Tift County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13277 · population 41,296 · 261 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 328 records for Tift County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 236 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (161 records). The deadliest single record is the June 30, 2007 lightning: 1 death and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1974, 18 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Helene” on September 30, 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
- 328on 236 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 120 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $134Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 24strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Tift County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 161 since 1956. 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 | 161 | 125 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 4 | $2.1M | 29 of 159 |
| Hail | 48 | 30 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 0 | $612K | 66 of 159 |
| Drought | 39 | 39 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 23 | 1952-2022 | 0 | 13 | $15M | 4 of 159 |
| Floods | 22 | 15 | 2006-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 44 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 12 | 12 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $106M | 66 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 3 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 of 159 |
| Lightning | 5 | 5 | 1998-2021 | 1 | 3 | $375K | 51 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 5 | 5 | 2011-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 102 of 159 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 115 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2017-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9.5M | 122 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 Tift County had?
NOAA records 24 tornadoes in Tift County from 1952 to 2022, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 13 injuries recorded in the county. That is 4th of 159 Georgia counties and 77th 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched Tift County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 24: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 0 of them in Tift County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-02-14 00:39, as SPC files it | Omega | F2 | 6 mi | 1 |
| 1974-04-08 17:15, as SPC files it | Baconton to Enigma | F1 | 92.6 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Tift County (24)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-04-06 | Omega, Tift County | EFU 1.88 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-04-13 | Ty Ty, Tift County | EF1 1.51 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $114K |
| 2019-03-03 | Omega, Tift County | EF1 0.72 mi x 180 yd | 0 | 0 | $63K |
| 2018-12-02 | Omega, Tift County | EF0 1.86 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2015-01-04 | Brookfield, Tift County | EF1 0.27 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2015-01-04 | Omega, Tift County | EF1 0.33 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2014-02-21 | Hillsdale, Tift County | EF0 2.22 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 2007-03-02 | Chula, Tift County | EF1 6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $854K |
| 2000-02-14 | Omega, Tift County | F2 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 10 | $3.4M |
| 1995-11-07 | Tifton, Tift County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-04-15 | Tift County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1983-12-05 | Tift County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1980-05-20 | Tift County | F1 2 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1979-11-10 | Tift County | F1 5.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1978-05-08 | Tift County | F1 7.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-05-15 | Tift County | F2 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1967-05-22 | Tift County | F2 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-05-08 | Tift County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1964-12-25 | Tift County | F2 15.8 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1962-03-31 | Tift County | F1 61.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-04-08 | Tift County | F1 41.3 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1955-04-02 | Tift County | F2 3.8 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1953-01-20 | Tift County | F1 8.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1952-01-28 | Tift County | F1 0.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K 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 Tift County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 17, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($20,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindHillsdale, Tift County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindTifton, Tift County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindTifton, Tift County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtTift County · forecast zone Tift | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-03 | Thunderstorm WindChula, Tift County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-03 | Thunderstorm WindHarding, Tift County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtTift County · forecast zone Tift | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindTifton, Tift County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindVanceville, Tift County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindTifton, Tift County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindHarding, Tift County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindOmega, Tift County | 50 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-06-30 | LightningTy Ty, Tift County Three men taking shelter under a pecan tree off Ty Ty-Sparkss Road were struck by lightning. Two of the men were injured and one was killed. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2000-02-14 | TornadoOmega, Tift County A strong tornado crossed U.S. Highway 319 from extreme northeast Colquitt County into extreme southwest Tift County, just south of Omega. Twelve mobile homes and eight pre-fabricated homes were destroyed. Numerous frame homes were damaged, including some moved off their block foundations. Ten persons were injured. ... | F2 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 10 | $3.4M |
| 1994-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindChula, Tift County Thunderstorm winds severely damaged two mobile homes, a storage house and downed several large trees in the Pleasant Grove Mobile Home Park on Rigdon Altman Road near United States Highway 41. Two people were slightly injured from shattered window glass. Tift county Emergency Management Officials estimated damage at ... | 0 | 2 | $995K | |
| 1986-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindTift County | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1952-01-28 | TornadoTift County | F1 0.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1998-07-28 | LightningTifton, Tift County Lightning struck the Tift County E911 tower, briefly knocking out emergency radio communications during a severe thunderstorm. Lightning struck several trees and a gymnasium in Tifton causing minor damage.A woman was injured when lightning struck her Tifton home. | 0 | 1 | $136K | |
| 1953-01-20 | TornadoTift County | F1 8.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Tift County · forecast zone Tift | 0 | 0 | $103M | |
| 2000-02-14 | TornadoOmega, Tift County | F2 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 10 | $3.4M |
| 2007-03-02 | TornadoChula, Tift County | EF1 6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $854K |
| 2013-02-23 | FloodSunsweet, Tift County | 0 | 0 | $633K | |
| 2017-09-10 | Tropical StormTift County · forecast zone Tift | 0 | 0 | $602K | |
| 2018-10-10 | Tropical StormTift County · forecast zone Tift | 0 | 0 | $561K | |
| 2012-05-22 | HailOmega, Tift County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $450K |
| 2012-08-08 | Flash FloodTifton, Tift County | 0 | 0 | $321K |
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: January 28, 1952 (tornado, Tift County); April 8, 1957 (tornado, Tift County); December 25, 1964 (tornado, Tift 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 Tift 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 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 47 | 49 |
| Hail | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 11 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | 29 | 9 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 9 | 12 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
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 Tift County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 23 · Feb 19 · Mar 39 · Apr 44 · May 49 · Jun 49 · Jul 29 · Aug 28 · Sep 13 · Oct 11 · Nov 11 · Dec 13 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Tift County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Tift County: 12 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (8) and severe storm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-30 | DR-4830 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3616 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-09-24 | DR-4821 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024-08-05 | EM-3607 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2023-09-07 | DR-4738 | Hurricane | Hurricane Idalia |
| 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 |
| 2000-02-15 | DR-1315 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms/Tornados |
| 1998-03-11 | DR-1209 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-10-19 | DR-1042 | Severe Storm | Heavy Rains, Tornados, Flooding, High Winds |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3097 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 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 Tift County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 22 flood or flash flood records for Tift County from 2006 to 2024, on 15 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Tift County ranks 1360th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024-09-26 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Michael | 2018-10-10 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Irma | 2017-09-10 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Frances | 2004-09-26 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.6 million on 90 claims filed in Tift County; the most in one year was 20 in 2012. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 1 · 1986: 8 · 1991: 1 · 1994: 19 · 1998: 5 · 2001: 1 · 2005: 3 · 2009: 16 · 2012: 20 · 2013: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 6; 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 Tift County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Tift County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $16.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $4.0M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $661K | 70 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.1M | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $388K | 25 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $596K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $449K | once in about 826 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.2M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $365K | 4.3 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Tift 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 Tift CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Tift County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis