County | F1 5.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-03-13 | Bartow County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Bartow County | F2 3.8 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1970-07-19 | Bartow County | F2 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1965-04-12 | Bartow County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1965-04-06 | Bartow County | F1 8 mi x 37 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-12-05 | Bartow County | F2 7.1 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Bartow County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 16, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindCassville, Bartow County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtBartow County · forecast zone Bartow | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | DroughtBartow County · forecast zone Bartow | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormBartow County · forecast zone Bartow | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-25 | Thunderstorm WindMc Ginnis, Bartow County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindFolsom, Bartow County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindCartersville, Bartow County | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindFolsom, Bartow County | 39 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $45K |
| 2025-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindCassville, Bartow County | 39 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindEuharlee, Bartow County | 39 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindHalls, Bartow County | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindCass, Bartow County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-30 | TornadoAdairsville, Bartow County A tornado touched down just southwest of Adairsville at approximately 1112 AM EST. The tornado strengthened to high-end EF-3 in Adairsville where dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed. At least 95 structures were damaged, with 31 destroyed, 17 sustaining major damage, and 47 with minor damage. Most of the damage ... | EF3 5.06 mi x 900 yd | 1 | 9 | $76M |
| 2020-04-13 | TornadoLadds, Bartow County A National Weather Service survey found that an EF1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 100 mph and a maximum path width of 250 yards touched down in Bartow County on the southwest side of Cartersville along West Avenue where a fence was blown down and roofing material was peeled off of a small business. The tornado ... | EF1 12.76 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 2 | $114K |
| 2003-07-17 | Thunderstorm WindCartersville, Bartow County The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a large tree limb fell on a man's car during an early morning thunderstorm. The man was killed instantly during the incident as the car was crushed under the weight of the tree limb. | 39 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $24K |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoCassville, Bartow County A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City and the Cherokee County Emergency Management Director confirmed that a second and stronger EF3 tornado touched down approximately five miles northeast of Kingston, then tracked across extreme northwest Cherokee and into Pickens ... | EF3 15.18 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 25 | $20M |
| 1982-04-26 | TornadoBartow County | F2 5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 5 | $250K step |
| 1994-06-27 | TornadoAdairsville, Bartow County A short lived tornado touched down along Old U.S. Highway 41 two miles south of Adairsville. The tornado destroyed three double-wide mobile homes and moderately damage three others. One double-wide trailer, occupied by a sleeping 5 year old female child, was tossed 125 feet which disintegrated on impact. The child was ... | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $995K |
| 1970-07-19 | TornadoBartow County | F2 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 2002-05-01 | Thunderstorm WindAdairsville, Bartow County The Cartersville Daily Tribune News and emergency management personnel reported that straight line thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 to 100 mph caused widespread damage to trees, power lines, and several structures across the northern part of the county from Adairsville, to Folsom, to Pine Log, to Rydal. Some of the ... | 87 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $1.6M |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-30 | TornadoAdairsville, Bartow County | EF3 5.06 mi x 900 yd | 1 | 9 | $76M |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoCassville, Bartow County | EF3 15.18 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 25 | $20M |
| 2000-06-01 | DroughtBartow County · forecast zone Bartow | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | |
| 2002-11-11 | TornadoHalls, Bartow County | F2 12 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M |
| 2009-04-10 | HailAdairsville, Bartow County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 2000-06-01 | DroughtBartow County and Paulding County · forecast zone Paulding | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2002-05-01 | Thunderstorm WindAdairsville, Bartow County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $1.6M |
| 2005-02-21 | HailAdairsville, Bartow County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
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: April 26, 1982 (tornado, Bartow County); April 4, 1977 (tornado, Bartow County); December 3, 1983 (tornado, Bartow 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 Bartow 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 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 30 | 42 | 47 | 106 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 37 | 63 | 19 | 15 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 36 | 16 | 5 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 26 | 26 | 4 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 20 | 4 | 26 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 26 | 3 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
44% 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 49 · Feb 83 · Mar 65 · Apr 83 · May 89 · Jun 88 · Jul 101 · Aug 54 · Sep 53 · Oct 21 · Nov 20 · Dec 33 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Bartow County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Bartow County: 11 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (5) and hurricane (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3642 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3616 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2020-03-29 | DR-4501 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3464 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-09-15 | DR-4338 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-08 | EM-3387 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2014-02-11 | EM-3368 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2011-04-29 | DR-1973 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding |
| 2009-09-24 | DR-1858 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-03-20 | DR-1750 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3218 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-01-28 | DR-1311 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1998-03-11 | DR-1209 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1995-10-10 | DR-1071 | Hurricane | Hurricane Opal |
| 1994-03-31 | DR-1020 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding, and Severe Storms |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3097 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1993-03-04 | DR-980 | Tornado | Tornadoes, High Winds & Heavy Rains |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3044 | Drought | Drought |
| 1974-04-05 | DR-425 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
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 Bartow County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 52 flood or flash flood records for Bartow County from 1997 to 2023, on 25 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Bartow County ranks 1660th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $907,000 on 50 claims filed in Bartow County; the most in one year was 10 in 2025. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1996: 2 · 2001: 2 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 8 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2025: 10 · 2026: 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 Bartow County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bartow County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $32.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $7.7M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $852K | 61 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.9M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $947K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.4M | once in about 335 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $18K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $720K | 5.7 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $16M | about once a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Bartow 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 Bartow CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Bartow County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis