Spalding County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13255 · population 67,247 · 196 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 434 records for Spalding County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 301 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (208 records). The deadliest single record is the January 12, 2023 tornado: 2 deaths and 10 injuries. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1977, 16 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
- 434on 301 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 541 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $59Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 27strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 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 Spalding County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 208 since 1957. 42% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 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 | 208 | 134 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 4 | $2.0M | 9 of 159 |
| Hail | 55 | 49 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | 21 of 159 |
| Drought | 36 | 36 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 18 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 27 | 19 | 1955-2025 | 4 | 36 | $50M | 1 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 21 | 20 | 1996-2018 | 0 | 0 | $468K | 39 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 17 | 17 | 2002-2020 | 0 | 0 | $843K | 15 of 159 |
| Floods | 16 | 13 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $347K | 34 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 159 |
| Lightning | 14 | 14 | 1998-2018 | 0 | 1 | $570K | 12 of 159 |
| Heat | 12 | 12 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 7 | 2003-2005 | 1 | 0 | $498K | 42 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2002-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 159 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 26 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 Spalding County had?
NOAA records 27 tornadoes in Spalding County from 1955 to 2025, the strongest rated EF3, with 4 deaths and 36 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st of 159 Georgia counties and 45th of 3,080 U.S. 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 25 tornadoes whose track touched Spalding County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 27: 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, 4 of them in Spalding County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-12 15:27, as SPC files it | Jenkinsburg | EF2 | 125.76 mi | 4 |
| 2011-04-27 21:59, as SPC files it | Hampton | EF3 | 21.68 mi | 2 |
| 2023-01-12 15:10, as SPC files it | Griffin to Locust Grove | EF3 | 31.16 mi | 0 |
| 1964-12-24 21:00, as SPC files it | Tyrone to Stockbridge | F3 | 75.4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Spalding County (27)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-21 | Towalaga, Spalding County | EF0 2.02 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-07 | Sunny Side, Spalding County | EF0 4.28 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-07 | Digbey, Spalding County | EF1 7.87 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-07 | Blantons Mill, Spalding County | EF0 3.23 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-12 | Rio, Spalding County | EF2 31.44 mi x 1,400 yd | 2 | 10 | – |
| 2023-01-12 | Zetella, Spalding County | EF1 5.39 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-12 | Blantons Mill, Spalding County | EF3 30.98 mi x 2,200 yd | 0 | 18 | – |
| 2023-01-12 | Zetella, Spalding County | EF1 2.53 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-12 | Blantons Mill, Spalding County | EF1 2.53 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-12 | Zetella, Spalding County | EF2 8.35 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-12 | Blantons Mill, Spalding County | EF2 8.35 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-01-14 | Walker Mill, Spalding County | EF0 0.28 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 2019-04-14 | Orchard Hill, Spalding County | EF0 1.01 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2017-04-03 | Experiment, Spalding County | EF0 0.59 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2014-04-07 | Vaughn, Spalding County | EF0 0.94 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 3 | $125K |
| 2011-04-27 | Blantons Mill, Spalding County | EF3 15.64 mi x 880 yd | 2 | 0 | $33M |
| 2009-02-18 | Blantons Mill, Spalding County | EF2 4.9 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2005-08-29 | Orchard Hill, Spalding County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $453K |
| 2004-09-16 | Griffin Spalding Airport, Spalding County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $391K |
| 2000-04-03 | Orchard Hill, Spalding County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $857 |
| 1998-04-03 | Griffin, Spalding County | F1 4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $724K |
| 1992-11-22 | Spalding County | F2 7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1987-07-06 | Spalding County | F1 0.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-03-28 | Spalding County | F0 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-04-13 | Spalding County | F1 3.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1979-09-13 | Spalding County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1955-08-22 | Spalding County | F0 3.6 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Spalding 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 WindBirdie, Spalding County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindBirdie, Spalding County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindExperiment, Spalding County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtSpalding County · forecast zone Spalding | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | DroughtSpalding County · forecast zone Spalding | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-07 | DroughtSpalding County · forecast zone Spalding | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindWalker Mill, Spalding County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindSteeles Mill, Spalding County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindSteeles Mill, Spalding County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindSteeles Mill, Spalding County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindZetella, Spalding County | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindBlantons Mill, Spalding County | 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-12 | TornadoRio, Spalding County Radar data, areal surveys and ground surveys confirm that a long track EF2 tornado occurred beginning a few miles east of Griffin GA through Butts, Newton and into Jasper counties. The tornado was part of a larger mesocyclone which can be traced west all the way back to the Selma Alabama tornado which spawned numerous ... | EF2 31.44 mi x 1,400 yd | 2 | 10 | – |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoBlantons Mill, Spalding County A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the EF3 tornado that first touched down in northeast Meriwether county around 1155 pm EDT continued into western Spalding county. The tornado entered Spalding county approximately three miles south of ... | EF3 15.64 mi x 880 yd | 2 | 0 | $33M |
