Lee County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13177 · population 32,818 · 356 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 311 records for Lee County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 239 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (156 records). The deadliest single record is the October 30, 1993 tornado: 3 deaths, 27 injuries and $102 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1966, 12 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Helene” on September 26, 2024.
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
- 311on 239 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 334 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $256Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 14latest 2024
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 Lee County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 156 since 1970. 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 | 156 | 122 | 1970-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 58 of 159 |
| Drought | 41 | 41 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 61 of 159 |
| Hail | 36 | 31 | 1984-2026 | 0 | 0 | $10K | 94 of 159 |
| Floods | 35 | 18 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $940K | 48 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 15 | 1952-2022 | 3 | 34 | $105M | 58 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 9 | 9 | 2004-2024 | 0 | 0 | $139M | 122 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 7 | 7 | 2005-2026 | 0 | 0 | $95K | 101 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2017-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9.5M | 119 of 159 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 129 of 159 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2014-2015 | 0 | 0 | $75K | 116 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2005-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 95 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 137 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 136 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 Lee County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Lee County from 1952 to 2022, the strongest rated F2, with 3 deaths and 34 injuries recorded in the county. That is 58th 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 16 tornadoes whose track touched Lee County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15: 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, 3 of them in Lee County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-10-30 02:30, as SPC files it | Leesburg | F2 | 5 mi | 3 |
| 1963-01-20 16:00, as SPC files it | Fort Gaines to Dawson | F1 | 70.2 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Lee County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-04-06 | Chokee, Lee County | EF1 2.98 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $101K |
| 2021-03-18 | Century, Lee County | EF1 10.42 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $272K |
| 2017-05-23 | Scrutchins, Lee County | EF1 5.28 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-02-24 | Chokee, Lee County | EF1 0.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $61K |
| 2013-01-30 | Forrester, Lee County | EF0 1.51 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2011-03-26 | Leesburg, Lee County | EF0 0.33 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2007-04-14 | Leesburg, Lee County | EF1 2.47 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $712K |
| 1993-10-30 | Albany To, Lee County | F2 5 mi x 750 yd | 3 | 27 | $102M |
| 1990-01-25 | Lee County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-05-01 | Lee County | F1 0.8 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1984-05-03 | Lee County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-02-08 | Lee County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1969-12-25 | Lee County | F2 4.7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 7 | $25K step |
| 1966-08-04 | Lee County | F2 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1952-03-13 | Lee County | F1 1 mi x 150 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 Lee County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindScrutchins, Lee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindScrutchins, Lee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindStocks, Lee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-31 | Thunderstorm WindForrester, Lee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindChokee, Lee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindPhilema, Lee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindNeyami, Lee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindPhilema, Lee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindByne Crossroads, Lee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindMossy Dell, Lee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindForrester, Lee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtLee County · forecast zone Lee | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-10-30 | TornadoAlbany To, Lee County A tornado struck a subdivision five miles north of Albany and killed three people and injured another 27. At least 42 homes were destroyed or severely damaged. Also, fifteen mobile homes were completely destroyed by the F2 tornado. The three fatalities occurred in a mobile home and all three victims bodies were blown ... | F2 5 mi x 750 yd | 3 | 27 | $102M |
| 1969-12-25 | TornadoLee County | F2 4.7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 7 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-10-30 | TornadoAlbany To, Lee County | F2 5 mi x 750 yd | 3 | 27 | $102M |
| 2017-09-10 | Tropical StormLee County · forecast zone Lee | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2007-04-14 | TornadoLeesburg, Lee County | EF1 2.47 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $712K |
| 2015-12-24 | FloodSmithville, Lee County | 0 | 0 | $311K | |
| 2021-03-18 | TornadoCentury, Lee County | EF1 10.42 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $272K |
| 2022-04-06 | TornadoChokee, Lee County | EF1 2.98 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $101K |
| 2016-02-24 | TornadoChokee, Lee County | EF1 0.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $61K |
| 2025-08-04 | Flash FloodArmena, Lee County | 0 | 0 | $50K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 3, 1984 (tornado, Lee 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 Lee 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 | 4 | 13 | 23 | 17 | 46 | 53 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | 32 | 8 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 9 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 13 | 19 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
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 Lee County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 30 · Feb 25 · Mar 31 · Apr 34 · May 33 · Jun 38 · Jul 40 · Aug 28 · Sep 12 · Oct 9 · Nov 12 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lee County
FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Lee County: 8 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and severe storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2009-04-23 | DR-1833 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3218 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1998-03-11 | DR-1209 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-07-07 | DR-1033 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(Trop Storm Alberto) |
| 1990-02-23 | DR-857 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornaodes & Flooding |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3044 | Drought | Drought |
| 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 Lee County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 35 flood or flash flood records for Lee County from 1998 to 2025, on 18 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lee County ranks 416th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Michael | 2018-10-10 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Irma | 2017-09-10 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $16.7 million on 700 claims filed in Lee County; the most in one year was 257 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 14 · 1979: 8 · 1981: 2 · 1983: 10 · 1984: 4 · 1985: 2 · 1990: 20 · 1991: 10 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 145 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 257 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 69 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 16 · 2010: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 55 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 7 · 2020: 66 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 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 Lee County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lee County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.3 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 Moderate | $574K | 44 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.9M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $362K | 69 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $343K | 4.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $753K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $5.3M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $278K | 1.4 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 Lee 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 Lee CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lee County's FEMA declarations (CSV)14 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis