Macon County
Population 11,756 (2025) 401 sq mi
24 tropical storms and hurricanes have passed within 50 miles of Macon County since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the strongest was Helene in 2024 (Category 1).
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 195012
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger51
At a glance
The record for Macon County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Strongest tornado
EF3
March 1, 2007, 3.1 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
Cat. 1
Hurricane Helene, 2024, 39.1 miles away
Tornadoes
About one every 6.3 years since 1950, one of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
March 1, 2007
EF3, 3.1 mile path
1,790 yards wide.
Deadliest
April 5, 1957
2 killed, F2
5 injured along the whole path.
Most recent
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
EF1, 17.3 mile path
4 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Apr 5, 2022 | EF1 | 17.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 3, 2019 | EF0 | 6.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 12, 2019 | EF0 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 21, 2017 | EF1 | 8.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 21, 2012 | EF1 | 8.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 1, 2007 | EF3 | 3.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 21, 1980 | F1 | 22.5 | 2 | 0 |
| Jan 11, 1974 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 23, 1971 | F2 | 3.8 | 10 | 1 |
| Jan 20, 1963 | F2 | 16.4 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 5, 1957 | F2 | 75.0 | 5 | 2 |
| Apr 18, 1953 | F2 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Macon County: 1.
- 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.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
24 passed within 50 miles since 1851; 3 at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
September 27, 2024
Helene, Category 1
39.1 miles at closest approach, winds near 77 mph.
Most recent
September 27, 2024
Helene, Category 1
39.1 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
| Helene | 2024 | 39.1 | Category 1 |
| Idalia | 2023 | 96.1 | Tropical storm |
| Elsa | 2021 | 85.8 | Tropical storm |
| Nestor | 2019 | 42.4 | Post-tropical |
| Michael | 2018 | 9.5 | Category 1 |
| Hermine | 2016 | 87.0 | Tropical storm |
| Earl | 1998 | 48.0 | Tropical storm |
| Kate | 1985 | 55.8 | Category 1 |
| Eloise | 1975 | 91.3 | Category 1 |
| Alma | 1966 | 95.7 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1965 | 0.0 | Tropical storm |
| Hilda | 1964 | 91.4 | Post-tropical |
| Dora | 1964 | 48.3 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1957 | 97.1 | Tropical storm |
| Flossy | 1956 | 43.0 | Tropical storm |
| Florence | 1953 | 53.8 | Post-tropical |
| King | 1950 | 39.8 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1949 | 59.1 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1947 | 58.1 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1941 | 34.6 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1940 | 20.7 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1935 | 80.1 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1933 | 77.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1929 | 57.5 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1926 | 22.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1924 | 98.0 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1917 | 16.5 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1915 | 55.3 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1915 | 94.8 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1914 | 67.5 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1912 | 60.3 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1912 | 72.0 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1907 | 74.0 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1907 | 92.9 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1907 | 99.7 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1906 | 84.6 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1902 | 80.2 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1902 | 78.3 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1901 | 0.0 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1901 | 0.0 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1898 | 0.5 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1898 | 11.4 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1896 | 3.0 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1894 | 61.9 | Category 1 |
| Unnamed | 1893 | 49.1 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1889 | 9.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1887 | 51.7 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1886 | 71.3 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1886 | 33.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1882 | 19.4 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1881 | 12.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1877 | 52.0 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1877 | 84.6 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1871 | 53.3 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1860 | 37.6 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1859 | 56.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1856 | 25.8 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1852 | 70.1 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1852 | 28.6 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1851 | 24.1 | Category 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.
Wildfire and smoke
No large wildfire has been mapped here since satellite mapping began in 1984.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 41 days
Heavy smoke on 3 days in 2025, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
9.9 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
9 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 30 so far in 2026.
- 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.
Floods and flood insurance
5 federal flood insurance claims since 1996, with $38,000 paid.
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood5
- Flood4
- Heavy Rain3
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
Most severe crest
July 8, 1994
Flint River at GA 26 near Montezuma, 34.11 ft
14.11 feet above the 20.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
July 8, 1994
Flint River at GA 26 near Montezuma, 34.11 ft
Major flooding.
River gauges
| Flint River at GA 26 near Montezuma | 20.0 | 34.11 ft | 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.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 103 of 1,581 months since 1895 (7%); the longest spell lasted 20 months.
