Polk County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13233 · population 42,781 · 310 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 457 records for Polk County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 335 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (180 records). The deadliest single record is the February 21, 1993 tornado: 1 death, 35 injuries and $10.2 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1974, 15 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
- 457on 335 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 351 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $51Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 11strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 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 Polk County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 180 since 1959. 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 | 180 | 136 | 1959-2026 | 1 | 2 | $1.9M | 37 of 159 |
| Hail | 91 | 71 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | 27 of 159 |
| Drought | 39 | 39 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $8.1M | 52 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 33 | 33 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $1.8M | 38 of 159 |
| Floods | 31 | 20 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $6.1M | 37 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 16 | 16 | 2002-2020 | 0 | 0 | $18K | 55 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 159 |
| Lightning | 12 | 12 | 2001-2023 | 0 | 3 | $940K | 22 of 159 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 10 | 1961-2013 | 2 | 45 | $29M | 88 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 10 | 2002-2008 | 0 | 0 | $298K | 46 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 2002-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 2001-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 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 Polk County had?
NOAA records 11 tornadoes in Polk County from 1961 to 2013, the strongest rated EF3, with 2 deaths and 45 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 12 tornadoes whose track touched Polk County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 11: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 25 people, 2 of them in Polk County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 17:28, as SPC files it | Trussville to SouthsideCrossed AL, GA | EF4 | 97.33 mi | 22 |
| 2008-03-15 10:25, as SPC files it | Cartersville | EF3 | 16.93 mi | 2 |
| 1993-02-21 18:00, as SPC files it | Cedartown | F3 | 9 mi | 1 |
| 1994-03-27 17:01, as SPC files it | Cave Spring | F3 | 21 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Polk County (11)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-04-11 | Don, Polk County | EF0 0.36 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2011-04-27 | Hematite, Polk County | EF2 4.3 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $9.2M |
| 2008-03-15 | Seney, Polk County | EF3 3.18 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 1 | $4.8M |
| 2006-04-08 | Rockmart, Polk County | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $659K |
| 2006-04-08 | Cedartown, Polk County | F0 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $512K |
| 2005-08-29 | Cedartown, Polk County | F1 2.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 2000-04-03 | Esom Hill, Polk County | F2 6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 6 | $1.7M |
| 1994-06-27 | Rockmart, Polk County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | $995 |
| 1993-02-21 | Esom Hill To, Polk County | F3 9 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 35 | $10M |
| 1978-04-18 | Polk County | F2 4.1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1961-12-11 | Polk County | F1 0.9 mi x 40 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 Polk 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 WindAntioch, Polk County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindBrewers, Polk County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-03-09 | HailCedartown, Polk County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtPolk County · forecast zone Polk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | DroughtPolk County · forecast zone Polk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormPolk County · forecast zone Polk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-10 | Thunderstorm WindGreenway, Polk County | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-11-25 | Thunderstorm WindFish Creek, Polk County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-11-25 | Thunderstorm WindCedartown Airport, Polk County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindCedartown, Polk County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindLake Creek, Polk County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindRavenel, Polk County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-02-21 | TornadoEsom Hill To, Polk County A tornado touched down near Esom Hill in extreme southwest Polk County near the Alabama/Georgia border. The tornado traveled 9 miles and destroyed 500 homes, 40 businesses, and 14 churches, mobile homes, and downed trees. Damage path was approximately 0.5 mile wide. Nearly the entire town of Cedartown was without ... | F3 9 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 35 | $10M |
| 2013-03-18 | Thunderstorm WindCedartown, Polk County The Polk County 911 Center relayed numerous reports of trees blown down or snapped with multiple power outages in the Cedartown area. One tree fell on a car, injuring both occupants, one fatally. | 60 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $19K |
| 2008-03-15 | TornadoSeney, Polk County A ground and aerial survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, GA in cooperation with the Georgia State Patrol and local emergency managers confirmed that an EF3 tornado had touched down in extreme north central Polk county, just east of the town of Seney near the intersection ... | EF3 3.18 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 1 | $4.8M |
| 2000-04-03 | TornadoEsom Hill, Polk County Survey of damage by NWS personnel indicated that an F1 - F2 tornado, 50 - 100 yards wide, touched down in the Potash community at approximately 2:00 am EDT near Harmony Road. The tornado traveled approximately 6 miles with the terminating point just southwest of Cedartown. The tornado snapped off and uprooted several ... | F2 6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 6 | $1.7M |
| 2014-08-30 | Thunderstorm WindRockmart, Polk County The 911 Center reported numerous trees down in the eastern part of the county, especially near Rockmart. The Emergency Manager reported a tree down on a house. The occupant of the house suffered a head injury and was transported to the hospital. Another house had its roof partially blown off. A subdivision on Lakeview ... | 60 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $12K |
| 2010-12-15 | Winter WeatherFloyd County and Polk County · forecast zone Polk The Polk County 911 Center reported up to 0.1 inch of glaze ice across much of the county. Numerous traffic accidents were observed throughout the county. One person was injured in a traffic accident on U.S. Highway 27 North near Cedartown. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2006-04-08 | TornadoCedartown, Polk County A survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, GA, concluded that an F0 tornado had touched down four miles south of Cedartown and tracked southeast to a point five miles southeast of Cedartown. About a dozen homes were damaged along the path of the tornado, mostly from downed ... | F0 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $512K |
| 2006-04-08 | TornadoRockmart, Polk County A survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, GA concluded that a second tornado, this one an F2, touched down one mile northwest of Rockmart and traveled to the east approximately three miles, terminating at a point around two miles east-northeast of Rockmart. Over two dozen homes along the ... | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $659K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-02-21 | TornadoEsom Hill To, Polk County | F3 9 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 35 | $10M |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoHematite, Polk County | EF2 4.3 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $9.2M |
| 2000-06-01 | DroughtFloyd County and Polk County · forecast zone Polk | 0 | 0 | $8.1M | |
| 2019-04-09 | Flash FloodCedartown, Polk County | 0 | 0 | $5.8M | |
| 2008-03-15 | TornadoSeney, Polk County | EF3 3.18 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 1 | $4.8M |
| 2000-04-03 | TornadoEsom Hill, Polk County | F2 6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 6 | $1.7M |
| 2013-04-11 | HailVan Wert, Polk County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 2006-04-08 | TornadoRockmart, Polk County | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $659K |
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: April 18, 1978 (tornado, Polk 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 Polk 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 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 24 | 36 | 34 | 67 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 48 | 18 | 6 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 17 | 13 | 6 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 12 | 16 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 9 | 7 | 12 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 13 | 2 | 1 |
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 Polk County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 42 · Feb 31 · Mar 49 · Apr 62 · May 42 · Jun 71 · Jul 53 · Aug 37 · Sep 22 · Oct 18 · Nov 15 · Dec 15 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Polk County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Polk County: 8 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (4) and severe storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3642 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2014-02-11 | EM-3368 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2011-04-29 | DR-1973 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding |
| 2008-03-20 | DR-1750 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3218 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 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 |
| 1990-02-23 | DR-857 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornaodes & Flooding |
| 1979-03-13 | EM-3072 | Flood | Rain, Flooding, Mudslide |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3044 | Drought | Drought |
| 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 Polk County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 31 flood or flash flood records for Polk County from 1996 to 2023, on 20 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Polk County ranks 1116th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $981,000 on 143 claims filed in Polk County; the most in one year was 65 in 1979. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 65 · 1980: 10 · 1982: 7 · 1989: 4 · 1990: 15 · 1993: 1 · 1995: 5 · 1996: 1 · 1999: 7 · 2003: 2 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 7 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2025: 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 Polk County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Polk County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $15.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.6M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $665K | 31 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $717K | 3.2 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.3M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $240K | 63 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $734K | once in about 378 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $5K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $125K | once in about 355 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Polk 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 Polk CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Polk County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis