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Georgia · County tornado history

Newton County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 16 tornadoes in Newton County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 4.7 years. That ranks it 57 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
16
Since 2000
10
Strongest
F3, December 24, 1964
Most recent
EF1, January 12, 2023
Peak month
May (4)
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 Newton County

May has brought the most, 4 of 16. About 56% 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 38% 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) 1
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 10
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 Newton County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 24, 1964 F3 75.4 mi 400 yd 1
January 12, 2023 EF2 125.8 mi 1,400 yd 4 40
April 19, 2013 EF2 11 mi 175 yd 1
July 11, 1965 F2 7.4 mi 33 yd
May 18, 1969 F2 15.9 mi 50 yd
December 31, 2021 EF1 2.5 mi 75 yd 6
May 8, 1978 F1 6.1 mi 100 yd
May 17, 1980 F1 0.2 mi 50 yd
February 10, 1990 F1 2.5 mi 100 yd
February 18, 2009 EF1 2.8 mi 200 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Newton County was an EF2 on January 12, 2023. It killed 4 people and injured 40 along its 125.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 12, 2023 EF1 20.5 mi 500 yd
January 12, 2023 EF2 125.8 mi 1,400 yd 4 40
December 31, 2021 EF1 2.5 mi 75 yd 6
October 10, 2020 EF1 1.4 mi 75 yd
April 5, 2017 EF1 2.9 mi 350 yd
November 23, 2014 EF1 21.6 mi 100 yd
April 19, 2013 EF2 11 mi 175 yd 1
April 27, 2011 EF1 25.2 mi 880 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 Newton County as relatively moderate, with a score of 73 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.17 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $3,878,829 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 Newton County had?

16 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 10 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Newton 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 Newton County?

An F3 on December 24, 1964, with a 75.4-mile path.

When is tornado season in Newton County?

May 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.