Georgia heat

Every recorded heat record since 1996 · 139 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 1,333 heat records in Georgia from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 82 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the July 23, 2010 heat in Bleckley County and Dodge County: 2 deaths. Georgia ranks 15th of 51 states and territories by count and 22nd of 50 per square mile.

Heat in Georgia, 1996 to 2026

Heat records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

recorded, no damage figure
under $1 million
$1 million or more
$10 million or more
$100 million or more, or 10 deaths
$1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
a year with a death

Records: 1,3331996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000: 82average
Deaths: 213 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: –as filed
Busiest year: 2002388 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are heat records common in Georgia?

Georgia averages about 82 heat records a year since 2000, 15th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2002 (388). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Georgia records 231 heat records since 1996, 22nd of 50 states and territories by that measure.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Georgia have the most heat records?

Per square mile, Muscogee County leads Georgia: 41 days with a heat record since 1996, 189.4 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Harris County has the most heat records (51 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

Muscogee County 189.4 (42)
Rockdale County 100.1 (13)
Clarke County 92.2 (11)
Harris County 86.2 (51)
Clayton County 77.6 (11)
Glascock County 76.5 (11)
Barrow County 74.5 (12)
Peach County 73.2 (11)
Catoosa County 67.8 (11)
Towns County 66.1 (11)
Schley County 65.9 (11)
Lamar County 65.4 (12)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the heat season in Georgia?

43% of its heat records since 1996 fell in July and August. The busiest month is August (346 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 100 · Feb 4 · Mar 102 · Apr 101 · May 0 · Jun 146 · Jul 232 · Aug 346 · Sep 101 · Oct 2 · Nov 99 · Dec 100 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest heat records in Georgia?

Georgia: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
Date	Record	Killed	Injured	Damage
2010-07-23	HeatBleckley County and Dodge County · forecast zone Bleckley The Macon Telegraph reported that an elderly couple passed away at their home of 62-years as the result of heat exposure or heat exhaustion. The 90-year old male and 83-year old female couple left their home around 1030 am EDT Friday, 07/23/10, to go outside to a wooded area behind their home, approximately 50 yards ...	2	0	–
1999-07-20	HeatCoweta County · forecast zone Coweta High temperatures in the 90s to low 100s combined with high relative humidities to produce heat indices of 100 to 110 degrees over north and central Georgia the last 10 days or so of July. Only on the 24th was there any significant rainfall during this stretch. There were 2 deaths attributed to the heat. Both were ...	2	0	–
2022-07-31	HeatBulloch County · forecast zone Bulloch Bulloch County Emergency Management confirmed two heat-related deaths in the county. The coroner reported that a couple, who were both in their eighties, died in a mobile home on Tall Timbers Lane in the Leefield community near Brooklet.	2	0	–
2019-09-30	HeatLiberty County · forecast zone Inland Liberty The Liberty County Coroner said that preliminary autopsy results were that twin 3 year old girls died of heatstroke inside a vehicle. The incident occurred in the 200 block of Augusta Way in the Griffin Park subdivision.	2	0	–
2016-08-04	HeatCarroll County · forecast zone Carroll Local media reported the death of twin 15 month old girls after they were left in an automobile in the Carrollton area. Temperatures reached into the lower to middle 90s during the afternoon and early evening.	2	0	–
2007-08-01	Excessive HeatFloyd County · forecast zone Floyd One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. August 2007 proved to be one of the hottest months on record for much of north and central Georgia as a large ridge of high pressure combined with abnormally dry conditions from several preceding months of below normal rainfall. Numerous daily record high temperatures were broken, especially during the mid part of the ...	2	0	–
1999-08-01	HeatElbert County · forecast zone Elbert One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. More than a week of high temperatures between 95 and 105 degrees combined with high humidity, caused heat stress related injuries and a death.	1	3	–
2010-07-26	HeatTwiggs County · forecast zone Twiggs The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a 47-year old female of Jeffersonville passed away from heat exposure. She was found sitting on her unshaded porch outside her home. The temperature in the area that day was already 99 degrees at noon. Subsequent medical examination determined that the individual died ...	1	0	–
1999-08-08	HeatSumter County · forecast zone Sumter A 75 year old woman was found dead of heat stroke, after going to bed with her fan and window air conditioning unit turned off.	1	0	–
1999-08-01	HeatCoweta County · forecast zone Coweta A 14 year old quadriplegic boy died of heat stroke. Electricity had been turned off 2 days earlier to the house his family had just moved into and the utility company was unaware of the move.	1	0	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

Are heat records becoming more frequent in Georgia?

Georgia's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

Heat: Georgia and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
Decade	Georgia	United States	Georgia's share
1996-99	273	4,355	6.3%
2000s	719	9,163	7.8%
2010s	241	16,445	1.5%
2020-26	100	26,796	0.4%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent heat records in Georgia

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
Date	Record	Killed	Damage
2022-07-31	HeatBulloch County · forecast zone Bulloch	2	–
2019-09-30	HeatLiberty County · forecast zone Inland Liberty	2	–
2016-08-05	HeatMuscogee County · forecast zone Muscogee	1	–
2016-08-04	HeatCarroll County · forecast zone Carroll	2	–
2016-07-26	HeatMuscogee County · forecast zone Muscogee	1	–
2015-09-05	Excessive HeatWalker County · forecast zone Walker	1	–
2010-07-26	HeatTwiggs County · forecast zone Twiggs	1	–
2010-07-23	HeatBleckley County and Dodge County · forecast zone Bleckley	2	–
2007-08-11	Excessive HeatBurke County · forecast zone Burke	1	–
2007-08-01	Excessive HeatDeKalb County and Fulton County · forecast zone North Fulton	1	–
2007-08-01	Excessive HeatFloyd County · forecast zone Floyd	1	–
2006-07-31	HeatRockdale County · forecast zone Rockdale	1	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.