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Georgia · County tornado history

Pike County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 15 tornadoes in Pike County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 5.0 years. That ranks it 60 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
15
Since 2000
11
Strongest
EF3, January 12, 2023
Most recent
EF1, January 12, 2023
Peak month
January (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
68
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 Pike County

January has brought the most, 7 of 15. About 67% 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 67% 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) 2
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 6
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
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 Pike County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 27, 2011 EF3 30.8 mi 1,056 yd 2 22
January 12, 2023 EF3 31.2 mi 2,200 yd 18
January 2, 2006 F3 3 mi 440 yd 3
February 21, 1993 F2 8 mi 100 yd 1 2
March 18, 2013 EF2 13.3 mi 300 yd
January 12, 2023 EF2 23.4 mi 1,500 yd
January 12, 2023 EF2 21.6 mi 1,000 yd
December 23, 1956 F1 45.3 mi 100 yd 1
February 26, 1971 F1 1 mi 100 yd 1
May 17, 1980 F1 6.5 mi 50 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Pike County was an EF3 on April 27, 2011. It killed 2 people and injured 22 along its 30.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 12, 2023 EF1 10.8 mi 800 yd
January 12, 2023 EF1 7.6 mi 300 yd
January 12, 2023 EF2 21.6 mi 1,000 yd
January 12, 2023 EF3 31.2 mi 2,200 yd 18
January 12, 2023 EF2 23.4 mi 1,500 yd
October 10, 2020 EF0 2.1 mi 200 yd
January 13, 2020 EF0 1.5 mi 100 yd
March 18, 2013 EF2 13.3 mi 300 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 Pike County as relatively low, with a score of 30 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.15 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $445,259 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 Pike County had?

15 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 11 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Pike 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 Pike County?

An EF3 on January 12, 2023, with a 31.2-mile path.

When is tornado season in Pike 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.