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Georgia · County tornado history

Mitchell County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 28 tornadoes in Mitchell County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.7 years. That ranks it 15 of 158 counties in Georgia with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on April 5, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
28
Since 2000
12
Strongest
F3, March 20, 2003
Most recent
EF1, April 5, 2022
Peak month
March (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
55
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 Mitchell County

March has brought the most, 7 of 28. 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 29% 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 13
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 8
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
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 Mitchell County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 13, 2000 F3 9.2 mi 300 yd 11 175
February 13, 2000 F3 15 mi 300 yd 7 15
March 20, 2003 F3 25 mi 600 yd 6 200
March 1, 2007 EF2 30.5 mi 200 yd 6 3
January 12, 1975 F2 168.5 mi 100 yd 1 33
April 18, 1969 F2 217.8 mi 233 yd 30
January 22, 1952 F2 8.7 mi 350 yd 8
January 13, 1972 F2 1 mi 150 yd 2
May 7, 1960 F2 1 mi 33 yd
April 6, 1963 F2 0.8 mi 37 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Mitchell County was an F3 on February 13, 2000. It killed 11 people and injured 175 along its 9.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 5, 2022 EF1 8.1 mi 50 yd
April 23, 2020 EF1 2.4 mi 176 yd
April 20, 2020 EF2 8.7 mi 500 yd
January 2, 2017 EF1 4 mi 200 yd
March 1, 2007 EF2 30.5 mi 200 yd 6 3
December 28, 2005 F0 0.2 mi 25 yd
March 22, 2005 F1 3.8 mi 100 yd
March 20, 2003 F3 25 mi 600 yd 6 200

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 Mitchell County as relatively moderate, with a score of 82 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.34 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,870,400 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 Mitchell County had?

28 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 12 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Mitchell County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on April 5, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Mitchell County?

An F3 on March 20, 2003, with a 25-mile path.

When is tornado season in Mitchell County?

March 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.