Chattahoochee County, Georgia

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13053 · population 9,529 · 249 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 194 records for Chattahoochee County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 174 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (66 records). The deadliest single record is the March 13, 1954 tornado: 2 deaths and 20 injuries. FEMA has issued 11 declarations naming the county since 1977, 9 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
194on 174 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
250 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$277Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
13strongest F3
FEMA declarations
11latest 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 Chattahoochee County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 66 since 1961. 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.

Chattahoochee County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 66 58 1961-2020 0 2 $168K 123 of 159
Drought 27 27 2000-2026 0 0 $322K 69 of 159
Hail 21 21 1977-2011 0 0 $158K 98 of 159
Hurricanes and tropical storms 16 16 2002-2020 0 0 $90K 33 of 159
Extreme cold 15 15 1996-2007 0 0 – 26 of 159
Tornadoes 13 12 1954-2022 2 29 $276M 42 of 159
Heat 11 11 1996-2012 0 0 – 30 of 159
Winter storms 9 9 2002-2026 0 0 – 75 of 159
Floods 6 6 2003-2017 0 0 $88K 111 of 159
High wind and dust storms 4 4 2004-2009 0 0 $10K 73 of 159
Heavy rain 2 2 2001-2002 0 0 – 78 of 159
Lightning 2 2 2005-2007 0 19 $7K 100 of 159
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 2 2 2002-2002 0 0 – 67 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 Chattahoochee County had?

NOAA records 13 tornadoes in Chattahoochee County from 1954 to 2022, the strongest rated F3, with 2 deaths and 29 injuries recorded in the county. That is 42nd 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 13 tornadoes whose track touched Chattahoochee County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 13, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Chattahoochee County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1954-03-13 20:40, as SPC files itCusseta-Chattahoochee CountyCrossed AL, GAF37 mi2

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.

Every tornado record filed for Chattahoochee County (13)
Every tornado recorded in Chattahoochee County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2022-04-05 Heineburg Village, Chattahoochee County EF1 6.72 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
2017-05-01 Shack, Chattahoochee County EF0 0.46 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $14K
2015-04-19 Kasihta, Chattahoochee County EF1 3.29 mi x 350 yd 0 0 $12K
2014-11-23 Cusseta, Chattahoochee County EF1 18.14 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $31K
2011-04-16 Ochillee, Chattahoochee County EF1 0.26 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $328K
2009-04-10 Ida Vesper, Chattahoochee County EF1 3.69 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $206K
2009-04-10 Central Springs, Chattahoochee County EF1 3.66 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $138K
2008-02-17 Jamestown, Chattahoochee County EF0 12.85 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $48K
2006-11-15 Ft Benning, Chattahoochee County F1 1.4 mi x 150 yd 0 9 $732K
1966-08-12 Chattahoochee County F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd 0 0 –
1961-03-08 Chattahoochee County F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $3K step
1960-03-30 Chattahoochee County F1 0.6 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $3K step
1954-03-13 Chattahoochee County F3 5.1 mi x 600 yd 2 20 $25M 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 Chattahoochee County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 1, 2017 tornado ($14,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

A weak, short-lived tornado touched down on a remote section of the Ft. Benning Army Reservation. Due to the sensitive nature of the location, a National Weather Service survey team could not access the site, however official from Ft. Benning flew over the site and provided the NWS office with positions for the start and end points as well as photos and descriptions of the damage. From this, the NWS determined that an EF0 tornado, with maximum wind speeds of 80 MPH and a maximum path width of 50 yards, travelled just under a half of a mile snapping and uprooting trees. [05/01/17: Tornado #1 County #1/1, EF-0, Chattahoochee, 2017:068].
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 701336)
The 12 most recent records kept for Chattahoochee County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-03-01 DroughtChattahoochee County · forecast zone Chattahoochee 0 0 –
2026-02-01 DroughtChattahoochee County · forecast zone Chattahoochee 0 0 –
2026-01-18 Winter StormChattahoochee County · forecast zone Chattahoochee 0 0 –
2026-01-01 DroughtChattahoochee County · forecast zone Chattahoochee 0 0 –
2025-10-14 DroughtChattahoochee County · forecast zone Chattahoochee 0 0 –
2025-01-21 Winter StormChattahoochee County 0 0 –
2025-01-10 Winter StormChattahoochee County 0 0 –
2022-04-05 TornadoHeineburg Village, Chattahoochee County EF1 6.72 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
2017-05-01 TornadoShack, Chattahoochee County EF0 0.46 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $14K
2015-04-19 TornadoKasihta, Chattahoochee County EF1 3.29 mi x 350 yd 0 0 $12K
2014-11-23 TornadoCusseta, Chattahoochee County EF1 18.14 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $31K
2011-04-16 TornadoOchillee, Chattahoochee County EF1 0.26 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $328K

