Dawson County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13085 · population 26,760 · 211 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 373 records for Dawson County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 316 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (114 records). The deadliest single record is the April 3, 1974 tornado: 5 deaths and 13 injuries. 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
- 373on 316 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 721 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $28Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 4strongest 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 Dawson County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 114 since 1974. 41% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1974 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 | 114 | 100 | 1974-2026 | 0 | 1 | $2.7M | 30 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 69 | 68 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 3 | $2.2M | 2 of 159 |
| Hail | 48 | 41 | 1982-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 38 of 159 |
| Drought | 42 | 42 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | 14 of 159 |
| Floods | 20 | 15 | 1997-2020 | 0 | 0 | $735K | 31 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 19 | 19 | 1998-2019 | 1 | 1 | $922K | 8 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 18 | 17 | 2002-2024 | 0 | 0 | $724K | 20 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 159 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 159 |
| Lightning | 9 | 8 | 2001-2014 | 1 | 0 | $1.6M | 24 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 4 | 1954-2002 | 5 | 16 | $16M | 140 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2002-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 70 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 Dawson County had?
NOAA records 4 tornadoes in Dawson County from 1954 to 2002, the strongest rated F4, with 5 deaths and 16 injuries recorded in the county. 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Dawson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 4: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 9 people, 5 of them in Dawson County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 18:30, as SPC files it | Nelson | F4 | 17.7 mi | 6 |
| 1994-03-27 12:17, as SPC files it | Dahlonega | F3 | 44 mi | 3 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Dawson County (4)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-11-11 | Juno, Dawson County | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $328K |
| 1974-04-03 | Dawson County | F4 6.8 mi x 200 yd | 5 | 13 | $2.5M step |
| 1958-04-22 | Dawson County | F1 0.3 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1954-04-08 | Dawson County | F1 4.7 mi x 200 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 Dawson 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 WindMc Kee, Dawson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindAfton, Dawson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtDawson County · forecast zone Dawson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | DroughtDawson County · forecast zone Dawson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Winter StormDawson County · forecast zone Dawson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormDawson County · forecast zone Dawson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindLumpkin, Dawson County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindHubbardsville, Dawson County | 77 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindHubbardsville, Dawson County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2025-04-10 | HailJuno, Dawson County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-10 | HailHubbardsville, Dawson County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-10 | HailLumpkin, Dawson County | 1.00 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoDawson County | F4 6.8 mi x 200 yd | 5 | 13 | $2.5M step |
| 2018-03-12 | Strong WindDawson County · forecast zone Dawson The Dawson County Emergency Manager reported that strong winds blew down a large tree near the intersection of Highway 136 and Bethel Church Road. The tree struck a vehicle killing the driver, a 47 year old volunteer firefighter. | 40 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $24K |
| 2014-07-11 | LightningDawsonville, Dawson County The Lumpkin County Emergency Manager reported that a woman was struck by lightning while trimming hedges at a location off Crawford Falls Road off GA Highway 9. The woman was transported to the hospital and died as a result of her injuries on July 15, 2014. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-01-07 | Winter WeatherDawson County · forecast zone Dawson The Dawson Community News reported that 1/2 to 1.0 inch of snow across the county resulted in 32 accidents, including three injuries. | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2002-11-11 | TornadoJuno, Dawson County The Dawson county Emergency Management Director reported that the tornado that originated in Cherokee county and traveled across Pickens county, entered Dawson county in the Big Canoe area and continued to just east-northeast of the Big Canoe area before dissipating. Two double-wide mobile homes were completely ... | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $328K |
| 2010-07-26 | Thunderstorm WindBright, Dawson County The Dawson County Emergency Management Director reported that two trees were blown down along Old Savannah Place off Thompson Road. One of the trees fell on a trailer causing significant damage to the trailer and injuring a woman inside. | 39 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $34K |
| 2009-04-13 | High WindDawson County · forecast zone Dawson The Dawson County Emergency Management Director reported that many trees were down in the Big Canoe area of northern Dawson county. Seven homes were damaged during the wind storm, including one on Bearden Road that suffered significant damage. A female was initially trapped in the home, but was able to escape on her ... | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $344K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-01-19 | Thunderstorm WindDawsonville, Dawson County | 0 | 0 | $968K | |
| 2005-02-21 | LightningDawsonville, Dawson County | 0 | 0 | $907K | |
| 2017-09-11 | Tropical StormDawson County · forecast zone Dawson | 0 | 0 | $722K | |
| 2009-04-13 | High WindDawson County · forecast zone Dawson | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $344K |
| 2002-11-11 | TornadoJuno, Dawson County | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $328K |
| 1997-07-28 | Thunderstorm WindJuno, Dawson County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $257K |
| 2010-07-26 | Thunderstorm WindBright, Dawson County | 39 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $34K |
| 2018-03-12 | Strong WindDawson County · forecast zone Dawson | 40 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $24K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 3, 1974 (tornado, Dawson County, 5 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 Dawson 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 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 25 | 30 | 30 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 25 | 28 | 5 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 21 | 10 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 17 | 16 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 14 | 4 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
41% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1974 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 44 · Feb 36 · Mar 25 · Apr 40 · May 41 · Jun 33 · Jul 49 · Aug 25 · Sep 28 · Oct 16 · Nov 13 · Dec 23 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Dawson County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Dawson County: 11 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (7) and severe storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3642 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-30 | DR-4830 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3616 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2021-01-12 | DR-4579 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Zeta |
| 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 |
| 2015-04-20 | DR-4215 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 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 Dawson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 20 flood or flash flood records for Dawson County from 1997 to 2020, on 15 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Dawson County ranks 2685th 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 $4,141 on 3 claims filed in Dawson County; the most in one year was 2 in 2004. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2003: 1 · 2004: 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 Dawson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dawson County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.3 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 | Relatively Moderate | $553K | 60 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $5K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.6M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.1M | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $583K | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $75K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $75K | 38 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $171K | 5.2 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 Dawson 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 Dawson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Dawson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis