Early County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Early County: 2.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Costliest events since 1996

1. Oct 10, 2018Hurricane (Typhoon), Early$150 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Michael started as typical weak October Caribbean tropical system. However, after approximately a week of slow development, the system moved into warm Gulf of Mexico waters and rapidly intensified into a major hurricane as it moved north towards the Florida Panhandle. After a 2-day long intensification period over the eastern Gulf, Michael made landfall as an unprecedented (for the region) high-end category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale in the Florida Panhandle with maximum sustained wind speed of 155 mph and a minimum pressure 919 mb. Based on wind, Michael is the fourth most powerful hurricane to hit the United States, behind the Labor Day…

2. Mar 8, 1998Flood, Early$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An intense Gulf storm produced 5 to 12 inches of rain across much of southwest Georgia on March 7-9 which caused widespread flooding. Baker, Ben Hill, Cook, Colquitt, Dougherty, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Terrell, Decatur, Early, Brooks, Colquitt, Clay, Seminole, Calhoun, Thomas, and Worth counties were declared federal disaster areas. In Ben Hill County, floodwaters claimed the life of a Irwinville man whose vehicle overturned. In Baker County, several homes and businesses were flooded in Newton. 100 residents within the Newton city limits were evacuated. Numerous county and secondary roads were closed. Flooding along the Itchuaway-Nochaway Creek forced additional evacuations at…

3. Sep 15, 2004Tropical Storm, Early$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Ivan weakened to a tropical storm as it moved into southwest Alabama on September 16. The maximum sustained wind recorded was 29 knots at Albany, GA. The peak wind gust recorded was 37 knots at Valdosta, GA. The lowest sea-level pressure was 1003 mb at Albany. Rainfall totals varied from 0.75 inches at Tifton and Valdosta, GA to 6.50 inches at Blakely, GA. Minor flooding was reported in Early County. Minor rises were observed on the Kinchafoonee and Muckalee creeks. An estimated 20,000 customers were without power. There were numerous reports of downed trees and power lines. Intense outer rain bands from Ivan spawned several tornadoes in southwest Georgia on September…

4. Dec 24, 2002Tornado$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado crossed the state line from Henry County Alabama into Early County Georgia. Its damage path extended from the Chattahoochee River northeast through Colomokee on U.S. Highway 27. The tornado destroyed one mobile home and damaged thirty others. Two persons were injured when their mobile home collapsed on them. Numerous trees and power lines were down. A state of emergency was declared. Reported by GEMA.

5. Jan 2, 2017Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF2 tornado with max winds near 115 mph initially touched down on the Early County side of the Early-Miller County line near Three Notch Road. Damage in this area was mainly limited to trees and a few farm buildings that were destroyed. Damage in this area was generally consistent with EF1 damage. The tornado moved NE toward US-27 near the intersection with Bates Road. A mobile home suffered roof damage and numerous pines were snapped or uprooted on the west side of US-27. The tornado continued northeast and intensified before reaching Middleton Road. Many trees were snapped, with a few debarked in this area. One farm building was completely destroyed in this area. The tornado…

6. Jan 2, 2017Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF2 tornado with max winds estimated at 115 mph touched down on Damascus Hilton Road just east of Zion Road and moved NE toward Cedar Springs Road. At the intersection of Cedar Springs Road and Hightower Road, two residences were significantly damaged, with a portion of the roof deck removed. Additionally several farm buildings were damaged or destroyed in the area. The tornado then turned more to the east and eventually lifted when reaching Old Lucile Road. Damage further east on Rock Bluff Road near the intersection of Highway 39 was consistent with straight line wind damage with winds near 80 to 90 mph. Damage cost was estimated.

7. Feb 15, 2021Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down just west of Highway 45 south of Damascus in Early County, Georgia. Along Highway 45 the tornado snapped a few trees and damaged the roofs of a couple of houses. The tornado crossed the highway moving northeast and reached peak intensity as it hit homes along Killebrew Rd. Two homes and a detached garage along Killebrew Rd were destroyed down to their foundations, which were not anchored. One home was constructed of concrete block which collapsed. The other home was constructed of wood with a concrete block foundation. The 5 injuries noted came from these two homes. A truck was tossed from the detached garage and onto the homes. Several trees were uprooted…

8. Jan 9, 2024Tornado$326,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado touched down in a heavily wooded area along Daniels road in Early County causing minor damage to trees. The tornado travelled north and intensified as it crossed agricultural fields and Clower Road where it toppled several center pivot irrigation systems. An unreinforced concrete block home was also destroyed along this road in Early county, consistent with an EF-2 rating. EF-2 damage was also noted just to the northeast along Highway 45 where two homes were badly damaged. An older two story home was shifted off its foundation several feet. Another newer brick home suffered significant roof damage. The intensity peaked at this location with an estimated maximum wind…

9. Jun 14, 2023Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down just east of the intersection of Odom Lane and Cedar Springs Lane south of Blakely. Several snapped pine trees were found, consistent with EF-1 damage. The tornado then crossed Georgia Highway 39 where several large branches were broken off. The top bar of a chain-link fence was pulled out and a wooden fence was also blown down in this area south of Blakely. The tornado then moved eastward, roughly paralleling south of Damascus Street, snapping and uprooting both hardwood and softwood trees. The tornado crossed Waller Road south of Damascus Street, causing significant roof damage to a single-family home as well as uprooting and snapping several trees nearby.…

10. Jun 19, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Several planes and buildings damaged at the airport. Reported by the Early County EMA.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

105°F4 times, most recently Jul 2, 2009

All-time low

4°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

82°F6 times, most recently Jun 18, 2009

Coldest day

23°F2 times, most recently Jan 21, 1985

Wettest day

9.59 inNov 8, 1989

Snowiest day

5.5 inJan 21, 2025

Hottest year

1990mean 70.9°F

Coldest year

1976mean 64.9°F

Wettest year

199078.13 in

Driest year

201137.08 in

Snowiest season

5.5 in2024-25

Station Dothan Regional Airport (USW00013839), 368 ft elevation, 30.9 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1970 to October 26, 2026; 99.2% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00013839.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.