Upson County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13293 · population 27,681 · 323 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 381 records for Upson County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 273 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (137 records). The most damaging was the June 1, 2000 drought ($5.4 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1977, 20 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
- 381on 273 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 010 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $19Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 21strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Upson County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 137 since 1956. 40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 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 | 137 | 110 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 2 | $2.1M | 60 of 159 |
| Hail | 60 | 48 | 1974-2020 | 0 | 1 | $175K | 53 of 159 |
| Floods | 37 | 26 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 1 | $1.7M | 20 of 159 |
| Drought | 34 | 34 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $8.5M | 74 of 159 |
| Lightning | 21 | 20 | 2001-2017 | 0 | 4 | $1.1M | 14 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 15 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 2 | $3.6M | 46 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 17 | 17 | 2002-2020 | 0 | 0 | $301K | 50 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 159 |
| Heat | 12 | 12 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 12 | 12 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | $290K | 73 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 5 | 1997-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 5 | 2001-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 5 | 2004-2005 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 77 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 Upson County had?
NOAA records 21 tornadoes in Upson County from 1963 to 2026, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded in the county. That is 46th 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 21 tornadoes whose track touched Upson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 21, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-13 00:19, as SPC files it | Thomaston | EF3 | 16.63 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Upson County (21)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-16 | Salem, Upson County | EF0 1.65 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Crest, Upson County | EF0 3.02 mi x 360 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-26 | Atwater, Upson County | EF1 3.53 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-04-13 | Lincoln Park, Upson County | EF3 15.6 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 0 | $342K |
| 2020-01-11 | Hendricks, Upson County | EF1 0.34 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $228K |
| 2017-04-03 | Barker Spg, Upson County | EF1 6.67 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2017-04-03 | Barker Spg, Upson County | EF0 1.74 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $36K |
| 2017-01-21 | Delray, Upson County | EF1 1.87 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2017-01-21 | Hannah Mill, Upson County | EF0 0.78 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2017-01-21 | Ellerbeetown, Upson County | EF1 5.26 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $90K |
| 2017-01-21 | Ellerbeetown, Upson County | EF2 5.24 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $241K |
| 2017-01-21 | Ellerbeetown, Upson County | EF1 5.38 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $48K |
| 2015-12-24 | Salem, Upson County | EF0 0.2 mi x 180 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2014-11-23 | Birdsong Xrds, Upson County | EF0 8.51 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2011-04-27 | Hendricks, Upson County | EF2 4.23 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $656K |
| 2004-09-16 | Yatesville, Upson County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $781 |
| 1996-03-06 | Thomaston, Upson County | F1 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $376K |
| 1991-03-29 | Upson County | F1 3 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1990-02-10 | Upson County | F1 3 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1980-03-21 | Upson County | F1 2 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1963-01-11 | Upson County | F2 5.2 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 Upson 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 | TornadoSalem, Upson County | EF0 1.65 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | TornadoCrest, Upson County | EF0 3.02 mi x 360 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindHannah Mill, Upson County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindCrest, Upson County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindCrest, Upson County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindHannah Mill, Upson County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtUpson County · forecast zone Upson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtUpson County · forecast zone Upson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter StormUpson County · forecast zone Upson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtUpson County · forecast zone Upson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-07 | DroughtUpson County · forecast zone Upson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-26 | TornadoAtwater, Upson County | EF1 3.53 mi x 200 yd | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-07-20 | LightningThunder, Upson County The Upson County ARC reported that 2 boy scouts were struck by lightning while at the Thunder Scout Reservation in the extreme northwest part of the county northwest of Hendricks near the Flint River. The victims were transported to the Upson Regional Medical Center Emergency Room, treated, and released. The injuries ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1997-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindThomaston, Upson County One whole tree and several large limbs fell on power lines. A metal shelter attached to a nursing home was ripped off the building. Two nursing home employees were knocked down by the wind gust as it blew through the door. | 0 | 2 | $28K | |
| 1990-02-10 | TornadoUpson County | F1 3 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 2008-07-04 | LightningThe Rock, Upson County The Upson County Emergency Management Director reported that lightning struck a 57 year-old male while in the kitchen of his home. The individual sustained minor injuries as a result. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2005-07-10 | Flash FloodCountywide, Upson County The Upson County Emergency Management Director reported that excessive rain had resulted in several roads being washed out and closed. Even others that were not washed out were under water for many hours. Four roads were washed out, including Old Alabama Road, West County Road, Bradshaw Road, and the bridge over ... | 0 | 1 | $1.1M | |
| 2001-03-12 | LightningThomaston, Upson County The Upson County Sheriff's Department reported that a Sheriff's Deputy was struck by lightning while on duty at the scene of an accident on the Barnesville Highway, approximately 2 miles northeast of Thomaston. He was still conscious and alert, but reported tingling sensations in his extremities. He was transported to ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1984-03-27 | HailUpson County | 1.75 in hail | 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 | DroughtUpson County · forecast zone Upson | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | |
| 2005-07-10 | Flash FloodCountywide, Upson County | 0 | 1 | $1.1M | |
| 2004-09-06 | High WindUpson County · forecast zone Upson | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $892K |
| 2004-09-16 | High WindUpson County · forecast zone Upson | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $712K |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoHendricks, Upson County | EF2 4.23 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $656K |
| 2003-05-02 | Thunderstorm WindThomaston, Upson County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $401K |
| 2005-03-31 | LightningThomaston, Upson County | 0 | 0 | $378K | |
| 1996-03-06 | TornadoThomaston, Upson County | F1 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $376K |
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: February 10, 1990 (tornado, Upson County); March 29, 1991 (tornado, Upson 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 Upson 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 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 32 | 41 | 33 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 27 | 15 | 1 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 17 | 3 | 13 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 9 | 4 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 0 | 18 | 3 | 0 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 26 · Feb 21 · Mar 47 · Apr 40 · May 36 · Jun 55 · Jul 51 · Aug 36 · Sep 22 · Oct 24 · Nov 11 · Dec 12 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Upson County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Upson County: 13 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (7) and severe storm (5).
| 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 |
| 2018-10-10 | EM-3406 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2017-09-15 | DR-4338 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-08 | EM-3387 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-01-26 | DR-4297 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2016-02-26 | DR-4259 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2004-09-18 | DR-1554 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 2000-01-28 | DR-1311 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1995-10-10 | DR-1071 | Hurricane | Hurricane Opal |
| 1994-07-07 | DR-1033 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(Trop Storm Alberto) |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3097 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1990-02-23 | DR-857 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornaodes & Flooding |
| 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 Upson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 37 flood or flash flood records for Upson County from 1996 to 2023, on 26 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Upson County ranks 1976th 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 $343,000 on 26 claims filed in Upson County; the most in one year was 5 in 1994. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 1 · 1982: 2 · 1994: 5 · 1998: 2 · 2003: 3 · 2005: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2023: 3 · 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 Upson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Upson County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.1 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 | $299K | once in about 15 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $238K | 63 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $148K | 52 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $358K | 5.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $202K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $756K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $306K | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $265K | once in about 685 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Upson 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 Upson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Upson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis