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Georgia · County tornado history

Brooks County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 15 tornadoes in Brooks County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 5.0 years. That ranks it 64 of 158 counties in Georgia with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on April 6, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
15
Since 2000
7
Strongest
EF3, January 22, 2017
Most recent
EF1, April 6, 2022
Peak month
April (5)
Per 1,000 sq mi
30
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 Brooks County

April has brought the most, 5 of 15. About 53% touched down between 2 pm and 8 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 20% 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) 4
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 6
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
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 Brooks County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 22, 2017 EF3 24.7 mi 700 yd 11 45
January 22, 2017 EF2 18.7 mi 700 yd 3
March 26, 1963 F2 1 mi 33 yd
April 6, 1963 F2 8 mi 300 yd
April 29, 1971 F2 11 mi 100 yd
February 8, 1971 F1 0.8 mi 100 yd 2
April 13, 1979 F1 1 mi 200 yd
May 25, 1980 F1 0.5 mi 10 yd
July 4, 1985 F1 8.6 mi 20 yd
November 11, 1995 F1 0.3 mi 73 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Brooks County was an EF3 on January 22, 2017. It killed 11 people and injured 45 along its 24.7-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 6, 2022 EF1 7.9 mi 300 yd
April 6, 2022 EF0 11.1 mi 200 yd
September 16, 2020 EF0 5.3 mi 50 yd
September 16, 2020 EF0 3 mi 50 yd
January 22, 2017 EF3 24.7 mi 700 yd 11 45
January 22, 2017 EF2 18.7 mi 700 yd 3
March 15, 2001 F0 9 mi 50 yd
November 11, 1995 F1 0.3 mi 73 yd

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 Brooks County as relatively low, with a score of 59 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.27 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,073,215 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 Brooks County had?

15 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 7 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Brooks County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on April 6, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Brooks County?

An EF3 on January 22, 2017, with a 24.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Brooks 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.