Cobb County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13067 · population 764,915 · 340 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 760 records for Cobb County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 501 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (250 records). The deadliest single record is the June 30, 1995 tornado: 4 deaths and 250 injuries. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1966, 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
- 760on 501 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 9374 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $474Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 31strongest F4
- 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 Cobb County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 250 since 1957. 48% 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 | 250 | 207 | 1957-2025 | 2 | 8 | $13M | 13 of 159 |
| Hail | 222 | 151 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 0 | $38M | 2 of 159 |
| Floods | 53 | 36 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | $67M | 8 of 159 |
| Lightning | 49 | 45 | 1997-2017 | 3 | 23 | $7.7M | 4 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 43 | 42 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | 32 of 159 |
| Drought | 42 | 42 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $257K | 54 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 29 | 1953-2024 | 4 | 343 | $345M | 6 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 17 | 17 | 2002-2024 | 0 | 0 | $61K | 56 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 13 | 13 | 1998-2022 | 0 | 0 | $685K | 36 of 159 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 9 | 2001-2016 | 0 | 0 | $185K | 11 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 5 | 2002-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 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 Cobb County had?
NOAA records 31 tornadoes in Cobb County from 1953 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 4 deaths and 343 injuries recorded in the county. That is 6th of 159 Georgia counties and 88th 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 34 tornadoes whose track touched Cobb County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 31: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 4 of them in Cobb County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 16:50, as SPC files it | Tallapoosa to EmersonCrossed AL, GA | F2 | 65.9 mi | 1 |
| 1992-11-22 09:44, as SPC files it | Kennesaw to Woodstock | F4 | 20 mi | 0 |
| 1993-02-21 19:15, as SPC files it | Marietta | F3 | 8 mi | 0 |
| 1991-03-29 06:30, as SPC files it | Mableton | F3 | 5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Cobb County (31)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-29 | Blackwells, Cobb County | EF1 0.26 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $47K |
| 2023-01-12 | Austell, Cobb County | EF1 1.46 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-01-11 | Lost Mtn, Cobb County | EF0 1.79 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $57K |
| 2016-11-30 | Leland, Cobb County | EF1 0.46 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $61K |
| 2014-10-14 | Mt Bethel, Cobb County | EF1 0.83 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $75K |
| 2013-06-13 | Noonday, Cobb County | EF0 10.46 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $380K |
| 2012-03-02 | Mt Bethel, Cobb County | EF1 1.41 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $96K |
| 2008-02-26 | Sandy Plains, Cobb County | EF0 0.05 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2006-04-08 | Due West, Cobb County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $220K |
| 2006-04-08 | Noonday, Cobb County | F1 7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $8.8M |
| 1998-04-08 | Smyrna, Cobb County | F2 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $27M |
| 1995-06-30 | Smyrna, Cobb County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 4 | 250 | – |
| 1994-06-26 | Kennesaw To Kennesaw, Cobb County | F2 2 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 1 | $10.0M |
| 1993-02-21 | Lost Mountain To, Cobb County | F3 8 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 3 | $102M |
| 1992-11-22 | Cobb County | F4 13 mi x 867 yd | 0 | 34 | $25M step |
| 1991-04-27 | Cobb County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1991-03-29 | Cobb County | F3 5 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 25 | $25M step |
| 1990-02-10 | Cobb County | F2 1.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-04-04 | Cobb County | F2 3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-04-04 | Cobb County | F2 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-03-19 | Cobb County | F2 5.7 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 15 | $25M step |
| 1979-11-25 | Cobb County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-03-07 | Cobb County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-02-23 | Cobb County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Cobb County | F2 2.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 7 | – |
| 1972-08-07 | Cobb County | F0 3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1972-04-07 | Cobb County | F1 3.6 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1971-04-28 | Cobb County | F2 0.3 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1958-09-21 | Cobb County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1955-05-24 | Cobb County | F1 5.4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1953-12-04 | Cobb County | F2 1 mi x 100 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 Cobb County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 7, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtCobb County · forecast zone Cobb | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | DroughtCobb County · forecast zone Cobb | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormCobb County · forecast zone Cobb | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormCobb County · forecast zone Cobb | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-07 | DroughtCobb County · forecast zone Cobb | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-06 | HailMarietta McColum Arp, Cobb County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-26 | HailOakdale, Cobb County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-26 | HailLeland, Cobb County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindCarmichael Crossroads, Cobb County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindSandy Plains, Cobb County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindGilmore, Cobb County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindCarmichael Crossroads, Cobb County | 52 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-06-30 | TornadoSmyrna, Cobb County A preliminary survey confirmed a small F1 tornado touched down for less than 30 seconds. Path width 30 yards...Length 100 yards. A Dairy Queen sustained the worst damage, as the roof was completely destroyed. A pay phone on the southeast side of the building held the roof up, sparing the lives of the 30 people inside. ... | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 4 | 250 | – |
| 2010-07-13 | LightningLeland, Cobb County WXIA Television of Atlanta reported that two teenage girls were struck by lightning while standing under a tree adjacent to their home at the Windwood apartments, just south of Mableton. The 16-year old female died shortly after being transported from the scene to the hospital. Her 14-year old cousin died on July 21st ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindAcworth, Cobb County The Atlanta Journal-Contstituation and the Cobb County 911 Center reported that dozens of trees were down throughout the county. A 55-year old Marietta woman was killed instantly when a large tree fell on her vehicle while traveling along Powers Ferry Road. Many power outages were noted around the county for up to ... | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $39K |
| 2011-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindMableton, Cobb County WSB Television of Atlanta and the public reported that up to 50 trees and dozens of power lines were down across the county, especially the eastern portion. Damage was quite significant in the Smyrna area, where several roads were blocked form downed trees, including major roads such as South Cobb Drive and Cumberland ... | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $39K |
| 2002-07-30 | LightningMarietta, Cobb County Several newspapers, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Marietta Daily Journal, the Columbus Ledger Enquirer, and the Macon Telegraph, as well as the Cobb county Emergency Management Agency and local Atlanta TV stations, reported on a lightning strike and subsequent death to a 49-year old woman from ... | 1 | 0 | $5K | |
| 1992-11-22 | TornadoCobb County | F4 13 mi x 867 yd | 0 | 34 | $25M step |
| 1991-03-29 | TornadoCobb County | F3 5 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 25 | $25M step |
| 1986-03-19 | TornadoCobb County | F2 5.7 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 15 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-02-21 | TornadoLost Mountain To, Cobb County | F3 8 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 3 | $102M |
| 1998-04-08 | TornadoSmyrna, Cobb County | F2 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $27M |
| 2009-09-21 | FloodAcworth, Cobb County | 0 | 0 | $17M | |
| 2009-09-21 | FloodNoonday, Cobb County | 0 | 0 | $16M | |
| 2005-07-11 | Flash FloodCountywide, Cobb County | 0 | 0 | $9.1M | |
| 2006-04-08 | TornadoNoonday, Cobb County | F1 7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $8.8M |
| 2009-09-21 | FloodAcworth, Cobb County | 0 | 0 | $7.8M | |
| 2004-09-16 | FloodCobb County · forecast zone Cobb | 0 | 0 | $7.8M |
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: November 22, 1992 (tornado, Cobb County); March 29, 1991 (tornado, Cobb County); March 19, 1986 (tornado, Cobb 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 Cobb 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 | 0 | 10 | 27 | 49 | 51 | 66 | 46 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 78 | 73 | 39 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 29 | 13 | 5 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 11 | 26 | 12 | 0 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 19 | 18 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 15 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
48% 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 47 · Feb 54 · Mar 41 · Apr 100 · May 78 · Jun 120 · Jul 126 · Aug 68 · Sep 60 · Oct 16 · Nov 25 · Dec 25 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cobb County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Cobb County: 11 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and severe storm (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 |
| 2009-09-24 | DR-1858 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3218 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-18 | DR-1554 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 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 |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3097 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1993-03-04 | DR-980 | Tornado | Tornadoes, High Winds & Heavy Rains |
| 1992-12-01 | DR-969 | Tornado | High Winds, Heavy Rains & Tornadoes |
| 1990-02-23 | DR-857 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornaodes & Flooding |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3044 | Drought | Drought |
| 1966-03-14 | DR-214 | Flood | 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 Cobb County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 53 flood or flash flood records for Cobb County from 1996 to 2021, on 36 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cobb County ranks 189th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004-09-16 | 4 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $66.9 million on 2,031 claims filed in Cobb County; the most in one year was 723 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 6 · 1979: 59 · 1980: 6 · 1981: 16 · 1982: 172 · 1983: 21 · 1984: 11 · 1985: 3 · 1986: 5 · 1987: 10 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 27 · 1990: 64 · 1991: 18 · 1992: 25 · 1993: 4 · 1994: 13 · 1995: 39 · 1996: 9 · 1997: 4 · 1998: 25 · 1999: 14 · 2000: 8 · 2001: 17 · 2002: 7 · 2003: 26 · 2004: 90 · 2005: 147 · 2006: 7 · 2007: 4 · 2008: 9 · 2009: 723 · 2010: 16 · 2011: 12 · 2012: 14 · 2013: 33 · 2014: 9 · 2015: 22 · 2016: 8 · 2017: 11 · 2018: 14 · 2019: 10 · 2020: 37 · 2021: 126 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 43 · 2024: 62 · 2025: 8 · 2026: 12.
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 Cobb County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cobb County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $210 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Very High | $3.4M | 62 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $36M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively High | $6.1M | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $20M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $125M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.8M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $10M | once in about 431 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.7M | 2.2 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 Cobb 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 Cobb CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cobb County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis