Hall County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13139 · population 202,853 · 392 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 617 records for Hall County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 442 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (240 records). The deadliest single record is the March 20, 1998 tornado: 10 deaths, 96 injuries and $27.2 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1966, 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
- 617on 442 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 12152 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $105Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 28strongest F3
- 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 Hall County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 240 since 1958. 45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 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 | 240 | 180 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 6 | $11M | 33 of 159 |
| Hail | 141 | 112 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 14 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 54 | 51 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 30 of 159 |
| Drought | 43 | 43 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 68 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 21 | 1954-2025 | 10 | 145 | $73M | 32 of 159 |
| Floods | 27 | 19 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 51 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 20 | 18 | 2002-2024 | 0 | 0 | $244K | 67 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 16 | 1998-2022 | 0 | 1 | $2.0M | 32 of 159 |
| Lightning | 15 | 13 | 1998-2020 | 2 | 0 | $1.9M | 30 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 74 of 159 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 70 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 2001-2012 | 0 | 0 | $69K | 65 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 1998-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 49 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 Hall County had?
NOAA records 28 tornadoes in Hall County from 1954 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 10 deaths and 145 injuries recorded in the county. That is 32nd 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 32 tornadoes whose track touched Hall County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 28: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 12 people, 10 of them in Hall County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-03-20 05:25, as SPC files it | Clermont | F3 | 4 mi | 12 |
| 1973-12-13 11:20, as SPC files it | Gainesville | F3 | 9.5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Hall County (28)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-02 | Gnesville Cotton Mil, Hall County | EF1 2.75 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-30 | Flowery Branch, Hall County | EF0 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-04-13 | Roberts Xrds, Hall County | EF0 0.61 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2019-04-19 | Brookton, Hall County | EF1 2.36 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $87K |
| 2013-04-11 | Murrayville, Hall County | EF1 0.88 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2008-08-26 | White Sulphur, Hall County | EF1 0.77 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $137K |
| 2008-08-26 | Blackshear Place, Hall County | EF1 4.82 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2008-08-26 | Gnesville Cotton Mil, Hall County | EF1 1.14 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $754K |
| 2005-08-29 | Lula, Hall County | F0 8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $378K |
| 2000-07-23 | Murrayville, Hall County | F1 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $600K |
| 2000-07-23 | Lula, Hall County | F1 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $214K |
| 1998-03-20 | Murrayville, Hall County | F3 9 mi x 100 yd | 10 | 96 | $27M |
| 1996-11-07 | Murrayville, Hall County | F1 0.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $564K |
| 1994-06-27 | Gainesville, Hall County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $995 |
| 1994-06-27 | Gainesville, Hall County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1994-06-26 | Murrayville; 4w Clerm, Hall County | F1 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 7 | $10.0M |
| 1994-06-26 | Lula, Hall County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1993-02-21 | Oakwood To, Hall County | F1 4 mi x 330 yd | 0 | 1 | $10M |
| 1989-05-05 | Hall County | F1 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 11 | $250K step |
| 1989-04-04 | Hall County | F2 3.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-04-04 | Hall County | F2 9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-04-04 | Hall County | F2 7.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-06-16 | Hall County | F1 0.1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1980-04-27 | Hall County | F1 4.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1979-03-23 | Hall County | F1 1.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-08 | Hall County | F1 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 8 | $250K step |
| 1973-12-13 | Hall County | F3 9.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 21 | $2.5M step |
| 1954-03-31 | Hall County | F1 0.1 mi x 400 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 Hall County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 17, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtHall County · forecast zone Hall | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtHall County · forecast zone Hall | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormHall County · forecast zone Hall | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormHall County · forecast zone Hall | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-06 | DroughtHall County · forecast zone Hall | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindBrookton, Hall County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindMurrayville, Hall County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindNew Holland, Hall County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindGainesville, Hall County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindClermont, Hall County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindNew Holland, Hall County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindGnesville Cotton Mil, Hall County | 50 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-03-20 | TornadoMurrayville, Hall County The tornado began in northwest Hall county and moved into southern White county. Total distance covered was about 13 miles. Aerial and ground surveys by NWS employees showed extensive damage along the path. There was significant damage to Lanier Elementary School and North Hall High School. Houses, trailers, ... | F3 9 mi x 100 yd | 10 | 96 | $27M |
| 2005-07-28 | LightningGainesville, Hall County The Gainesville Times reported that a 14-year old girl and her 17-month old cousin died when lightning struck a tree under which they were standing at Old Federal Park on Lake Lanier. The two died within an hour of the incident at a nearby hospital in Gainesville. The 14-year old was holding the little girl in her ... | 2 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 1973-12-13 | TornadoHall County | F3 9.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 21 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-05-05 | TornadoHall County | F1 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 11 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-08 | TornadoHall County | F1 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 8 | $250K step |
| 1994-06-26 | TornadoMurrayville; 4w Clerm, Hall County Emergency management officials reported a tornado that caused seven injuries and considerable property damage. The tornado lifted and touched down several times along Georgia Highway 283 before receding. The tornado destroyed seven houses, one church, seven mobile homes, one auction barn and uprooted numerous trees ... | F1 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 7 | $10.0M |
| 1994-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindClermont, Hall County Straight line thunderstorm winds leveled a mobile home which injured three people, caused minor damage to five other homes and downed several large pine trees two miles northeast of Clermont near Georgia Highway 52. | 0 | 3 | $995K | |
| 2017-03-21 | Thunderstorm WindWestside, Hall County The broadcast media reported that a tree was blown down onto a trailer on Highland Terrace trapping a man inside. The man was taken to an area hospital with unspecified injuries. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $24K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-03-20 | TornadoMurrayville, Hall County | F3 9 mi x 100 yd | 10 | 96 | $27M |
| 1994-06-26 | TornadoMurrayville; 4w Clerm, Hall County | F1 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 7 | $10.0M |
| 2016-04-06 | Thunderstorm WindFlowery Branch, Hall County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3.7M |
| 2011-03-26 | HailFlowery Branch, Hall County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2017-03-21 | HailBellton, Hall County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.2M |
| 2021-04-24 | HailMurrayville, Hall County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 2000-06-01 | DroughtHall County · forecast zone Hall | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2007-04-04 | Thunderstorm WindFlowery Branch, Hall County | 91 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $1.4M |
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: December 13, 1973 (tornado, Hall 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 Hall 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 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 30 | 33 | 47 | 37 | 74 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 45 | 56 | 14 | 7 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 21 | 20 | 8 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 16 | 6 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 10 | 5 | 10 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 42 · Feb 37 · Mar 38 · Apr 74 · May 74 · Jun 101 · Jul 90 · Aug 57 · Sep 30 · Oct 25 · Nov 15 · Dec 34 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hall County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Hall County: 11 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3642 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3218 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 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 |
| 1993-03-04 | DR-980 | Tornado | Tornadoes, High Winds & Heavy Rains |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3044 | Drought | Drought |
| 1976-06-11 | DR-507 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-04-05 | DR-425 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 1966-03-14 | DR-214 | Flood | Flooding |
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 Hall County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 27 flood or flash flood records for Hall County from 1997 to 2023, on 19 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hall County ranks 1694th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $733,000 on 46 claims filed in Hall County; the most in one year was 13 in 2013. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1982: 1 · 1986: 1 · 1997: 3 · 1998: 4 · 2001: 2 · 2005: 1 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 2 · 2012: 2 · 2013: 13 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2020: 7 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 3; 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 Hall County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hall County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $56.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | $11M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.5M | 59 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $540K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $6.3M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $30M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.8M | once in about 431 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Hall 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 Hall CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hall County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis