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Georgia · County tornado history

Early County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 37 tornadoes in Early County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.0 years. That ranks it 4 of 158 counties in Georgia with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on January 9, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
37
Since 2000
23
Strongest
EF2, January 9, 2024
Most recent
EF2, January 9, 2024
Peak month
January (8)
Per 1,000 sq mi
72
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 Early County

January has brought the most, 8 of 37. About 41% touched down between 11 am and 5 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 43% 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) 12
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 15
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 10
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
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 Early County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 15, 2021 EF2 1.8 mi 600 yd 5
December 5, 1954 F2 6.4 mi 250 yd 2
April 5, 1982 F2 8 mi 100 yd 1
December 5, 1954 F2 2.7 mi 100 yd
November 23, 1961 F2 0.9 mi 33 yd
January 2, 2017 EF2 4.3 mi 400 yd
January 2, 2017 EF2 10.9 mi 1,000 yd
January 2, 2017 EF2 4.4 mi 500 yd
June 14, 2023 EF2 18.9 mi 700 yd
January 9, 2024 EF2 21.7 mi 800 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Early County was an F1 on January 13, 2005. It killed 2 people and injured 5 along its 3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 9, 2024 EF2 21.7 mi 800 yd
June 14, 2023 EF2 18.9 mi 700 yd
April 5, 2022 EF1 7.1 mi 50 yd
April 5, 2022 EF1 4.9 mi 50 yd
June 19, 2021 EF1 29 mi 400 yd
April 24, 2021 EF0 4.4 mi 75 yd
April 24, 2021 EF1 7 mi 150 yd
March 18, 2021 EF0 3.1 mi 50 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 Early County as relatively low, with a score of 62 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.43 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,178,858 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 Early County had?

37 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 23 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Early County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on January 9, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Early County?

An EF2 on January 9, 2024, with a 21.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Early 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.