Georgia high wind and dust storms

Are high wind and dust records common in Georgia?

Georgia averages about 43 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 37th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2004 (316). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Georgia records 208 high wind and dust records since 1996, 40th of 51 states and territories by that measure.

1. 1. Rhode Island 7061
2. 2. New Jersey 4882
3. 3. Massachusetts 4776
4. 4. Delaware 3705
5. 5. Maryland 1330
6. 6. Connecticut 1301
7. 7. Vermont 1178
8. 8. Hawaii 1067
9. 9. New York 1028
10. 10. Wyoming 900
11. 40. Georgia 208

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 high wind and dust records?

Per square mile, Clarke County leads Georgia: 14 days with a high wind record since 1996, 117.4 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Chatham County has the most wind records (62 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).

1. Clarke County 117.4 (14)
2. Rabun County 108.1 (41)
3. Habersham County 104.7 (29)
4. Stephens County 95.0 (17)
5. DeKalb County 93.4 (39)
6. Dade County 91.9 (16)
7. White County 91.4 (22)
8. Dawson County 90.1 (19)
9. Barrow County 86.9 (14)
10. Douglas County 84.9 (18)
11. Pickens County 81.9 (19)
12. Towns County 78.1 (13)

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 windy season in Georgia?

Georgia's high wind and dust records by month. The busiest month is September (357 records).

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

What were the deadliest high wind and dust records in Georgia?

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.

The costliest high wind and dust records in Georgia

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are high wind and dust 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.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent high wind and dust records in Georgia

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.

Next

• Clarke County: the county's whole recordThe Georgia county with the most high wind and dust records per square mile
• High wind and dust storms across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
• Every natural hazard in GeorgiaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
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