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

Records with deaths or injuries in Chattahoochee County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1954-03-13 TornadoChattahoochee County F3 5.1 mi x 600 yd 2 20 $25M step
2005-08-16 LightningFt Benning, Chattahoochee County The Columbus Ledger-Inquirer reported that 19 soldiers were injured at the Fort Benning military reservation while outside doing training maneuvers. This information was confirmed with the Fort Benning military police. 0 19 –
2006-11-15 TornadoFt Benning, Chattahoochee County A survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, GA concluded that an F1 tornado had touched down at the intersection of Sightseeing Road and Lavoy Road in the northern portion of Fort Benning and traveled north-northeast toward the Upatoi Creek and the Muscogee county line. The ... F1 1.4 mi x 150 yd 0 9 $732K
1989-03-05 Thunderstorm WindChattahoochee County 0 2 –

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.

The costliest records in Chattahoochee County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2006-11-15 TornadoFt Benning, Chattahoochee County F1 1.4 mi x 150 yd 0 9 $732K
2011-04-16 TornadoOchillee, Chattahoochee County EF1 0.26 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $328K
2000-06-01 DroughtChattahoochee County · forecast zone Chattahoochee 0 0 $322K
2009-04-10 TornadoIda Vesper, Chattahoochee County EF1 3.69 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $206K
2008-02-17 TornadoJamestown, Chattahoochee County EF0 12.85 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $48K
2017-05-01 TornadoShack, Chattahoochee County EF0 0.46 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $14K
2015-04-19 TornadoKasihta, Chattahoochee County EF1 3.29 mi x 350 yd 0 0 $12K

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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 13, 1954 (tornado, Chattahoochee County, 2 killed).

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 Chattahoochee 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).

Chattahoochee County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind04092214143
Drought––––01764
Hail001241130
Hurricanes and tropical storms––––01231
Extreme cold––––31200
Tornadoes13000441

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

Records by month in Chattahoochee County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 21 · Feb 14 · Mar 25 · Apr 27 · May 17 · Jun 19 · Jul 23 · Aug 8 · Sep 12 · Oct 12 · Nov 8 · Dec 8 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Chattahoochee County

FEMA's register lists 11 declarations that include Chattahoochee County: 4 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and biological (2).

Declarations including Chattahoochee County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-01-24EM-3642Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2024-09-26EM-3616Tropical StormHurricane Helene
2020-03-29DR-4501BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3464BiologicalCovid-19
2018-10-14DR-4400HurricaneHurricane Michael
2018-10-10EM-3406HurricaneHurricane Michael
2017-09-15DR-4338HurricaneHurricane Irma
2017-09-08EM-3387HurricaneHurricane Irma
2016-02-26DR-4259Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2005-09-05EM-3218HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
1977-07-20EM-3044DroughtDrought

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 Chattahoochee County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 6 flood or flash flood records for Chattahoochee County from 2003 to 2017, on 6 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Chattahoochee County ranks 2756th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2,420 on 2 claims filed in Chattahoochee County; the most in one year was 2 in 1979. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1979: 2; 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 Chattahoochee County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Chattahoochee County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $2.6 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Chattahoochee County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
LightningRelatively Moderate$936K67 a year (modeled)
HurricaneVery Low$118Konce in about 12 years (modeled)
LandslideVery Low$803once in about 4 years (modeled)
WildfireVery Low$25Konce in about 1,424 years (modeled)
Heat WaveVery Low$139K6.4 modeled event-days a year
EarthquakeVery Low$62Konce in about 716 years (modeled)
DroughtVery Low$9K54 modeled event-days a year
TornadoVery Low$319Konce in about 6 years (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Chattahoochee County

  1. Muscogee County 485
  2. Russell County, AL 372
  3. Talbot County 234
  4. Marion County 204
  5. Chattahoochee County 194
  6. Stewart County 190

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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