Whitfield County

Every recorded tornado

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

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.

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. Jun 18, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$1.3 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Amateur radio operators and the public reported that hundreds of trees were down across the county from west of Rocky Face to Dalton. Wind gusts were estimated at 65 to 70 mph. At least 40 homes across the county sustained minor to moderate damage from fallen trees. Four homes in Dalton and two homes in Rocky Face suffered extensive damage from trees which fell on the structures. Multiple trees and several power lines were down on Cleveland Highway north of Dalton. A number of power lines were down throughout the city of Dalton.

2. May 22, 2003Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A trained spotter and cooperative observer for the National Weather Service reported that extensive flooding of roads was occurring across the county. The observer had recorded nearly five inches of rain in about three hours. A partial road collapse was noted on Georgia Highway 2 at Lee Bryant road just east of Prater Mill. Flooding was quite extensive on Georgia Highway 71 and U.S. Highway 76 around Dalton and several roads in the area had to be closed, including the South Dixie Highway in Dalton and several roads to the Brooks subdivision off Georgia Highway 71 in Dalton. Dalton city schools were closed because of flooding and several county school buses were stranded because of…

3. Jan 22, 2000Ice Storm, Whitfield$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…

4. Sep 21, 2009Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Whitfield County Emergency Management Director reported that significant flooding continued across much of the county during this time frame. A number of roads remained flooded, impassable and closed. Dozens of homes and businesses were flooded. Coahulla Creek at Keith's Mill near Dalton exceeded flood stage of 16 feet at 1157 am EDT and remained above flood stage for several days. Additional monetary damage during this time frame was estimated to be $500,000.

5. Mar 15, 2008Heavy Rain$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Whitfield County Emergency Management Director reported that the older of two pillow manufacturing facility buildings collapsed as a result of the weight of rain water runoff on the roof of the two adjacent buildings. The older building was in need of repair. The wash-out effect caused by the water runoff resulted in the collapse of a wall on the older of the two buildings, which result in the roof caving in as well. Because of the age and condition of the building, it was considered a total loss.

6. Sep 3, 2014Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Whitfield County Deputy Emergency Manager reported numerous reports of flooded roads and small drainage creeks in the Dalton area. Heavy rain of 4 to 6 inches caused flood waters to enter some buildings including a church and a car dealership on North Glenwood Avenue. A roof collapsed at a carpet plant on 5th Avenue due to the rain which flooded the building. Firefighters rescued several motorists stranded in high water on Willowdale Road. A USGS stream gage on Mill Creek at Chattanooga Avenue on the north side of Dalton reached flood stage of 11 feet. It crest at 11.7 feet.

7. Sep 21, 2009Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Whitfield county emergency management personnel and USGS stream gages confirmed that major flooding continued across much of the county. Several homes, apartments, businesses, and roads sustained damage from flooding. Several roads were closed. Monetary damages from flooding continued to mount, with an additional $250,000 incurred during this time frame, nearly all of which occurred prior to 845 am EDT on the 22nd. Flood waters began to recede after 845 am EDT on the 22nd, but many locations remained flooded through 845 am EDT on the 23rd.

8. May 7, 2003Flood, Whitfield$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Whitfield county Emergency Management Director reported that extensive flash flooding was occurring across the county. Up to 16 roads had to be closed because of flooding and eight more had water flowing over them. One evaucation was necessary as well.

9. Sep 21, 2009Flood$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Whitfield County Emergency Management Director reported that considerable flooding continued in portions of the county, especially the northern areas. Several roads remained under water as earlier flash flooding subsided, but aerial flooding continued for several hours. Some homes and businesses continued to experience flooding during this time period. Monetary damage during this time frame was estimated at $200,000.

10. Nov 18, 2003Heavy Rain$125,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A storm spotter for the National Weather Service reported that a poorly, yet recently constructed building housing a graphic printing company, collapsed during a heavy rain event. The heavy rain caused the poorly anchored concrete support pillars to collapse. The building was a total loss.

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

107°F2 times, most recently Jul 1, 2012

All-time low

−13°FJan 26, 1940

Warmest night

81°FJul 11, 1980

Coldest day

12°FDec 12, 1962

Wettest day

9.49 inSep 5, 2011

Snowiest day

18.5 inMar 13, 1993

Hottest year

2024mean 64.6°F

Coldest year

1969mean 57.2°F

Wettest year

199473.70 in

Driest year

196835.09 in

Snowiest season

22.7 in1992-93

Station Chattanooga Airport (USW00013882), 669 ft elevation, 21.2 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1938 to October 26, 2026; 100.0% 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 USW00013882.
• 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.