Oconee County

Every recorded tornado

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

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

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. Jan 22, 2000Ice Storm, Oconee$980,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Wintry precipitation plagued the northern third of Georgia beginning Saturday and continued into Sunday. A shallow cold airmass with single-digit dewpoint temperatures was in place over north Georgia, with temperatures in the upper 20s to lower 30s over much of the area. An upper level disturbance moved rapidly over the area in a fast zonal flow, bringing an increase in mid-tropospheric moisture. At the same time, lower level moisture spread into the area from the Gulf of Mexico. Precipitation began falling into the colder layer of air near the surface by mid-morning on the 22nd. The mixture of light rain, snow and sleet had spread from northwest to northeast Georgia by early…

2. May 26, 2006Hail$470,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The public reported golf ball-sized hail seven miles northwest of Watkinsville or two miles north-northwest of Eastville. The Oconee County Sheriff observed penny-sized hail near Bogart.

3. Sep 16, 2004High Wind, Oconee$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   High wind damage, associated with Tropical Storm Ivan, is listed below, in alphabetical order by county for those counties that "high wind" criteria was either met or assumed to be met.Banks: The Banks County News of Homer reported widespread damage to trees and power lines throughout the county. More than 73 trees were uprooted or blown down, and many roads were blocked by downed trees and power lines. One home and an unoccupied camper were damaged when trees fell on them and a power line fell on a vehicle while traveling on a county highway. (Estimated Damage: $250,000)Barrow: The Barrow County News and the Gwinnett Daily Post both reported widespread damage to trees and power…

4. Feb 18, 2009Tornado$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia, confirmed that an EF3 tornado touched down in extreme western Oconee county, just east of the Apalachee River near the intersection of U.S. Highway 441 and Tappin Spur Road. The tornado crossed U.S. 441 between county mile marker two and three, then continued on an almost due eastward track across the southern part of the county. The tornado lifted near the intersection of Hale Road and Colham Road, about two miles east-southeast of Salem, just shy of the Greene county line. The tornado path length was approximately five miles long, the maximum path width was estimated to be 1/2…

5. Mar 1, 2009Heavy Snow, Oconee$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Up to five inches of snow fell across the county. The weight of the heavy, wet snow brought down numerous trees and power lines, leaving thousands of residents without power, in some cases for several days. A few chicken houses were also destroyed from the weight of the heavy snow.

6. Aug 11, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$125,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Oconee County 911 Center reported that more than 15 trees and several power lines were down, especially across the eastern part of the county from just west of Bogart to near Barnett Shoals. A large old oak tree fell on the roof of a home along North High Shoals Road resulting in moderate damage to the structure. A mobile home on Dials Mill Spur was destroyed when a tree fell on it. Trees were down on Mason Mill Road, Garrett Road, U.S. Highway 441, Fern Creek Drive, New High Shoals Drive, Jennings Mill Road, Monroe Highway, U.S. Highway 78 (Atlanta Highway) at several locations, and Pete Dickens Road. An 18-wheel truck carrying gasoline wrecked when it ran into a tree that…

7. Aug 17, 2005Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Oconee County Emergency Management Director reported that an apparent microburst or downburst associated with a strong thunderstorm blew down at least eight large trees near the intersection of Georgia Highway 53 and Experiment Station Road, or near the Phil Campbell USDA Research Center. At one location on the road, three large oak trees were blown down, one going through a portion of a residence. Another tree brought down power poles, including traffic signals and telephone cables. Next door, five large pecan trees were blown down, one causing minor damage to a residence and falling on another small structure on the premises. In addition, the tin roof was blown off a farm…

8. Sep 11, 2017Tropical Storm, Oconee$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Local news media reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the county. Many customers were without electricity for varying periods of time. A wind gust of 42 mph was measured in Watkinsville. Radar estimated between 2 and 4 inches of rain fell across the county with 2.93 inches measured near Watkinsville. No injuries were reported.

9. Jul 11, 2002Lightning$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Oconee Enterprise of Watkinsville reported that a fire was started at a home when lightning struck a pine tree and then traveled to the nearby garage. The garage caught fire and was gutted. Smoke and heat damage was also reported to neighboring parts of the home and all possessions stored in the garage were destroyed. Lightning caused problems at other locations in Watkinsville, including knocking out a transformer at a local bakery, damaging sheet rock at another home, and striking a tree which then fell onto a local road.

10. Aug 16, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Oconee County Emergency Management Director reported that a thunderstorm downburst or microburst from a small thunderstorm caused considerable damage around the city of Watkinsville. The roof was blown off two chicken houses. In addition, two large feeding containers were blown from the chicken houses into an adjacent field. Twenty to 30 trees were blown down around the city. Trees were down on power lines at several locations and several roads were blocked from downed trees.

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

109°FJun 29, 2012

All-time low

−4°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

79°F4 times, most recently Aug 11, 2007

Coldest day

18°FJan 30, 1966

Wettest day

9.93 inJun 4, 1967

Snowiest day

8.7 inMar 24, 1983

Hottest year

2016mean 65.0°F

Coldest year

1968mean 59.7°F

Wettest year

196471.39 in

Driest year

195428.61 in

Snowiest season

10.6 in1982-83

Station Athens Ben Epps Airport (USW00013873), 784 ft elevation, 9.2 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1944 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.

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 USW00013873.
• 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.