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Georgia · County tornado history

McDuffie County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 9 tornadoes in McDuffie County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 8.3 years. That ranks it 118 of 158 counties in Georgia with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on January 12, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
9
Since 2000
6
Strongest
EF3, February 18, 2009
Most recent
EF1, January 12, 2023
Peak month
January (2)
Per 1,000 sq mi
34
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 McDuffie County

January has brought the most, 2 of 9. About 78% 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 44% 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 3
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 2
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 McDuffie County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 18, 2009 EF3 19.7 mi 880 yd
March 1, 2007 EF2 11.7 mi 448 yd 3
April 5, 1957 F2 23.3 mi 400 yd
March 15, 2008 EF1 9.9 mi 440 yd 2
February 2, 1973 F1 1 mi 50 yd
January 12, 2023 EF1 18.3 mi 150 yd
May 24, 1955 F0 1 mi 50 yd 3
January 13, 2005 F0 0.1 mi 30 yd
April 10, 2009 EF0 0.4 mi 40 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch McDuffie County was an F0 on May 24, 1955. It killed 3 people and injured 0 along its 1-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 12, 2023 EF1 18.3 mi 150 yd
April 10, 2009 EF0 0.4 mi 40 yd
February 18, 2009 EF3 19.7 mi 880 yd
March 15, 2008 EF1 9.9 mi 440 yd 2
March 1, 2007 EF2 11.7 mi 448 yd 3
January 13, 2005 F0 0.1 mi 30 yd
February 2, 1973 F1 1 mi 50 yd
April 5, 1957 F2 23.3 mi 400 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 McDuffie County as relatively low, with a score of 60 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.14 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,300,909 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 McDuffie County had?

9 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 6 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in McDuffie County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on January 12, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in McDuffie County?

An EF3 on February 18, 2009, with a 19.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in McDuffie 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.