Telfair County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13271 · population 12,229 · 437 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 246 records for Telfair County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 206 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (100 records). The deadliest single record is the April 8, 1957 tornado: 1 death and 3 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
- 246on 206 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 14 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $4.7Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 13strongest F3
- 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 Telfair County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 100 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 | 100 | 91 | 1970-2023 | 0 | 0 | $996K | 132 of 159 |
| Drought | 28 | 28 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 123 of 159 |
| Hail | 28 | 26 | 1986-2023 | 0 | 0 | $8K | 129 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 20 | 17 | 2002-2024 | 0 | 1 | $198K | 84 of 159 |
| Floods | 15 | 13 | 1997-2020 | 0 | 0 | $263K | 89 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 84 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 11 | 1957-2022 | 1 | 3 | $1.5M | 118 of 159 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 83 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 6 | 5 | 2002-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 134 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 2001-2004 | 0 | 0 | $324K | 114 of 159 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1998-2014 | 0 | 0 | $105K | 109 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2002-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 83 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 117 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 Telfair County had?
NOAA records 13 tornadoes in Telfair County from 1957 to 2022, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 3 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 13 tornadoes whose track touched Telfair County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 13, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-04-08 15:30, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 14.7 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Telfair County (13)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-10-12 | Scotland, Telfair County | EF0 0.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-03-03 | Workmore, Telfair County | EF0 0.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 2019-03-03 | Workmore, Telfair County | EF0 3.99 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2015-11-02 | Towns, Telfair County | EF1 0.77 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2015-11-02 | China Hill, Telfair County | EF1 1.63 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2012-12-17 | Cook Still, Telfair County | EF0 1.05 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-07-02 | Telfair County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-05-03 | Telfair County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-12-29 | Telfair County | F2 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1981-03-18 | Telfair County | F1 3.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1980-06-24 | Telfair County | F1 0.5 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-06-15 | Telfair County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-04-08 | Telfair County | F3 14.7 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 3 | $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 Telfair County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 30, 2023 tropical storm (1 injury).
An emergency manager reported that Telfair County firefighter was injured when a tree came down. The person is said to be in stable condition at a regional hospital.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1125550)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtTelfair County · forecast zone Telfair | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtTelfair County · forecast zone Telfair | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-13 | DroughtTelfair County · forecast zone Telfair | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-08-30 | Tropical StormTelfair County · forecast zone Telfair | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-10-12 | TornadoScotland, Telfair County | EF0 0.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-03-03 | TornadoWorkmore, Telfair County | EF0 0.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 2019-03-03 | TornadoWorkmore, Telfair County | EF0 3.99 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2015-11-02 | TornadoTowns, Telfair County | EF1 0.77 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2015-11-02 | TornadoChina Hill, Telfair County | EF1 1.63 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2012-12-17 | TornadoCook Still, Telfair County | EF0 1.05 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-05 | Thunderstorm WindMilan, Telfair County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $328K |
| 2007-12-15 | Thunderstorm WindHelena, Telfair County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $7K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-04-08 | TornadoTelfair County | F3 14.7 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 3 | $25K step |
| 2023-08-30 | Tropical StormTelfair County · forecast zone Telfair An emergency manager reported that Telfair County firefighter was injured when a tree came down. The person is said to be in stable condition at a regional hospital. | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-06-01 | DroughtTelfair County · forecast zone Telfair | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2019-03-03 | TornadoWorkmore, Telfair County | EF0 0.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 2015-11-02 | TornadoChina Hill, Telfair County | EF1 1.63 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2007-12-15 | Thunderstorm WindHelena, Telfair County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $7K |
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, Telfair 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 Telfair 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 | 14 | 15 | 24 | 30 | 13 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 4 | 3 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 1 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 11 | 4 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 6 | 4 | 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 Telfair County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 18 · Feb 10 · Mar 18 · Apr 22 · May 34 · Jun 31 · Jul 35 · Aug 21 · Sep 22 · Oct 13 · Nov 10 · Dec 12 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Telfair County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Telfair County: 8 major disasters, 10 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (7) and tropical storm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3642 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-30 | DR-4830 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3616 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-08-05 | EM-3607 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 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 |
| 2004-09-24 | DR-1560 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Frances |
| 1998-03-11 | DR-1209 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-07-07 | DR-1033 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(Trop Storm Alberto) |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3097 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1984-05-11 | EM-3089 | Tornado | Severe Storms & 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 Telfair County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 15 flood or flash flood records for Telfair County from 1997 to 2020, on 13 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Telfair County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $92,000 on 6 claims filed in Telfair County; the most in one year was 2 in 1994. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1994: 2 · 1998: 2 · 2001: 1 · 2015: 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 Telfair County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Telfair County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.3M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $322K | 7.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $130K | 23 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $851K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $108K | 68 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $120K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $164K | once in about 682 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $22K | once in about 1,307 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Telfair 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 Telfair CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Telfair County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis