Echols County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13101 · population 3,694 · 420 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 118 records for Echols County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 98 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (76 records). The most damaging was the May 1, 2026 wildfire ($4.0 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1977, 17 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Pineland Road Fire” on April 21, 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
- 118on 98 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $8.2Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest F1
- 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 Echols County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 76 since 1985. 43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1985 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 | 76 | 68 | 1985-2026 | 0 | 0 | $123K | 146 of 159 |
| Hail | 12 | 10 | 1960-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 155 of 159 |
| Drought | 7 | 7 | 2025-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 145 of 159 |
| Floods | 5 | 4 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | $45K | 151 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 5 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 1993-2022 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 153 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 4 | 2004-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 148 of 159 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 2026-2026 | 0 | 0 | $7.0M | 21 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 1 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 159 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 Echols County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Echols County from 1993 to 2022, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 0 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 5 tornadoes whose track touched Echols County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Echols County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-23 | Statenville, Echols County | EF0 0.51 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-11-06 | Needmore, Echols County | F0 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 1999-11-01 | Tarver, Echols County | F0 5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1997-10-26 | Tarver, Echols County | F0 5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1993-03-31 | Statenville, Echols County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
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 Echols County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 1, 2026 wildfire ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | WildfireEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | WildfireEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-20 | WildfireEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindStatenville, Echols County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-03 | DroughtEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-11 | DroughtEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-04 | Heavy RainStatenville, Echols County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | WildfireEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | |
| 1993-03-31 | TornadoStatenville, Echols County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2002-11-06 | TornadoNeedmore, Echols County | F0 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindStatenville, Echols County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2026-06-01 | WildfireEchols County · forecast zone Echols | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 1999-11-01 | TornadoTarver, Echols County | F0 5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1997-10-26 | TornadoTarver, Echols County | F0 5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2025-03-31 | Thunderstorm WindStatenville, Echols County | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $100 |
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 Echols 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 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 23 | 30 | 9 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1985 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 4 · Feb 8 · Mar 12 · Apr 13 · May 14 · Jun 33 · Jul 7 · Aug 6 · Sep 10 · Oct 4 · Nov 3 · Dec 4 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Echols County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Echols County: 10 major disasters, 8 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (9) and tropical storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-21 | FM-5629 | Fire | Pineland Road Fire |
| 2024-09-30 | DR-4830 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3616 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-09-24 | DR-4821 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024-08-05 | EM-3607 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2023-09-07 | DR-4738 | Hurricane | Hurricane Idalia |
| 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 |
| 2017-01-26 | DR-4297 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2016-10-06 | EM-3379 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2009-04-23 | DR-1833 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3218 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-24 | DR-1560 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Frances |
| 1998-03-11 | DR-1209 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and 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 Echols County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 5 flood or flash flood records for Echols County from 1998 to 2023, on 4 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Echols County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $51,000 on 1 claim filed in Echols County; the most in one year was 1 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2024: 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 Echols County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Echols County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $1.1 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 Low | $380K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $19K | once in about 793 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $31K | 23 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $42K | 4.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $19K | once in about 902 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $133K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $54K | 78 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $59K | 1.2 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 Echols 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 Echols CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Echols County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis