Worth County, Georgia

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13321 · population 20,684 · 571 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 501 records for Worth County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 287 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (284 records). The deadliest single record is the February 25, 2022 dense fog, filed for the forecast zone Worth, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 5 injuries. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1974, 17 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
501on 287 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
557 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$299Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
38strongest EF3
FEMA declarations
19latest 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 Worth County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 284 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.

Worth County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 284 155 1970-2026 0 0 $5.0M 96 of 159
Floods 57 23 1998-2025 0 0 $5.0M 69 of 159
Hail 52 37 1980-2024 0 0 $15K 122 of 159
Drought 41 41 1997-2026 0 0 – 119 of 159
Tornadoes 38 34 1952-2022 2 52 $39M 20 of 159
Hurricanes and tropical storms 12 12 1998-2024 1 0 $241M 132 of 159
Winter storms 6 6 2010-2025 0 0 $95K 137 of 159
Extreme cold 3 3 2017-2026 0 0 $9.5M 133 of 159
Heat 3 3 2023-2023 0 0 – 138 of 159
Heavy rain 2 2 2010-2012 0 0 – 133 of 159
High wind and dust storms 2 2 2013-2014 0 0 $7K 129 of 159
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 1 1 2022-2022 2 5 – 135 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 Worth County had?

NOAA records 38 tornadoes in Worth County from 1952 to 2022, the strongest rated EF3, with 2 deaths and 52 injuries recorded in the county. That is 20th 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 38 tornadoes whose track touched Worth County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 38, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 19 people, 2 of them in Worth County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Worth County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2003-03-20 04:05, as SPC files itCamillaF325 mi6
2007-03-01 22:44, as SPC files itPutneyEF230.53 mi6
2017-01-22 14:15, as SPC files itAlbanyEF370.4 mi5
1975-01-12 10:20, as SPC files itBainbridgeCrossed FL, GAF2168.5 mi1
1974-04-08 17:15, as SPC files itBaconton to EnigmaF192.6 mi1
1968-11-11 03:00, as SPC files itDoerunF32 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.

Every tornado record filed for Worth County (38)
Every tornado recorded in Worth County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2022-04-06 Scooterville, Worth County EFU 1.62 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2020-04-20 Bridgeboro, Worth County EF2 8.41 mi x 500 yd 0 0 $285K
2020-04-13 Sumner, Worth County EF1 2.11 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $114K
2018-12-02 Doles, Worth County EF1 1.48 mi x 350 yd 0 0 $29K
2017-04-03 Doles, Worth County EF0 0.01 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
2017-01-22 Red Rock, Worth County EF3 14.01 mi x 2,200 yd 0 31 $6.0M
2017-01-02 Red Rock, Worth County EF1 7.96 mi x 600 yd 0 0 $602K
2009-06-04 Liberty Hill, Worth County EF0 0.17 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $48K
2007-12-15 Sylvester, Worth County EF0 3.9 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $1.1M
2007-04-15 Warwick, Worth County EF1 6.65 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $43K
2007-03-02 Sumner, Worth County EF2 2.93 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $712K
2007-03-02 Sylvester, Worth County EF2 4.55 mi x 150 yd 0 2 $391K
2007-03-02 Bridgeboro, Worth County EF2 1.99 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $249K
2005-12-28 Sylvester, Worth County F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $15K
2005-12-28 Gordy, Worth County F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2005-12-05 Sylvester, Worth County F1 1.1 mi x 75 yd 0 2 $1.1M
2003-03-20 Bridgeboro, Worth County F2 6 mi x 400 yd 2 0 $1.2M
1999-06-04 Poulan, Worth County F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $4K
1998-09-29 Isabella, Worth County F1 1.7 mi x 85 yd 0 0 $543K
1996-03-06 Red Rock, Worth County F2 10 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $15M
1992-11-24 Worth County F1 11 mi x 73 yd 0 9 $25K step
1991-03-03 Worth County F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $25K step
1991-01-30 Worth County F1 0.1 mi x 60 yd 0 0 $25K step
1990-05-21 Worth County F1 3 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $250K step
1984-03-05 Worth County F1 2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250K step
1983-05-16 Worth County F1 15 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $250K step
1978-05-08 Worth County F1 2.3 mi x 77 yd 0 0 $25K step
1975-01-12 Worth County F2 33.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1974-08-01 Worth County F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd 0 0 $25K step
1974-04-08 Worth County F1 36.4 mi x 250 yd 0 0 $250K step
1973-02-08 Worth County F2 2 mi x 500 yd 0 5 $250K step
1968-11-11 Worth County F3 2 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1966-05-16 Worth County F2 0.9 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $250K step
1966-05-16 Worth County F2 1 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $25K step
1964-12-25 Worth County F2 5.4 mi x 300 yd 0 3 $250K step
1961-04-03 Worth County F2 23.5 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $25K step
1961-03-31 Worth County F1 1 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $25K step
1952-01-28 Worth County F2 1 mi x 100 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 Worth County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 18, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for Worth County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-18 Thunderstorm WindShingler, Worth County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-18 Thunderstorm WindSylvester, Worth County 50 kt wind 0 0 $2K
2026-06-18 Thunderstorm WindWarwick, Worth County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-24 Thunderstorm WindRed Rock, Worth County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-22 Thunderstorm WindOakfield, Worth County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-01 DroughtWorth County · forecast zone Worth 0 0 –
2026-04-01 DroughtWorth County · forecast zone Worth 0 0 –
2026-03-12 Thunderstorm WindTerrell, Worth County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-12 Thunderstorm WindPoulan, Worth County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-12 Thunderstorm WindShingler, Worth County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-12 Thunderstorm WindSylvester, Worth County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-12 Thunderstorm WindSylvester, Worth County 50 kt wind 0 0 $5K

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

Records with deaths or injuries in Worth County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2022-02-25 Dense FogWorth County · forecast zone Worth A multiple vehicle accident occurred on Jewel Crowe Road near Blue Springs in Worth County due to dense fog around 7:05 am. When the Battalion Chief arrived on scene, he radioed out for all incoming response to use caution as there was zero visibility. The accident scene at Jewel Crowe was in a section of the road ... 2 5 –
2003-03-20 TornadoBridgeboro, Worth County The F2 tornado traveled northeast from northeast Mitchell County into southwest Worth County. It damaged a few dozen homes and destroyed several others. Two persons were killed when their mobile home was destroyed. Numerous trees and power lines were down. A state of emergency was declared for Worth County. Reported ... F2 6 mi x 400 yd 2 0 $1.2M
2017-09-10 Tropical StormWorth County · forecast zone Worth Hurricane Irma brought numerous impacts to the Florida Big Bend, southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama including widespread downed trees and power lines, roads blocked by trees, power outages, and trees on homes. Two people died during the event - one due to a car crash (Liberty County, FL) and another that had a ... 1 0 $2.4M
2017-01-22 TornadoRed Rock, Worth County The EF3 tornado from Dougherty county continued all the way across Worth county into Turner county as an EF3 tornado with max winds estimated near 150 mph. In Worth County, it caused extensive damage to homes along Jewel Crowe Road. This was consistent with EF3 damage. Damage to homes and outbuildings consistent with ... EF3 14.01 mi x 2,200 yd 0 31 $6.0M
1992-11-24 TornadoWorth County F1 11 mi x 73 yd 0 9 $25K step
1973-02-08 TornadoWorth County F2 2 mi x 500 yd 0 5 $250K step
1964-12-25 TornadoWorth County F2 5.4 mi x 300 yd 0 3 $250K step
2007-03-02 TornadoSylvester, Worth County This tornado, rated EF-2, was spawned from the same supercell thunderstorm that produced the earlier tornado in Worth County. It touched down near McCarty Road. A brick frame house sustained severe roof damage with a couple of exterior walls collapsing. Two vehicles parked outside were carried into a nearby field. ... EF2 4.55 mi x 150 yd 0 2 $391K

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.

The costliest records in Worth County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2018-10-10 Hurricane (Typhoon)Worth County · forecast zone Worth 0 0 $136M
2024-09-26 Tropical StormWorth County · forecast zone Worth 0 0 $99M
1996-03-06 TornadoRed Rock, Worth County F2 10 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $15M
2017-01-22 TornadoRed Rock, Worth County EF3 14.01 mi x 2,200 yd 0 31 $6.0M
2005-07-09 Hurricane (Typhoon)Worth County · forecast zone Worth 0 0 $2.6M
2005-07-11 FloodWorth County · forecast zone Worth 0 0 $2.6M
2013-02-23 FloodWarwick, Worth County 0 0 $1.3M
2003-03-20 TornadoBridgeboro, Worth County F2 6 mi x 400 yd 2 0 $1.2M

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 8, 1973 (tornado, Worth County); December 25, 1964 (tornado, Worth County); May 16, 1966 (tornado, Worth 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 Worth 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).

Worth County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind00410364011282
Floods––––321735
Hail00051117136
Drought––––103010
Tornadoes165271043
Hurricanes and tropical storms––––1434

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 Worth County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 64 · Feb 29 · Mar 69 · Apr 58 · May 54 · Jun 69 · Jul 51 · Aug 39 · Sep 20 · Oct 8 · Nov 15 · Dec 25 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Worth County

FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Worth County: 13 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (7) and severe storm (5).

Declarations including Worth County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2024-09-30DR-4830HurricaneHurricane Helene
2024-09-26EM-3616Tropical StormHurricane Helene
2024-08-05EM-3607Tropical StormHurricane Debby
2020-03-29DR-4501BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3464BiologicalCovid-19
2018-10-14DR-4400HurricaneHurricane Michael
2018-10-10EM-3406HurricaneHurricane Michael
2017-09-15DR-4338HurricaneHurricane Irma
2017-09-08EM-3387HurricaneHurricane Irma
2017-01-26DR-4297TornadoSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2017-01-25DR-4294Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds
2009-04-23DR-1833Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds
2007-03-03DR-1686Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
2005-09-05EM-3218HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2004-09-24DR-1560HurricaneTropical Storm Frances
1998-03-11DR-1209Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
1994-10-19DR-1042Severe StormHeavy Rains, Tornados, Flooding, High Winds
1994-07-07DR-1033TornadoTornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(Trop Storm Alberto)
1974-04-05DR-425TornadoTornadoes

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 Worth County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 57 flood or flash flood records for Worth County from 1998 to 2025, on 23 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Worth County ranks 1838th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

Named storms on Worth County's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Hurricane Irma2017-09-1011
Hurricane Helene2024-09-2610
Hurricane Michael2018-10-1010

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $481,000 on 35 claims filed in Worth County; the most in one year was 15 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1982: 1 · 1990: 1 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 4 · 2005: 3 · 2009: 15 · 2013: 5 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2026: 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 Worth County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Worth County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.6 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Worth County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
DroughtRelatively Moderate$1.1M30 modeled event-days a year
TornadoRelatively Moderate$1.8Monce in about 3 years (modeled)
HurricaneRelatively Low$1.5Monce in about 5 years (modeled)
Cold WaveRelatively Low$993K1.8 a year (modeled)
LightningRelatively Low$217K69 a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$201K4.3 modeled event-days a year
HailRelatively Low$130K1.5 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Low$206K1.4 a year (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Worth County

  1. Worth County 501
  2. Dougherty County 471
  3. Colquitt County 420
  4. Mitchell County 387
  5. Tift County 328
  6. Lee County 311
  7. Crisp County 304
  8. Turner County 248

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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