Skip to content
Twisters.us
Find my countyFind my countyTexasKansasOklahomaSee all: StatesWhat to do in a tornadoWatch vs. warningStorm shelters and safe roomsSee all: Stay safeTornado Alley mapEF scaleEvery EF5See all: Records

Georgia · County tornado history

Tift County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 26 tornadoes in Tift County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.9 years. That ranks it 17 of 158 counties in Georgia with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on April 6, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
26
Since 2000
9
Strongest
F2, February 14, 2000
Most recent
EF-U, April 6, 2022
Peak month
April (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
97
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 Tift County

April has brought the most, 7 of 26. About 38% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 35% 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 15
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

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 Tift County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 14, 2000 F2 6 mi 200 yd 1
December 25, 1964 F2 21.2 mi 300 yd 3
April 3, 1961 F2 34.4 mi 33 yd 1
April 2, 1955 F2 3.8 mi 880 yd
May 22, 1967 F2 0.5 mi 30 yd
May 15, 1969 F2 2 mi 33 yd
April 8, 1974 F1 92.6 mi 250 yd 1 7
January 28, 1952 F1 0.1 mi 400 yd 2
January 20, 1953 F1 8.3 mi 150 yd 1
April 8, 1957 F1 41.3 mi 90 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Tift County was an F2 on February 14, 2000. It killed 1 person and injured 0 along its 6-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 6, 2022 EF-U 10.6 mi 25 yd
April 13, 2020 EF1 3.6 mi 100 yd
March 3, 2019 EF1 0.7 mi 180 yd
December 2, 2018 EF0 1.9 mi 600 yd
January 4, 2015 EF1 0.3 mi 100 yd
January 4, 2015 EF1 0.3 mi 100 yd
February 21, 2014 EF0 2.2 mi 300 yd
March 1, 2007 EF1 7.9 mi 150 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 Tift County as relatively moderate, with a score of 78 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 $3,148,206 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 Tift County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Tift County?

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

What was the strongest tornado in Tift County?

An F2 on February 14, 2000, with a 6-mile path.

When is tornado season in Tift 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.