Ware County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13299 · population 36,208 · 899 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 357 records for Ware County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 246 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (193 records). The deadliest single record is the July 10, 2025 lightning: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1977, 22 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
- 357on 246 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 224 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $47Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 20strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Ware County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 193 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 | 193 | 143 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 2 | $4.8M | 149 of 159 |
| Hail | 51 | 43 | 1971-2023 | 0 | 0 | $995 | 141 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 19 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 18 | $11M | 131 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 18 | 13 | 2005-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 of 159 |
| Drought | 16 | 10 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 149 of 159 |
| Wildfires | 14 | 12 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 3 | $31M | 13 of 159 |
| Floods | 13 | 12 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $254K | 145 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 11 | 9 | 2004-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 147 of 159 |
| Lightning | 9 | 8 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 1 | $69K | 93 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 7 | 7 | 2005-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 70 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 4 | 4 | 2010-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 156 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 144 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 Ware County had?
NOAA records 20 tornadoes in Ware County from 1957 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 18 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 20 tornadoes whose track touched Ware County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 20, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-11-18 13:20, as SPC files it | Waycross | F3 | 0.5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Ware County (20)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-07 | Waycross, Ware County | EF0 1.72 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-03-09 | Manor, Ware County | EF1 4.74 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-09-16 | Hebardville, Ware County | EF1 0.16 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $46K |
| 2020-04-23 | Waresboro, Ware County | EF0 8.97 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-02-06 | Waycross, Ware County | EF0 0.18 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-12-02 | Hopkins, Ware County | EF0 1.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-04-01 | Millwood, Ware County | EF1 2.46 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-11-16 | Ware Co Airport Wa, Ware County | EF1 0.24 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2007-09-21 | Waresboro, Ware County | EF0 0.63 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-01-05 | Dixie Union, Ware County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
| 1991-09-25 | Ware County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-05-01 | Ware County | F1 0.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-02-10 | Ware County | F1 3.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 12 | $2.5M step |
| 1986-02-10 | Ware County | F1 3.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1971-02-07 | Ware County | F1 15.4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-02-25 | Ware County | F2 10.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1968-11-18 | Ware County | F3 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1968-03-12 | Ware County | F0 0.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1966-02-28 | Ware County | F0 26.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1957-04-05 | Ware County | F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 1 | $3K 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 Ware County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 21, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindWaycross, Ware County | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-19 | Heavy RainWaltertown, Ware County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-19 | Heavy RainBickley, Ware County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-19 | Heavy RainWare Co Airport Wa, Ware County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindWaycross, Ware County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtWare County · forecast zone Southern Ware | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtWare County · forecast zone Northern Ware | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-23 | Heavy RainWaltertown, Ware County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtWare County · forecast zone Southern Ware | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtWare County · forecast zone Northern Ware | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtWare County · forecast zone Southern Ware | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtWare County · forecast zone Northern Ware | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-10 | LightningEmerson Park, Ware County Two males, 18 and 19 years old, were killed by lightning in an open field near a vehicle during a thunderstorm Thursday evening along Lejuene Road and Alton Circle after fishing. The time of the event was based on county official information and lightning data. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1986-02-10 | TornadoWare County | F1 3.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 12 | $2.5M step |
| 2007-04-17 | WildfireWare County · forecast zone Ware On April 16th a wildfire broke out along Sweat Road, Ware County, Georgia when a power line fell. As of April 30th, wildfires had burned more than 66,000 acres (100 square miles) in southeast Georgia near the Okefenokee Swamp. Flame lengths up to 100 feet were reported with this fire with strong winds and abnormally ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 1986-02-10 | TornadoWare County | F1 3.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1970-02-25 | TornadoWare County | F2 10.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 2019-04-19 | Thunderstorm WindWest Waycross, Ware County A mobile home was rolled over and destroyed by severe thunderstorm winds. Three vehicles were also overturned at the same location. One person was injured inside the mobile home. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1996-05-28 | Thunderstorm WindManor, Ware County Mobile home blown over with one injury. | 0 | 1 | $28K | |
| 1996-05-28 | LightningWaycross, Ware County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-05-01 | WildfireWare County · forecast zone Ware | 0 | 0 | $31M | |
| 1999-01-02 | Thunderstorm WindWaycross, Ware County | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 2006-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindDixie Union, Ware County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $366K |
| 2020-09-16 | TornadoHebardville, Ware County | EF1 0.16 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $46K |
| 2007-01-05 | TornadoDixie Union, Ware County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
| 1996-05-28 | Thunderstorm WindManor, Ware County | 0 | 1 | $28K | |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindWaycross, Ware County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2011-11-16 | TornadoWare Co Airport Wa, Ware County | EF1 0.24 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
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: February 10, 1986 (tornado, Ware 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 Ware 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 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 37 | 62 | 55 | 20 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 32 | 6 | 3 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
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 12 · Feb 22 · Mar 31 · Apr 38 · May 44 · Jun 77 · Jul 39 · Aug 31 · Sep 17 · Oct 15 · Nov 13 · Dec 18 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Ware County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Ware County: 11 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 4 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (9) and fire (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 |
| 2018-10-10 | EM-3406 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2017-09-15 | DR-4338 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-08 | EM-3387 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-05-08 | FM-5181 | Fire | West Mims Fire |
| 2017-01-26 | DR-4297 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2016-10-08 | DR-4284 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2016-10-06 | EM-3379 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2011-06-16 | FM-2921 | Fire | Sweat Farm Again Fire |
| 2011-06-15 | FM-2920 | Fire | Racepond Wildfire |
| 2009-04-23 | DR-1833 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2007-04-17 | FM-2685 | Fire | Sweat Farm Road Fire |
| 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 |
| 1993-03-15 | EM-3097 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1991-03-15 | DR-897 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Ware County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 13 flood or flash flood records for Ware County from 1998 to 2024, on 12 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Ware County ranks 1723rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $287,000 on 44 claims filed in Ware County; the most in one year was 6 in 2017. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1980: 2 · 1983: 3 · 1984: 4 · 1988: 2 · 1998: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 4 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 6 · 2018: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 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 Ware County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ware County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.1 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 Moderate | $4.1M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $309K | 75 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $176K | once in about 601 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $501K | once in about 711 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.5M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $439K | 4.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $96K | 26 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.5M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Ware 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 Ware CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Ware County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis