Clayton County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13063 · population 297,436 · 142 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 398 records for Clayton County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 310 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (138 records). The deadliest single record is the January 9, 2024 thunderstorm wind: 1 death. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1973, 13 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
- 398on 310 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 226 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.0Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 13strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 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 Clayton County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 138 since 1970. 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 | 138 | 116 | 1970-2025 | 2 | 4 | $12M | 3 of 159 |
| Hail | 80 | 63 | 1982-2025 | 0 | 0 | $23M | 1 of 159 |
| Drought | 36 | 35 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | 5 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 29 | 29 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | 16 of 159 |
| Floods | 21 | 14 | 1997-2020 | 0 | 0 | $4.8M | 12 of 159 |
| Lightning | 19 | 18 | 1997-2010 | 0 | 4 | $2.0M | 5 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 18 | 17 | 2002-2024 | 0 | 3 | $2.4M | 3 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | $221M | 3 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 13 | 1967-2021 | 0 | 13 | $1.7B | 3 of 159 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 11 | 10 | 2001-2022 | 0 | 1 | $1.1M | 16 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1998-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2001-2005 | 0 | 1 | $76K | 18 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 Clayton County had?
NOAA records 13 tornadoes in Clayton County from 1967 to 2021, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 13 injuries recorded in the county. That is 3rd of 159 Georgia counties and 61st of 3,080 U.S. 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 12 tornadoes whose track touched Clayton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 13: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 0 of them in Clayton County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-03-31 16:30, as SPC files it | Stonecrest to Monroe | F2 | 72.4 mi | 2 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Clayton County (13)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-03-01 | Riverdale, Clayton County | EF1 0.74 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $272K |
| 2020-10-10 | Morrow, Clayton County | EF0 0.56 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $46K |
| 2019-02-12 | Riverdale, Clayton County | EF0 2.98 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2008-05-11 | Morrow, Clayton County | EF2 2.77 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 2005-07-06 | Lovejoy, Clayton County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2001-01-19 | Forest Park, Clayton County | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 8 | $4.2M |
| 1981-11-19 | Clayton County | F1 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $2.5M step |
| 1980-04-13 | Clayton County | F1 3.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1978-05-08 | Clayton County | F2 4.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1974-02-02 | Clayton County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-03-31 | Clayton County | F2 27.4 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $250M step |
| 1967-08-19 | Clayton County | F2 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-03-06 | Clayton County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 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 Clayton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 25, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($15,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Public reported numerous trees down and fence damage along Lost Court in Hampton.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1277395)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtClayton County · forecast zone Clayton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | DroughtClayton County · forecast zone Clayton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormClayton County · forecast zone Clayton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormClayton County · forecast zone Clayton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-07 | DroughtClayton County · forecast zone Clayton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-07 | DroughtClayton County · forecast zone Clayton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-27 | HailForest Park, Clayton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-27 | HailAtlanta Hartsfield I, Clayton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindOrrs, Clayton County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindJonesboro, Clayton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-04-10 | Thunderstorm WindAtlanta Hartsfield I, Clayton County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-31 | Thunderstorm WindSherwood Forest, Clayton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-09 | Thunderstorm WindJonesboro Airport, Clayton County Tree fell onto a vehicle along hwy 54 near Jenni Lane. | 43 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $941 |
| 2021-03-01 | Thunderstorm WindRiverdale, Clayton County The local print media reported a large limb fell onto a truck outside of a home on Lakeview Drive. A man getting into the truck was struck and killed by the falling limb. | 45 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $16K |
| 2001-01-19 | TornadoForest Park, Clayton County A damage survey, conducted by National Weather Service personnel from the Peachtree City, Georgia office, determined that an F0 tornado briefly touched down at the Forest Square Shopping Center on Georgia Highway 54, Jonesboro Road, near the southwest corner of Fort Gillem. This is about 3 miles southeast of Atlanta's ... | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 8 | $4.2M |
| 1981-11-19 | TornadoClayton County | F1 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $2.5M step |
| 2017-09-11 | Tropical StormClayton County · forecast zone Clayton The Clayton County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the county. Twenty four homes had minor damage, 14 reported major damage and 2 homes were destroyed. Damage estimates to homes alone are estimated at $1.4 million. Three occupied vehicles were struck by falling trees in ... | 0 | 3 | $2.4M | |
| 1991-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindClayton County | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 1999-06-28 | LightningJonesboro, Clayton County Two workers were treated when lightning struck near the construction site for the new Clayton county jail and courthouse. They were not hit directly by the lightning, but were stunned.One was treated at the scene, while the other was taken to the hospital and released. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2013-06-28 | Thunderstorm WindRiverdale, Clayton County The Clayton County 911 Center reported at least 10 trees down county wide. One tree fell on a car, injuring a woman inside. Another tree fell on a house. | 55 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $101K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-05-11 | TornadoMorrow, Clayton County | EF2 2.77 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 2009-02-18 | HailJonesboro, Clayton County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $8.3M |
| 2000-07-23 | Thunderstorm WindRiverdale, Clayton County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.9M |
| 2001-01-19 | TornadoForest Park, Clayton County | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 8 | $4.2M |
| 2004-09-16 | Flash FloodNorth Portion, Clayton County | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 1996-01-24 | Thunderstorm WindJonesboro, Clayton County | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | |
| 2006-01-02 | HailRiverdale, Clayton County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.9M |
| 2013-03-18 | HailHastings, Clayton County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 31, 1973 (tornado, Clayton 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 Clayton 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 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 37 | 28 | 25 | 30 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 29 | 33 | 9 | 3 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 11 | 4 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 12 | 13 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 11 | 5 | 4 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 4 | 12 | 3 | 0 |
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 Clayton County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 35 · Feb 29 · Mar 34 · Apr 35 · May 31 · Jun 63 · Jul 54 · Aug 48 · Sep 29 · Oct 16 · Nov 8 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clayton County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Clayton County: 7 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and biological (2).
| 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 |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3218 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-18 | DR-1554 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 1998-03-11 | DR-1209 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1995-10-10 | DR-1071 | Hurricane | Hurricane Opal |
| 1994-07-07 | DR-1033 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(Trop Storm Alberto) |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3097 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3044 | Drought | Drought |
| 1973-04-04 | DR-370 | Tornado | Tornadoes & Flooding |
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 Clayton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 21 flood or flash flood records for Clayton County from 1997 to 2020, on 14 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Clayton County ranks 773rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irma | 2017-09-11 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004-09-16 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.3 million on 286 claims filed in Clayton County; the most in one year was 33 in 2005. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 2 · 1980: 3 · 1981: 2 · 1982: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1989: 4 · 1990: 5 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 3 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 21 · 1995: 19 · 1996: 5 · 1997: 4 · 1998: 6 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 6 · 2004: 30 · 2005: 33 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 2 · 2009: 17 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 3 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 12 · 2014: 3 · 2015: 17 · 2016: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 12 · 2021: 9 · 2022: 3 · 2024: 31 · 2025: 6 · 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 Clayton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clayton County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $59.9 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 High | $13M | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.1M | 64 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $6.4M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.9M | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $587K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $2.2M | 5.5 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $30M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | 2.6 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Clayton 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 Clayton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clayton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis