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Georgia · County tornado history

Sumter County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 27 tornadoes in Sumter County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.8 years. That ranks it 16 of 158 counties in Georgia with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on April 6, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
27
Since 2000
12
Strongest
EF3, March 1, 2007
Most recent
EF1, April 6, 2022
Peak month
April (10)
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 Sumter County

April has brought the most, 10 of 27. About 37% touched down between 10 am and 4 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 19% 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 17
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 5
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
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 Sumter County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 1, 2007 EF3 43.2 mi 1,790 yd 2 11
April 23, 1971 F3 13.5 mi 150 yd 8
January 15, 1971 F2 2 mi 100 yd 1 1
December 16, 1970 F2 0.5 mi 40 yd 1
April 15, 1961 F2 5.1 mi 300 yd
July 6, 1965 F2 1 mi 33 yd
December 16, 2000 F2 10 mi 100 yd
September 29, 1998 F1 0.2 mi 50 yd 12
September 29, 1998 F1 0.2 mi 50 yd 10
February 10, 1990 F1 0.5 mi 73 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Sumter County was an EF3 on March 1, 2007. It killed 2 people and injured 11 along its 43.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 6, 2022 EF1 3.4 mi 100 yd
August 16, 2021 EF1 1.2 mi 325 yd
May 23, 2017 EF1 10.6 mi 100 yd
April 5, 2017 EF0 3.2 mi 150 yd
April 19, 2015 EF1 1.5 mi 100 yd
March 26, 2011 EF0 0.7 mi 200 yd
October 15, 2009 EF1 2.1 mi 100 yd
April 10, 2009 EF1 28.2 mi 200 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 Sumter County as relatively moderate, with a score of 65 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 $1,452,602 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 Sumter County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Sumter County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on April 6, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Sumter County?

An EF3 on March 1, 2007, with a 43.2-mile path.

When is tornado season in Sumter County?

April 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.