Johnson County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Johnson County: 0.
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.

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.

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.

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. May 11, 2008Tornado$15.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the EF1 tornado, that initially touched down in extreme northern Laurens just west-southwest of Tuckers Crossroads, continued on an eastward track into Johnson county, lifting a little less than one mile northeast of Wrightsville. Dozen of mobile and site-built homes in Wrightsville sustained minor to moderate damage as a result of this tornado, some of which were destroyed. Five injuries were reported from mobile homes destroyed with this tornado. An additional indirect injury resulted when a tree fell on an individual during debris clean up. In addition, numerous…

2. May 11, 2008Tornado$7.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that yet another tornado had touched down within Johnson county. This tornado was an EF2 and touched down in far eastern Johnson county, about one mile northwest of Kite and continued on an east-northeastward track into Emanuel county, crossing into Emanuel county just west of the city of Blundale. Maximum winds within the tornado were estimated to be 130 mph and the maximum path width was determined to be up to 1/2 mile wide. As the tornado touched down northwest of Kite, a mobile home was rolled and several other homes and vehicles were damaged along U.S. Highway 221 north of Kite. The…

3. Jun 18, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Johnson County Emergency Management Director reported that many trees and a number of power lines were down across the county from Wrightsville to Kite and southward toward Spann. Several roads were blocked from downed trees, including parts of Georgia Highway 15 south of Wrightsville. Two homes in the Kite area were completely destroyed from downed trees and strong winds. Two others homes in the area sustained minor to moderate damage. Several animal shelters and pole barns were damaged as well.

4. Jun 10, 2008Lightning$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Johnson County Emergency Management Director reported that lightning struck a large 3500 square foot home on the west side of Wrightsville igniting a fire. The structure was completely destroyed by the fire. This fire was started while a separate lightning sparked fire was ongoing in the woods between Wrightsville and Kite.

5. Jan 2, 2006Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service and the Johnson County Emergency Management Director concluded that an F1 tornado had touched down approximately five miles north of Kite near the intersection of U.S. Highway 221 and U.S. Highway 319 and traveled east-southeast to a point four miles east-northeast of Kite. The tornado than continued into Emanuel county. The damage path within Johnson county was approximately five miles long and 1/4 mile wide. Overall, the tornado traveled a 12 mile long path across Johnson and Emanuel counties. Near the tornado's touchdown point, siding was blown off the Gum Log Church. Then, six homes along the path of the tornado…

6. Apr 15, 2007Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An aerial and ground survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the second tornado that originated in Laurens county five miles southeast of Dublin tracked northeast to east-northeast across northeast Laurens county into Johnson county, approximately three miles north of Kite, and then continued on an east-northeastward track lifting about five miles southwest of Kite. The overall tornado path length was 19 miles, of which approxmiately five miles fell within Johnson county. The maximum tornado path length was 100 yards with maximum winds estimated at 100 mph. The majority of the damage along this portion of the tornado path occurred…

7. Apr 15, 2007Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the EF1 tornado, which originated in extreme western Treutlen county and briefly crossed into Emanuel county, continued into southern Johnson county, causing considerable damage to the city of Adrian on the Johnson/Emanuel county line. This tornado then continued to travel north-northeast through the extreme southeast corner of Johnson county before exiting once again into Emanuel county. The EF1 tornado traveled approximately three miles within Johnson county with a maximum path width of 440 yards. A good portion of the city of Adrian, the center of which lies in Emanuel county, lies…

8. Aug 27, 2010Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Johnson County Emergency Management Director reported that a strong thunderstorm downburst, wind gusts of 60 mph or greater, blew down dozens of trees and several power lines from northeast of Wrightsville to three miles west-southwest of Wrightsville. Six homes across this path sustained minor to moderate damage from downed trees. Several trees were down and a trampoline was blown away from a residence near U.S. Highway 319 on Tucker Grove Church Road west of Wrightsville.

9. May 11, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia concluded that in addition to an EF2 tornado that tracked from just northwest of Kite east-northeast into Emanuel county just west of Blundale, extensive straight-line wind damage was observed along and up to two miles south of the tornado track. These winds were estimated to be as strong as 90 mph. Primarily minor structural damage was observed to several homes in this area, including within the city of Kite. The most significant structural damage was to a school gymnasium in Kite which sustained masonry wall and roof damage. Widespread tree damage was also observed throughout this area.

10. Nov 16, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$225,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Johnson County Emergency Management Director reported that thunderstorm winds had caused significant damage across Johnson county. A total of six homes sustained damage, mostly minor to moderate. However, one home suffered significant damage when a large pine tree fell through the structure. An adjacent car was also heavily damaged. A portion of a carport was also blown up on the roof of the home. Several pump houses being built were blown several feet away from their original location. A total of 16 large trees were down across the county.

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

112°FJul 24, 1952

All-time low

−2°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

82°FJul 5, 1943

Coldest day

25°FDec 25, 1983

Wettest day

16.42 inOct 12, 1990

Snowiest day

14.8 inFeb 10, 1973

Hottest year

1990mean 67.2°F

Coldest year

1901mean 61.9°F

Wettest year

199463.95 in

Driest year

195424.96 in

Station Louisville 1 E (USC00095314), 322 ft elevation, 27.5 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 26, 2026; 87.5% 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 USC00095314.
• 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.