Heard County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13149 · population 11,409 · 296 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 291 records for Heard County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 227 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (95 records). The deadliest single record is the March 5, 1989 tornado: 1 death. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1977, 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
- 291on 227 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 17 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $47Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 12strongest EF2
- 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 Heard County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 95 since 1982. 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 | 95 | 76 | 1982-2025 | 0 | 2 | $866K | 107 of 159 |
| Hail | 60 | 47 | 1970-2023 | 0 | 0 | $186K | 47 of 159 |
| Drought | 33 | 33 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4.4M | 67 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 17 | 17 | 1996-2018 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 57 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 16 | 16 | 2002-2020 | 0 | 0 | $60K | 46 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 159 |
| Floods | 13 | 10 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 76 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 11 | 1973-2023 | 1 | 5 | $37M | 71 of 159 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 6 | 2002-2005 | 0 | 0 | $167K | 65 of 159 |
| Lightning | 6 | 6 | 2000-2014 | 0 | 0 | $373K | 47 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 2001-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 1998-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 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 Heard County had?
NOAA records 12 tornadoes in Heard County from 1973 to 2023, the strongest rated EF2, with 1 death and 5 injuries recorded in the county. That is 71st 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 12 tornadoes whose track touched Heard County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 12, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 1 of them in Heard County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-08-29 14:24, as SPC files it | Centralhatchee to Roopville | F2 | 5.5 mi | 1 |
| 1989-03-05 19:40, as SPC files it | FranklinCrossed AL, GA | F2 | 45.5 mi | 1 |
| 2021-03-25 21:37, as SPC files it | Newnan to Peachtree | EF4 | 38.56 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Heard County (12)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-04 | Roosterville, Heard County | EF1 2.45 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-25 | Texas, Heard County | EF2 13.23 mi x 850 yd | 0 | 0 | $545K |
| 2018-02-07 | O Neals Xrds, Heard County | EF1 5.29 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2014-04-28 | Cooksville, Heard County | EF0 0.43 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2013-08-18 | Ephesus, Heard County | EF1 0.4 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2011-04-27 | Cooksville, Heard County | EF1 4.41 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.0M |
| 2005-08-29 | Glenloch, Heard County | F2 1.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 3 | $1.1M |
| 2003-05-07 | Franklin, Heard County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2003-05-07 | Centralhatchee, Heard County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $128K |
| 1993-02-21 | Ephesus To, Heard County | F1 7 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 1 | $10M |
| 1989-03-05 | Heard County | F2 20 mi x 167 yd | 1 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1973-05-27 | Heard County | F2 0.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M 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 Heard County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 16, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-01 | DroughtHeard County · forecast zone Heard | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindFranklin, Heard County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindBarkers Crossroads, Heard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindFrolona, Heard County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindBarkers Crossroads, Heard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2025-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindRockridge, Heard County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-03-05 | Thunderstorm WindRoosterville, Heard County | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-03-05 | Thunderstorm WindRockridge, Heard County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-02-16 | Thunderstorm WindRidley, Heard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-02-16 | Thunderstorm WindRockridge, Heard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-02-16 | Thunderstorm WindRoosterville, Heard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-02-16 | Thunderstorm WindRoosterville, Heard County | 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-03-05 | TornadoHeard County | F2 20 mi x 167 yd | 1 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 2005-08-29 | TornadoGlenloch, Heard County A National Weather Survey Team concluded that an F2 tornado touched down approximately 1/4 mile south of Glenloch in far northern Heard county, then continued north at 30-35 mph into Carroll county about three miles southeast of Roopville, finally terminating three miles northeast of Roopville. This was the first ... | F2 1.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 3 | $1.1M |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoCooksville, Heard County A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the EF0 tornado, which first touched down in north central Troup county, continued across far southeast Heard county before moving into southwest Coweta county. The tornado strengthened to an EF1 rating ... | EF1 4.41 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.0M |
| 2007-04-04 | Thunderstorm WindCentralhatchee, Heard County The Heard County Fire Chief reported that 15 to 20 trees were snapped off at the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and West Ferry Road just north of Centralhatchee. A recreational vehicle at the Overnight RV Park was blown over causing injury to a woman inside the vehicle. She sustained cuts and scrapes when the vehicle ... | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $71K |
| 1993-02-21 | TornadoEphesus To, Heard County The tornado touched down near Georgia Highway 100 near Ephesus and moved east- southeast and destroyed five chicken houses and killed 100,000 chickens. A dozen homes, both mobile and frame houses, were destroyed while 12 to 15 others sustained moderate to light damage. One church suffered major structural damage. ... | F1 7 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 1 | $10M |
| 1985-10-15 | Thunderstorm WindHeard County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-02-21 | TornadoEphesus To, Heard County | F1 7 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 1 | $10M |
| 2000-06-01 | DroughtHeard County · forecast zone Heard | 0 | 0 | $4.4M | |
| 2003-05-07 | Flash FloodCountywide, Heard County | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoCooksville, Heard County | EF1 4.41 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.0M |
| 2021-03-25 | TornadoTexas, Heard County | EF2 13.23 mi x 850 yd | 0 | 0 | $545K |
| 2011-04-15 | LightningFranklin, Heard County | 0 | 0 | $262K | |
| 2003-05-07 | TornadoCentralhatchee, Heard County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $128K |
| 2007-04-04 | Thunderstorm WindCentralhatchee, Heard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $71K |
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: March 5, 1989 (tornado, Heard County, 1 killed); May 27, 1973 (tornado, Heard 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 Heard 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 | 8 | 14 | 26 | 23 | 24 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 25 | 9 | 3 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 11 | 1 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 13 | 2 | 1 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
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 Heard County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 26 · Feb 25 · Mar 33 · Apr 25 · May 34 · Jun 41 · Jul 27 · Aug 24 · Sep 19 · Oct 13 · Nov 11 · Dec 13 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Heard County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Heard County: 12 major disasters, 7 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 |
| 2024-09-26 | 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 |
| 2014-03-06 | DR-4165 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2014-02-11 | EM-3368 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2011-04-29 | DR-1973 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding |
| 2009-09-24 | DR-1858 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1995-10-10 | DR-1071 | Hurricane | Hurricane Opal |
| 1993-03-04 | DR-980 | Tornado | Tornadoes, High Winds & Heavy Rains |
| 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 Heard County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 13 flood or flash flood records for Heard County from 1997 to 2024, on 10 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Heard County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3,101 on 3 claims filed in Heard County; the most in one year was 2 in 1985. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1985: 2 · 1998: 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 Heard County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Heard County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Low | $118K | 50 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $829K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $45K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $70K | 62 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $226K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $116K | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $84K | once in about 16 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $33K | once in about 582 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Heard 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 Heard CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Heard County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis