Fannin County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13111 · population 25,270 · 387 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 397 records for Fannin County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 326 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (103 records). 206 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The most damaging was the October 16, 2016 wildfire ($10.5 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1974, 16 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
- 397on 326 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 09 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $62Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 9strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 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 Fannin County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 103 since 1975. 43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1975 fell in July and August. 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 | 103 | 77 | 1975-2025 | 0 | 0 | $713K | 137 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 80 | 77 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $1.8M | 17 of 159 |
| Drought | 42 | 42 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 70 of 159 |
| Hail | 42 | 34 | 1985-2023 | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | 93 of 159 |
| Wildfires | 25 | 25 | 2008-2016 | 0 | 0 | $21M | 2 of 159 |
| Floods | 23 | 17 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 62 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 16 | 16 | 2002-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 79 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 15 | 1998-2017 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 34 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 71 of 159 |
| Lightning | 13 | 13 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 5 | $479K | 28 of 159 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 68 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 8 | 1961-2020 | 0 | 3 | $31M | 134 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2001-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 82 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 132 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 Fannin County had?
NOAA records 9 tornadoes in Fannin County from 1961 to 2020, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 3 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 10 tornadoes whose track touched Fannin County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 9: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people, 0 of them in Fannin County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 19:20, as SPC files it | MurphyCrossed GA, NC | F4 | 24 mi | 4 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Fannin County (9)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-01-11 | Swan, Fannin County | EF0 3.05 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | $285K |
| 2017-05-24 | Murphy Junction, Fannin County | EF0 0.13 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2013-01-30 | Higdon, Fannin County | EF1 8.64 mi x 900 yd | 0 | 1 | $203K |
| 2005-08-29 | Loving, Fannin County | F0 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $378K |
| 1999-05-06 | Blue Ridge, Fannin County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $89K |
| 1985-04-05 | Fannin County | F1 0.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Fannin County | F4 5.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1974-04-03 | Fannin County | F2 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1961-03-08 | Fannin 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 Fannin County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 4, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtFannin County · forecast zone Fannin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtFannin County · forecast zone Fannin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Winter StormFannin County · forecast zone Fannin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormFannin County · forecast zone Fannin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtFannin County · forecast zone Fannin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindCraytonia, Fannin County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindMaxwell, Fannin County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2025-03-15 | LightningSparks Mill, Fannin County | 0 | 0 | $200K | |
| 2025-01-21 | Winter StormFannin County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-01-11 | TornadoSwan, Fannin County | EF0 3.05 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | $285K |
| 2017-05-24 | TornadoMurphy Junction, Fannin County | EF0 0.13 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2016-11-01 | WildfireFannin County · forecast zone Fannin | 0 | 0 | $10M |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-07-14 | LightningBlue Ridge, Fannin County The News Observer - Blue Ridge reported that three teenagers, who were tubing down a river in the Toccoa Valley Campground area, were injured when lightning struck the water nearby. All three were treated and released from the hospital. In addition, a minor fire was reported in a home struck by lightning in a separate ... | 0 | 3 | $2K | |
| 2003-08-15 | LightningBlue Ridge, Fannin County The News Observer of Blue Ridge reported that lightning struck two people at the Sugar Creek Raceway during its first night of the racing season. A 45-year old track announcer was injured when lightning struck the track's sound system and came through the microphone. Some papers on the desk were also ignited during ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoFannin County | F2 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 2013-01-30 | TornadoHigdon, Fannin County The tornado that touched down in Gilmer County continued into Fannin County, moving northeast through the Sugar Creek area before lifting in the Hothouse Valley area. The tornado with maximum wind speeds of 90 MPH snapped or uprooted hundreds of trees. Up to 100 power poles were either snapped or damaged. Thirty ... | EF1 8.64 mi x 900 yd | 0 | 1 | $203K |
| 2008-12-01 | Winter WeatherFannin County · forecast zone Fannin WSB TV of Atlanta reported that a police chief was killed during the afternoon in an automobile accident on Georgia Highway 515 in Blue Ridge. Up to one inch of snow and sleet was observed on the road at the time. CocoRahs observers and the public reported that up to 1.6 inch of snow had fallen across extreme ... | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-10-16 | WildfireFannin County · forecast zone Fannin | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2016-11-01 | WildfireFannin County · forecast zone Fannin | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2011-05-26 | HailBlue Ridge, Fannin County | 4.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
| 2000-06-01 | DroughtFannin County · forecast zone Fannin | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2005-08-13 | Flash FloodMc Caysville, Fannin County | 0 | 0 | $453K | |
| 2004-03-20 | HailBlue Ridge, Fannin County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $391K |
| 2013-04-17 | Flash FloodMorganton, Fannin County | 0 | 0 | $317K | |
| 2015-12-24 | Flash FloodNewport, Fannin County | 0 | 0 | $291K |
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, Fannin County); April 3, 1974 (tornado, Fannin 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 Fannin 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 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 18 | 30 | 37 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 28 | 31 | 11 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 17 | 15 | 7 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 11 | 1 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 23 | 0 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 9 | 3 | 8 |
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 1975 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 45 · Feb 41 · Mar 35 · Apr 36 · May 46 · Jun 30 · Jul 42 · Aug 40 · Sep 22 · Oct 13 · Nov 22 · Dec 25 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fannin County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Fannin County: 11 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (6) 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 |
| 2021-05-05 | DR-4600 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2016-02-26 | DR-4259 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2014-03-06 | DR-4165 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2000-01-28 | DR-1311 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1995-10-10 | DR-1071 | Hurricane | Hurricane Opal |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3097 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1990-02-23 | DR-857 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornaodes & Flooding |
| 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 Fannin County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 23 flood or flash flood records for Fannin County from 1996 to 2023, on 17 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fannin County ranks 1346th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $850,000 on 92 claims filed in Fannin County; the most in one year was 28 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1990: 3 · 1994: 5 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 3 · 1997: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 9 · 2009: 3 · 2013: 4 · 2015: 28 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 8 · 2021: 12 · 2025: 5 · 2026: 5; 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 Fannin County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fannin County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $120K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $270K | 61 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $458K | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $222K | once in about 459 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $709K | once in about 290 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.5M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.5M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Fannin 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 Fannin CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Fannin County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis