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Georgia · County tornado history

Wilcox County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 14 tornadoes in Wilcox County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 5.4 years. That ranks it 73 of 158 counties in Georgia with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on January 12, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
14
Since 2000
10
Strongest
EF3, January 22, 2017
Most recent
EF0, January 12, 2023
Peak month
January (5)
Per 1,000 sq mi
36
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 Wilcox County

January has brought the most, 5 of 14. About 64% 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 50% 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) 5
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 6
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 2
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 Wilcox County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 22, 2017 EF3 70.4 mi 2,200 yd 5 88
November 8, 1989 F2 0.8 mi 100 yd 1 8
April 23, 1971 F2 2 mi 100 yd 1
January 20, 1963 F1 8.2 mi 33 yd
December 15, 2007 EF1 0.5 mi 100 yd
April 10, 2009 EF1 25.1 mi 250 yd
April 10, 2009 EF1 28.2 mi 200 yd
May 23, 2017 EF1 1.6 mi 50 yd
January 12, 2023 EF1 3.1 mi 100 yd
April 14, 1955 F0 0.5 mi 100 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Wilcox County was an EF3 on January 22, 2017. It killed 5 people and injured 88 along its 70.4-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 12, 2023 EF0 2.2 mi 200 yd
January 12, 2023 EF1 3.1 mi 100 yd
April 5, 2022 EF0 9.4 mi 200 yd
January 2, 2022 EF0 0.5 mi 100 yd
May 23, 2017 EF1 1.6 mi 50 yd
January 22, 2017 EF3 70.4 mi 2,200 yd 5 88
April 10, 2009 EF1 28.2 mi 200 yd
April 10, 2009 EF1 25.1 mi 250 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 Wilcox County as relatively low, with a score of 40 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.24 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $663,888 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 Wilcox County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Wilcox County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on January 12, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Wilcox County?

An EF3 on January 22, 2017, with a 70.4-mile path.

When is tornado season in Wilcox 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.