103
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
29
Months in extreme drought
7%
Share of all months, severe or worse
29
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
September 1925
−5.94, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
20 months
June 2011 to January 2013.
Latest month
September 2026
−1.77, mild drought
Last severe month: April 2026.
- 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.
Earthquakes
19 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1982; none reached magnitude 4.
0
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
4
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
0
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
January 18, 2000
Magnitude 3.5
11 km SSE of Gray, Georgia; 38.1 miles away, 11.9 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
January 18, 2000
Magnitude 3.5
11 km SSE of Gray, Georgia; 38.1 miles away.
- 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).
- 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.
Severe weather and other events
231 events in the National Weather Service record, 188 of them since 1996.
12
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
0
Hail, 2 inches or larger
38
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
7
Winter weather events since 1996
11
Heat events since 1996
14
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
April 30, 1998
1.75 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
March 12, 2026
70 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 2 | 0 |
| Dense fog and smoke | 2 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Jan 21, 2012Tornado$300,000
National Weather Service narrative
A National Weather Service assessment team determined that an EF-1 tornado occurred in southeast Macon County. The tornado initially touched down as EF-0 with winds around 75 MPH along Highway 128 just north of Oglethorpe. The tornado then strengthened to an EF-1 with maximum winds near 110 MPH along Highway 49 near Four Points where a house was destroyed and numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. The tornado continued east-southeast, causing significant damage along Mennonite School Road just north of Highway 26 where two large chicken houses were completely destroyed and another was significantly damaged. The tornado lifted as an EF-0 near Five Points along Highway 26.…
- Jul 23, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$275,000
National Weather Service narrative
A deputy with the Macon County Sheriff's Office reported that from 50 to 75 trees were down and hundreds more tree limbs in and around Marshallville. Dozens of power lines were also down in the area. At least 10 homes sustained damage from downed trees.
- Sep 11, 2017Tropical Storm, Macon$200,000
National Weather Service narrative
The Macon County Emergency Manager reported trees and power lines blown down. A home was damaged by a falling tree in Montezuma and another was damaged around Clearview. Radar estimated between 2 and 3 inches of rain fell across the county with 2.04 inches measured near Montezuma. No injuries were reported.
- Mar 27, 2005Flash Flood$150,000
National Weather Service narrative
The Citizen and Georgian of Montezuma reported that several roads were flooded, washed out, and closed.
- Jan 28, 2005Winter Storm, Macon$100,000
National Weather Service narrative
A significant and fairly prolonged winter storm/ice storm affected nearly all of North and Central Georgia from the evening of Friday January 28th to late morning on Sunday January 30th. The winter storm was a result of a very strong and very cold Arctic surface high pressure system located across the Mid-Atlantic states and an upper-level disturbance moving across the region from the west. North of a line from La Grange, to Thomaston, to Sandersville, the precipitation fell mostly as a mixture of sleet and freezing rain, with typical accumulations of one-half inch glaze ice and one to two inches of sleet. Some areas in North Central and Northeast Georgia experienced significant…
- Sep 6, 2004High Wind, Macon$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
High wind damage, associated with Tropical Storm Frances, is listed below, in alphabetical order by county for those counties that "high wind" criteria was either met or assumed to be met.Baldwin: The Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported that extensive and widespread wind damage was observed. Many trees and power lines were down throughout the county and many parts of the county were expected to be without power for up to four days as a result. In addition, four homes suffered major damage and five suffered minor damage. One man was injured and taken to a local hospital when a tree fell on his mobile home. Four to five inches of rain was also reported throughout the…
- Feb 28, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
The Schley County Regional 911 Center reported that a tree had fallen on a home on Georgia Highway 224 near Four Points. The house sustained moderate damage as a result. Another tree was down on Georgia Highway 49 North in Montezuma, and a third tree was down on North Adams Street in the northeast part of Montezuma. The later downed tree also brought down a power line.
- Mar 28, 2005Flash Flood$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
The Macon County Emergency Management Director and the Citizen and Georgian Newspaper of Montezuma reported two earthen dam failures in the eastern portion of the county. One was the Forbes Lake dam, a 40 acre lake just south of Georgia Highway 127 between Marshallville and the Houston County line. A second dam failure was reported just west of Oglethorpe near Georgia Highway 49. There was also a report of a dam failure on Savage Creek, which was built for the Hickory Spring subdivision. The dam breakages caused damage to some roads in the area.
- Mar 3, 2019Tornado$45,000
National Weather Service narrative
A National Weather Service survey found that an EF0 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 80 mph and a maximum path width of 300 yards touched down east of Marshallville along Juice Plant Road. A few trees were snapped along Juice Plant Road as the storm moved east northeast south of the roadway. A few trees were downed along Finch Lane where one tree fell across the corner of a home and several other trees were snapped in the tree line behind the home. The tornado crossed Camp John Hope Road downing several more trees before crossing Big Indian Creek into Southern Peach County. No injuries were reported. [03/03/19: Tornado #12, County #1/2, EF0, Macon, 2019:017].
- Jan 21, 2017Tornado$30,000
National Weather Service narrative
A National Weather Service survey team found that an EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 95 MPH and a maximum path width of 100 yards began southwest of Marshallville near Highway 49 in Macon County and travelled east-northeast for around 9 miles crossing Felton Road, BP Turner Road, Marshallville Road and Harbuck Road before ending along Camp John Hope Road just west of the Peach County line. Mostly tree damage was noted with this tornado, however minor roof damage occurred to a few homes and three large irrigation systems were overturned south of Marshallville. [01/21/17: Tornado #10, County #1/1, EF1, Macon, 2017:011].
- 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.
Weather records
From Macon Middle Ga Regional Airport, 33.8 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1948.
- All-time high
- 108°F3 times, most recently Jul 1, 2012
- All-time low
- −6°FJan 21, 1985
- Warmest night
- 79°F8 times, most recently Jul 25, 2010
- Coldest day
- 25°F2 times, most recently Jan 21, 1985
- Wettest day
- 10.25 inJul 5, 1994
- Snowiest day
- 11.0 inFeb 9, 1973
- Hottest year
- 2019mean 67.3°F
- Coldest year
- 1968mean 62.2°F
- Wettest year
- 201372.67 in
- Driest year
- 195426.05 in
- Snowiest season
- 16.5 in1972-73
Median first snow
February 6
Earliest: November 24, 1950
Median last snow
February 8
Latest: March 13, 1993
28 of 47 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Macon Middle Ga Regional Airport (USW00003813), 343 ft elevation, 33.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 99.9% 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.
Federal disaster declarations
16 since 1953. The most recent: Hurricane Isaias, October 9, 2026.
| Oct 9, 2026 | Tropical Storm | EM-3657-GA |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3642-GA |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | EM-3616-GA |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | DR-4501-GA |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3464-GA |
| Oct 14, 2018 | Hurricane | DR-4400-GA |
| Oct 10, 2018 | Hurricane | EM-3406-GA |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Hurricane | DR-4338-GA |
| Sep 8, 2017 | Hurricane | EM-3387-GA |
| Feb 26, 2016 | Severe Storm | DR-4259-GA |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3218-GA |
| Sep 24, 2004 | Hurricane | DR-1560-GA |
| Mar 11, 1998 | Severe Storm | DR-1209-GA |
| Jul 7, 1994 | Tornado | DR-1033-GA |
| Feb 23, 1990 | Severe Storm | DR-857-GA |
| Jul 20, 1977 | Drought | EM-3044-GA |
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.
How this compares
Where Macon County stands among 159 counties in Georgia and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 12 | 87 / 159 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 1 | 40 / 159 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 24 | 73 / 159 |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 3 | 63 / 159 |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance claims | 5 | 108 / 159 |
| Flood insurance paid | $38,000 | 114 / 159 |
| Disaster declarations | 16 | 105 / 159 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 12 | 116 / 159 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 90 | 132 / 159 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 7 | 106 / 159 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $1.7 million | 136 / 159 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 1 | 51 / 159 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 103 | 140 / 159 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 9.9 | 59 / 159 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 0 | — |
Neighbouring counties
| Crawford County | 14 | 19 |
| Dooly County | 20 | 33 |
| Houston County | 26 | 25 |
| Peach County | 14 | 19 |
| Schley County | 7 | 23 |
| Sumter County | 27 | 32 |
| Taylor County | 20 | 20 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- 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 USW00003813.
- 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.