| 2003-03-30 | Strong WindSpalding County · forecast zone Spalding Strong northwest winds of 35 to 40 mph associated with a late season winter cold front blew a large red oak tree onto a 71-year old man's car while traveling westbound on College Street. It took nearly an hour to pull the man's body from the wreckage. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and was determined to have ... | 35 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $16K |
| 2023-01-12 | TornadoBlantons Mill, Spalding County New high-resolution areal imagery in concert with a reanalysis of radar data, areal surveys and ground surveys it has been determined that there were multiple tornadoes on the ground simultaneously in southwest Spalding and Northwestern Pike Counties as well as crossing tornado paths. The tornadoes were part of a ... | EF3 30.98 mi x 2,200 yd | 0 | 18 | – |
| 2014-04-07 | TornadoVaughn, Spalding County A National Weather Service storm survey team determined that a short-lived EF-1 tornado touched down 8 miles northwest of Griffin. Around 200 trees were downed by the tornado and at least a dozen homes sustained minor roof damage. The most significant damage was a tree that fell onto a home along Highway 92. Several ... | EF0 0.94 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 3 | $125K |
| 1995-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindSpalding County Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees all over the county. Several businesses in Griffin had windows broken. Some of the trees that fell in Griffin were at least three feet in diameter, damaging several homes and blowing at least one turbine across a roof. One 19-year-old male was injured when a tree fell on ... | 0 | 3 | $290K | |
| 1992-11-22 | TornadoSpalding County | F2 7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 2005-08-29 | TornadoOrchard Hill, Spalding County A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service concluded that an F1 tornado had touched down in a rural area of southeast Spalding county approximately five miles north of Orchard Hill in the vicinity of Wild Plum and McDonough Roads. The tornado continued north from this location for approximately one ... | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $453K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-06-01 | DroughtSpalding County · forecast zone Spalding | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | |
| 2011-03-26 | HailDigbey, Spalding County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2009-02-18 | TornadoBlantons Mill, Spalding County | EF2 4.9 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2017-09-11 | Tropical StormSpalding County · forecast zone Spalding | 0 | 0 | $843K | |
| 2009-03-28 | HailGriffin, Spalding County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $825K |
| 1998-04-03 | TornadoGriffin, Spalding County | F1 4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $724K |
| 1997-07-15 | Thunderstorm WindGriffin, Spalding County | 0 | 0 | $460K | |
| 2005-08-29 | TornadoOrchard Hill, Spalding County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $453K |
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: November 22, 1992 (tornado, Spalding County); April 13, 1980 (tornado, Spalding 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 Spalding 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 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 31 | 25 | 28 | 106 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 21 | 7 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 12 | 3 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 9 | 10 | 0 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 13 | 3 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
42% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 27 · Feb 31 · Mar 37 · Apr 48 · May 40 · Jun 66 · Jul 65 · Aug 47 · Sep 29 · Oct 16 · Nov 12 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Spalding County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Spalding County: 11 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and severe storm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3642 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3616 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2023-01-16 | DR-4685 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3218 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-24 | DR-1560 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Frances |
| 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) |
| 1992-12-01 | DR-969 | Tornado | High Winds, Heavy Rains & Tornadoes |
| 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 Spalding County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 16 flood or flash flood records for Spalding County from 1996 to 2024, on 13 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Spalding County ranks 2020th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irma | 2017-09-11 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $153,000 on 24 claims filed in Spalding County; the most in one year was 3 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1994: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 2 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2024: 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 Spalding County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Spalding County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $13.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $967K | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $396K | 62 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $734K | once in about 613 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $523K | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $2.1M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $515K | 3.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $110K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.0M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Spalding 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 Spalding CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Spalding County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis