Fulton County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13121 · population 1,065,539 · 527 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,180 records for Fulton County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 672 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (464 records). The deadliest single record is the March 24, 1975 tornado: 3 deaths and 152 injuries. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1975, 19 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
- 1,180on 672 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 25303 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.7Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 38strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Fulton County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 464 since 1956. 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 | 464 | 331 | 1956-2026 | 10 | 30 | $25M | 12 of 159 |
| Hail | 239 | 164 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 0 | $50M | 10 of 159 |
| Floods | 122 | 76 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | $143M | 3 of 159 |
| Drought | 76 | 42 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | 104 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 66 | 40 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | 49 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 38 | 31 | 1954-2024 | 6 | 247 | $1.5B | 21 of 159 |
| Lightning | 37 | 33 | 1997-2014 | 2 | 9 | $7.2M | 13 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 36 | 24 | 1998-2020 | 4 | 17 | $3.7M | 28 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 33 | 17 | 2002-2024 | 1 | 0 | $602K | 104 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 15 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 94 of 159 |
| Heat | 22 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 1 | 0 | – | 99 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 8 | 2001-2012 | 1 | 0 | $734K | 36 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 8 | 6 | 1998-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 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 Fulton County had?
NOAA records 38 tornadoes in Fulton County from 1954 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 6 deaths and 247 injuries recorded in the county. That is 21st 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 40 tornadoes whose track touched Fulton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 38: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 6 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-03-24 05:28, as SPC files it | Atlanta | F3 | 14.8 mi | 3 |
| 1972-01-10 10:25, as SPC files it | Atlanta | F3 | 6.3 mi | 1 |
| 2008-03-14 19:38, as SPC files it | Atlanta | EF2 | 6.25 mi | 1 |
| 1954-12-05 17:30, as SPC files it | Hapeville | F2 | 0.5 mi | 1 |
| 1973-05-27 23:30, as SPC files it | East Point | F3 | 0.5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Fulton County (38)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-09 | Fairburn Sky Port, Fulton County | EF0 1.56 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-03 | Campbellton, Fulton County | EF1 5.73 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $272K |
| 2020-04-13 | Red Oak, Fulton County | EF0 2.75 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $57K |
| 2019-04-19 | Warsaw, Fulton County | EF0 0.57 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $46K |
| 2018-10-10 | Ft Mc Pherson, Fulton County | EF0 1.14 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2018-03-19 | Campbellton, Fulton County | EF2 0.53 mi x 315 yd | 0 | 0 | $881K |
| 2017-05-04 | Atlanta International Ar, Fulton County | EF0 0.11 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2017-04-03 | Rico, Fulton County | EF1 4.07 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $120K |
| 2016-11-30 | Ocee, Fulton County | EF0 1.07 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2016-11-30 | Bolton, Fulton County | EF1 1.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2015-11-18 | Fairburn Sky Port, Fulton County | EF1 2.64 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $187K |
| 2014-10-14 | Crabapple, Fulton County | EF1 6.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2014-10-14 | Roswell, Fulton County | EF0 0.42 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2014-10-14 | Bolton, Fulton County | EF0 1.07 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2014-10-14 | East Pt, Fulton County | EF0 2.63 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2014-10-14 | Ben Hill, Fulton County | EF0 2.99 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2013-06-13 | Roswell, Fulton County | EF1 2.36 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 2008-03-14 | Atlanta, Fulton County | EF2 4.92 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 30 | $34M |
| 2006-04-08 | Mountain Park, Fulton County | F1 11 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.2M |
| 2006-01-02 | Palmetto, Fulton County | F2 4 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $366K |
| 1998-04-08 | Sandy Spgs, Fulton County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $18M |
| 1996-09-16 | Atlanta, Fulton County | F1 0.1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $941K |
| 1990-05-28 | Fulton County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1990-02-10 | Fulton County | F1 2.5 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-11-15 | Fulton County | F2 4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 7 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-11-15 | Fulton County | F2 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1985-04-05 | Fulton County | F1 1 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-05-03 | Fulton County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-12-03 | Fulton County | F2 0.5 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1976-05-14 | Fulton County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-03-24 | Fulton County | F3 14.8 mi x 500 yd | 3 | 152 | $250M step |
| 1975-03-13 | Fulton County | F1 4.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1975-03-13 | Fulton County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-05-27 | Fulton County | F3 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1972-01-10 | Fulton County | F3 3 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 9 | $250K step |
| 1966-05-18 | Fulton County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1965-05-20 | Fulton County | F0 0.2 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 3 | $3K step |
| 1954-12-05 | Fulton County | F2 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 1 | 40 | $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 Fulton 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 WindBen Hill, Fulton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindRoswell, Fulton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtFulton County · forecast zone South Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtFulton County · forecast zone North Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | DroughtFulton County · forecast zone North Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | DroughtFulton County · forecast zone South Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormFulton County · forecast zone South Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormFulton County · forecast zone North Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormFulton County · forecast zone South Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormFulton County · forecast zone North Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-25 | Thunderstorm WindNewtown, Fulton County | 39 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-10-07 | DroughtFulton County · forecast zone South Fulton | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-03-24 | TornadoFulton County | F3 14.8 mi x 500 yd | 3 | 152 | $250M step |
| 2003-07-10 | Thunderstorm WindAtlanta, Fulton County The Fulton county Emergency Management Director, as well as the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, reported that a large, 100-year old oak tree fell on a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) stopped in traffic in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood of midtown Atlanta. Three of the four people in the vehicle were killed instantly ... | 53 kt wind | 3 | 0 | $56K |
| 2011-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindAtlanta, Fulton County The Fulton County Emergency Management Director and the public reported that at least a dozen trees were down across the north part of the county in the Buckhead and Sandy Springs areas. A number of roads were blocked from downed trees, especially across the northern part of the county. Two females in their 60s were ... | 53 kt wind | 2 | 0 | $131K |
| 1954-12-05 | TornadoFulton County | F2 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 1 | 40 | $25K step |
| 2008-03-14 | TornadoAtlanta, Fulton County A ground and aerial survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia in cooperation with the Atlanta Police Department, confirmed that an EF2 tornado tracked through the heart of the city of Atlanta causing millions of dollars of damage to buildings, including several high ... | EF2 4.92 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 30 | $34M |
| 1972-01-10 | TornadoFulton County | F3 3 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 9 | $250K step |
| 1984-05-03 | Thunderstorm WindFulton County | 1 | 5 | – | |
| 2020-09-16 | Strong WindFulton County · forecast zone North Fulton A 30-year old male was killed when a portion of a large oak tree, estimated to be a century old, split off and fell onto a home on Linda Way in southwest Atlanta. One person in the home was rescued alive by fire-fighters and another was able to escape on their own from the home. | 30 kt wind | 1 | 2 | $228K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-09-21 | FloodRico, Fulton County | 0 | 0 | $66M | |
| 2008-03-14 | TornadoAtlanta, Fulton County | EF2 4.92 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 30 | $34M |
| 2004-09-16 | Flash FloodCountywide, Fulton County | 0 | 0 | $31M | |
| 2009-09-21 | FloodRico, Fulton County | 0 | 0 | $30M | |
| 1998-04-08 | TornadoSandy Spgs, Fulton County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $18M |
| 2000-07-23 | Thunderstorm WindCollege Park, Fulton County | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2008-03-15 | HailAdamsville, Fulton County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $6.9M |
| 2009-09-21 | Flash FloodSandy Spgs, Fulton County | 0 | 0 | $6.2M |
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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 24, 1975 (tornado, Fulton County, 3 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 Fulton 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 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 56 | 78 | 75 | 84 | 135 |
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 68 | 78 | 39 | 28 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 55 | 22 | 38 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 36 | 26 | 8 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 26 | 29 | 6 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 3 |
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 Fulton County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 88 · Feb 73 · Mar 88 · Apr 133 · May 117 · Jun 163 · Jul 164 · Aug 138 · Sep 88 · Oct 49 · Nov 38 · Dec 41 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fulton County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Fulton County: 13 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (6) and severe storm (5).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2014-03-06 | DR-4165 | 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 |
| 2008-03-20 | DR-1750 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 1994-07-07 | DR-1033 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(Trop Storm Alberto) |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3097 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1990-02-23 | DR-857 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornaodes & Flooding |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3044 | Drought | Drought |
| 1975-03-29 | DR-460 | Tornado | Tornadoes, High Winds & Heavy Rains |
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 Fulton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 122 flood or flash flood records for Fulton County from 1997 to 2023, on 76 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fulton County ranks 137th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irma | 2017-09-11 | 2 | 1 |
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004-09-16 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $95.8 million on 3,100 claims filed in Fulton County; the most in one year was 672 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 9 · 1979: 179 · 1980: 33 · 1981: 7 · 1982: 69 · 1983: 29 · 1984: 23 · 1985: 8 · 1986: 2 · 1987: 19 · 1988: 4 · 1989: 38 · 1990: 146 · 1991: 36 · 1992: 78 · 1993: 9 · 1994: 23 · 1995: 37 · 1996: 27 · 1997: 47 · 1998: 77 · 1999: 11 · 2000: 8 · 2001: 16 · 2002: 42 · 2003: 41 · 2004: 342 · 2005: 122 · 2006: 7 · 2007: 5 · 2008: 8 · 2009: 672 · 2010: 71 · 2011: 18 · 2012: 26 · 2013: 59 · 2014: 30 · 2015: 82 · 2016: 15 · 2017: 63 · 2018: 57 · 2019: 24 · 2020: 112 · 2021: 30 · 2022: 8 · 2023: 22 · 2024: 279 · 2025: 17 · 2026: 13.
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 Fulton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fulton County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $235 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 | $3.9M | 64 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $164M | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $22M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively High | $4.1M | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $3.1M | 2.8 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.2M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $8.2M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $22M | once in about 460 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Fulton 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 Fulton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Fulton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis