Early County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13099 · population 10,781 · 513 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 319 records for Early County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 222 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (136 records). The deadliest single record is the January 13, 2005 tornado: 2 deaths, 5 injuries and $378,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1977, 13 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Helene” on September 26, 2024.
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
- 319on 222 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 220 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $798Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 39strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 2024
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 Early County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 136 since 1974. 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 | 136 | 104 | 1974-2026 | 0 | 5 | $1.7M | 135 of 159 |
| Drought | 73 | 50 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 80 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 39 | 30 | 1954-2026 | 2 | 14 | $14M | 22 of 159 |
| Hail | 24 | 17 | 1984-2023 | 0 | 0 | $91K | 153 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 18 | 12 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $768M | 127 of 159 |
| Floods | 13 | 10 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 1 | $4.3M | 127 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 5 | 5 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | $62K | 138 of 159 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 132 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2017-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9.5M | 129 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 1997-2013 | 0 | 0 | $21K | 118 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 141 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 Early County had?
NOAA records 39 tornadoes in Early County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated EF2, with 2 deaths and 14 injuries recorded in the county. That is 22nd 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 38 tornadoes whose track touched Early County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 39: 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.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-01-13 16:58, as SPC files it | Arlington | F1 | 3 mi | 2 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Early County (39)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-12 | Blakely, Early County | EF1 6.41 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2025-04-07 | Hilton, Early County | EF0 7.41 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2024-01-09 | Rowena, Early County | EF2 4.55 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $307K |
| 2023-06-14 | Blakely, Early County | EF2 18.88 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | $242K |
| 2022-04-05 | Centerville, Early County | EF1 4.94 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-04-05 | Centerville, Early County | EF1 7.14 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2021-06-19 | Kolomoki Mounds State Park, Early County | EF1 5.15 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2021-04-24 | Sawhatchee, Early County | EF0 4.41 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-04-24 | Rock Hill, Early County | EF1 7.02 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $82K |
| 2021-03-18 | Blakely-Early Airport, Early County | EF0 3.14 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-02-15 | Damascus, Early County | EF2 1.81 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 5 | $545K |
| 2019-12-17 | Rock Hill, Early County | EF0 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-01-02 | Rowena, Early County | EF2 4.43 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $120K |
| 2017-01-02 | Centerville, Early County | EF2 10.87 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $602K |
| 2017-01-02 | Sawhatchee, Early County | EF2 4.34 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $602K |
| 2016-02-24 | Kolomoki Mounds State Park, Early County | EF1 2.24 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-19 | Cedar Springs, Early County | EF1 15.06 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 2012-03-23 | Kolomoki Mounds State Park, Early County | EF0 3.55 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2007-12-15 | Blakely, Early County | EF0 3.83 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $43K |
| 2005-01-13 | Crossroads, Early County | F1 2.7 mi x 100 yd | 2 | 5 | $378K |
| 2004-09-15 | Blakely, Early County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2004-09-15 | Damascus, Early County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2004-09-15 | Centerville, Early County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2003-06-30 | Blakely, Early County | F1 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $201K |
| 2002-12-24 | Blakely, Early County | F1 15 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.2M |
| 1997-10-26 | Rowena, Early County | F1 1 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $184K |
| 1982-04-05 | Early County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1974-01-20 | Early County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-12-29 | Early County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1972-11-13 | Early County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1967-05-07 | Early County | F1 13.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1962-01-05 | Early County | F1 1 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-11-23 | Early County | F2 0.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-11-23 | Early County | F0 0.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1961-11-23 | Early County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1957-11-08 | Early County | F1 15.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1956-01-30 | Early County | F0 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1954-12-05 | Early County | F2 2.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-12-05 | Early County | F2 6.4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 2 | $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 Early County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 1, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindBlakely, Early County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindSawhatchee, Early County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindKolomoki Mounds State Park, Early County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtEarly County · forecast zone Early | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtEarly County · forecast zone Early | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoBlakely, Early County | EF1 6.41 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindBlakely, Early County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtEarly County · forecast zone Early | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtEarly County · forecast zone Early | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillEarly County · forecast zone Early | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Thunderstorm WindRowena, Early County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-25 | Thunderstorm WindBlakely, Early County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-01-13 | TornadoCrossroads, Early County A tornado touched down just north of County Road 114 and destroyed several small structures near a goat farm before it crossed Wood Valley Road. The tornado continued on a northerly track over open fields and wooded areas before damaging a brick house. Its roof was peeled off and thrown 75 yards. Three vehicles in the ... | F1 2.7 mi x 100 yd | 2 | 5 | $378K |
| 2021-02-15 | TornadoDamascus, Early County A tornado touched down just west of Highway 45 south of Damascus in Early County, Georgia. Along Highway 45 the tornado snapped a few trees and damaged the roofs of a couple of houses. The tornado crossed the highway moving northeast and reached peak intensity as it hit homes along Killebrew Rd. Two homes and a ... | EF2 1.81 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 5 | $545K |
| 2008-07-12 | Thunderstorm WindJakin, Early County A severe thunderstorm uprooted several pecan trees just east of Jakin. A nearby storage building and barn were damaged. Several trees fell across King-Santi Road. A large tree fell over a pasture fence where several of the cows escaped and wandered onto U.S. Highway 84. Three vehicles traveling in the eastbound lane ... | 55 kt wind | 0 | 5 | $69K |
| 2002-12-24 | TornadoBlakely, Early County The tornado crossed the state line from Henry County Alabama into Early County Georgia. Its damage path extended from the Chattahoochee River northeast through Colomokee on U.S. Highway 27. The tornado destroyed one mobile home and damaged thirty others. Two persons were injured when their mobile home collapsed on ... | F1 15 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.2M |
| 1954-12-05 | TornadoEarly County | F2 6.4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1998-03-08 | FloodEarly County · forecast zone Early An intense Gulf storm produced 5 to 12 inches of rain across much of southwest Georgia on March 7-9 which caused widespread flooding. Baker, Ben Hill, Cook, Colquitt, Dougherty, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Terrell, Decatur, Early, Brooks, Colquitt, Clay, Seminole, Calhoun, Thomas, and Worth counties were declared federal ... | 0 | 1 | $3.6M |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-10-10 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Early County · forecast zone Early | 0 | 0 | $764M | |
| 1998-03-08 | FloodEarly County · forecast zone Early | 0 | 1 | $3.6M | |
| 2004-09-15 | Tropical StormEarly County · forecast zone Early | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2002-12-24 | TornadoBlakely, Early County | F1 15 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.2M |
| 2008-08-22 | Tropical StormBaker County and 2 more · forecast zone Miller | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 1994-06-15 | Thunderstorm WindBlakely, Early County | 0 | 0 | $995K | |
| 2002-09-14 | Tropical StormBaker County and 2 more · forecast zone Miller | 0 | 0 | $820K | |
| 2017-01-02 | TornadoSawhatchee, Early County | EF2 4.34 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $602K |
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 5, 1982 (tornado, Early 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 Early 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 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 19 | 45 | 45 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | 61 | 10 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 11 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 11 | 2 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
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 Early County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 39 · Feb 21 · Mar 31 · Apr 41 · May 19 · Jun 38 · Jul 33 · Aug 21 · Sep 24 · Oct 11 · Nov 23 · Dec 18 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Early County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Early County: 9 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (6) and severe storm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2018-10-14 | DR-4400 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2018-10-10 | EM-3406 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2017-09-15 | DR-4338 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-08 | EM-3387 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-01-25 | DR-4294 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2009-04-23 | DR-1833 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 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 |
| 1994-07-07 | DR-1033 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(Trop Storm Alberto) |
| 1990-02-23 | DR-857 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornaodes & Flooding |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3044 | Drought | Drought |
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 Early County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 13 flood or flash flood records for Early County from 1998 to 2025, on 10 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Early County ranks 1766th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Michael | 2018-10-10 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004-09-15 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $902,000 on 40 claims filed in Early County; the most in one year was 10 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1985: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1994: 8 · 1998: 4 · 2001: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2009: 4 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 10 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2024: 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 Early County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Early County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $3.2M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $480K | 44 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $556K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $323K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $116K | 73 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $29K | once in about 1,607 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $75K | once in about 831 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Early 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 Early CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Early County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis