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Georgia · County tornado history

Dougherty County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 19 tornadoes in Dougherty County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.9 years. That ranks it 42 of 158 counties in Georgia with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF3 on January 22, 2017.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
19
Since 2000
5
Strongest
EF3, January 22, 2017
Most recent
EF3, January 22, 2017
Peak month
January (3)
Per 1,000 sq mi
57
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 Dougherty County

January has brought the most, 3 of 19. About 53% touched down between 10 am and 4 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 26% 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) 6
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 7
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 5
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 Dougherty County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 22, 2017 EF3 70.4 mi 2,200 yd 5 88
March 1, 2007 EF2 30.5 mi 200 yd 6 3
November 7, 1995 F2 5 mi 150 yd 36
April 3, 1961 F2 34.4 mi 33 yd 1
August 9, 1965 F2 0.3 mi 33 yd
December 16, 2000 F2 6 mi 70 yd
January 28, 1952 F1 2 mi 100 yd 1
February 13, 1966 F1 0.5 mi 500 yd 1
May 1, 1989 F1 1 mi 150 yd 1
November 16, 1951 F1 0.5 mi 100 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Dougherty County was an EF2 on March 1, 2007. It killed 6 people and injured 3 along its 30.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 22, 2017 EF3 70.4 mi 2,200 yd 5 88
January 2, 2017 EF1 8.9 mi 600 yd
March 1, 2007 EF2 30.5 mi 200 yd 6 3
September 16, 2004 F0 2 mi 75 yd
December 16, 2000 F2 6 mi 70 yd
October 26, 1997 F0 1 mi 100 yd
November 7, 1995 F2 5 mi 150 yd 36
June 16, 1994 F0 0.3 mi 20 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 Dougherty County as relatively moderate, with a score of 79 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.22 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,735,307 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 Dougherty County had?

19 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 5 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Dougherty County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF3 on January 22, 2017. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Dougherty County?

An EF3 on January 22, 2017, with a 70.4-mile path.

When is tornado season in Dougherty County?

January 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.