Thomas County

Every recorded tornado

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

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Feb 19, 2009Tornado$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado crossed from adjacent Grady County into Thomas County along Lower Cairo Road where it caused extensive damage to a pine forest plantation. Three homes on the south side of the tornado's path were damaged, with one home losing part of its roof. A barn and two garages were damaged or destroyed. Along its path toward U.S. Highway 319 and Cindy Road, numerous pine trees were snapped or uprooted and fell on homes. Brookwood School and its grounds sustained significant damage, including a hole in the roof of the main building. The tornado crossed U.S. Highway 319 near Metcalf Road and moved toward the Southwest Georgia State Hospital just south of Pinetree Boulevard. It…

2. Sep 26, 2024Hurricane (Typhoon), Thomas$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous trees were blown down across the county with widespread power outages.

3. Aug 22, 2008Tropical Storm, Thomas$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Rainfall from Fay ranged from 16 to nearly 28 inches in Thomasville. Numerous downed trees and power lines were reported throughout the county. Eleven homes in the Plantation Woods subdivision near Thomasville were inundated by flood waters, some with as much as five feet inside. Several other homes were damaged or destroyed by fallen trees. Several Thomasville businesses and public facilities were affected by the flooding. A few county roads were washed out. U.S. Highway 84 flooded near the Grady County line. Four vehicles passed state patrol road blocks and were swept away by flood waters. All six occupants were rescued. Over 5,000 residents were affected by power outages. A…

4. Aug 23, 2008Flash Flood$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Many roads and low lying areas were flooded, including Thomasville and surrounding areas. U.S. Highway 84 was closed to flood waters near the Grady County line. Four vehicles passed Georgia State Patrol barricades and were swept away into Barnett's Creek. All six occupants were rescued. A dozen homes in the Plantation Woods subdivision near Thomasville were flooded. Rainfall amounts ranged from eight inches in northeast Thomas County, to as much as two feet across southern Thomas County, including Thomasville.

5. Sep 5, 2004Tropical Storm, Thomas$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tropical Storm Frances continued to slowly weaken as it moved north into southwest Georgia during the late afternoon and evening hours of September 6. Maximum sustained winds reached 38 knots at Albany, GA, with a peak wind gust 59 knots. The lowest sea-level pressure was 991.8 mb at Albany. Rainfall totals ranged from two inches at Newton, GA, to nearly seven inches at Tifton, GA. Many schools and local businesses were closed on September 7. There were numerous reports of washed out roads, downed trees and power lines. Several mobile homes and businesses were damaged. Most of the damage occurred in Grady and Thomas counties. with 140 homes damaged, five mobile homes destroyed,…

6. Sep 10, 2017Tropical Storm, Thomas$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Irma brought numerous impacts to the Florida Big Bend, southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama including widespread downed trees and power lines, roads blocked by trees, power outages, and trees on homes. Two people died during the event - one due to a car crash (Liberty County, FL) and another that had a heart attack (Worth County, GA). Two indirect deaths occurred due to carbon monoxide from a generator (Taylor County, FL). While many counties across the Florida Big Bend and southwest Georgia were impacted, the greatest impacts were across the eastern portion of the area near the I-75 corridor. There were over 6.5 million customers without power in Florida, over…

7. Oct 10, 2018Tropical Storm, Thomas$1.0 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…

8. Jul 9, 2005Hurricane (Typhoon), Thomas$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Dennis came ashore along the central Gulf coast on July 10. The lowest sea-level pressure and peak wind gust recorded were 1007.5 mb and 42 mph, respectively, at Albany, GA. Heavy rainfall commenced July 10, and persisted into the early morning hours of July 11. A nearly stationary feeder band from the eastern Florida Panhandle into southwest Georgia produced four to eight inches, with isolated amounts up to a foot. In Colquitt County, flash flooding along the Okapilco Creek in Moultrie damaged many homes, washed out roads, and forced the evacuation of 100 homes. Heavy rains in the upper Flint River basin generated high flows which reached as far south as Bainbridge, GA.…

9. Jun 6, 2012Flash Flood$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Significant flash flooding occurred in Thomasville. Between 5 and 8 roads were closed in Thomasville due to high water with cars submerged in many areas. Water was up to the car bumpers on Walcott and Young Streets with some basements flooding as well. The Days Inn located near the intersection of the Thomasville Bypass and E Jackson Street had water in the first floor rooms with a water mark around 2 feet high. Radar estimates and rain gauge measurements indicate that between 5 and 7 inches of rain fell in around a 3 hour period with over 4 inches of rain falling in just one hour northwest of town. A 12 year old boy was sucked into a manhole on Remington Avenue and required…

10. Jun 22, 2000Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A severe thunderstorm downed numerous trees and power lines. Several homes and vehicles were damaged by fallen trees and limbs in Thomasville. Power outages affected more than 6,000 residences. Lightning struck several trees setting them ablaze in Thomasville. Numerous roads and intersections in and around Thomasville were blocked by fallen debris. Reported by the Thomas County EMA and SKYWARN storm spotter.

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°FJul 21, 1942

All-time low

0°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

87°FJun 21, 1998

Coldest day

24°FJan 21, 1985

Wettest day

9.00 inApr 1, 1948

Snowiest day

1.5 inFeb 13, 1958

Hottest year

1933mean 70.0°F

Coldest year

1958mean 64.8°F

Wettest year

196473.45 in

Driest year

195424.52 in

Snowiest season

1.5 in1957-58

Station Moultrie 2 Ese (USC00096087), 340 ft elevation, 24.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1926 to October 19, 2026; 93.8% 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 USC00096087.
• 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.