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Georgia · County tornado history

Bartow County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 30 tornadoes in Bartow County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.5 years. That ranks it 11 of 158 counties in Georgia with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on December 29, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
30
Since 2000
11
Strongest
EF4, April 27, 2011
Most recent
EF0, December 29, 2021
Peak month
April (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
64
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Bartow County

April has brought the most, 9 of 30. About 43% touched down between 1 pm and 7 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 23% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 3
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 13
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Bartow County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 27, 2011 EF4 97.3 mi 1,760 yd 22 85
March 27, 1994 F4 49 mi 1,760 yd 3 20
March 27, 1994 F3 40 mi 2,613 yd 9 70
March 15, 2008 EF3 16.9 mi 880 yd 2 2
January 30, 2013 EF3 21.8 mi 900 yd 1 17
April 27, 2011 EF3 23.1 mi 880 yd 25
December 22, 2011 EF3 11.4 mi 880 yd 4
April 3, 1974 F2 65.9 mi 150 yd 1 20
April 26, 1982 F2 5 mi 300 yd 5
July 19, 1970 F2 0.5 mi 20 yd 2

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Bartow County was an EF4 on April 27, 2011. It killed 22 people and injured 85 along its 97.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 29, 2021 EF0 1.9 mi 100 yd
March 25, 2021 EF1 2.8 mi 200 yd
March 25, 2021 EF1 1.7 mi 125 yd
April 12, 2020 EF1 12.8 mi 250 yd 1 2
February 6, 2020 EF0 2.2 mi 200 yd
January 30, 2013 EF3 21.8 mi 900 yd 1 17
December 22, 2011 EF3 11.4 mi 880 yd 4
April 27, 2011 EF3 23.1 mi 880 yd 25

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Bartow County as relatively moderate, with a score of 87 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.33 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $7,665,814 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Bartow County had?

30 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 11 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Bartow County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on December 29, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Bartow County?

An EF4 on April 27, 2011, with a 97.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Bartow County?

April has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.