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Tornado in Harris County, Georgia
26 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Harris County, Georgia, has 26 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 19 different years.
April is the busiest month, with 8 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 11 events against 4 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.1% of the 2,356 tornado events recorded in Georgia; its 5.6 per 100 square miles compares with 4.1 statewide.
By rating: 6 at (E)F0, 14 at (E)F1, 5 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Georgia
| Measure | Harris County | Georgia | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 26 | 2,356 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 5.6 | 4.1 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 7.3 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 220 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | April | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
2Feb
2Mar
5Apr
8May
2Jun
1Jul
0Aug
0Sep
2Oct
1Nov
1Dec
2
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 26 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 2019 | Tornado | EF0 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Mar 2019 | Tornado | EF2 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Mar 2019 | Tornado | EF1 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Feb 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jan 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Oct 2014 | Tornado | EF1 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Nov 2011 | Tornado | EF2 | $5.0M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF2 | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Mar 1997 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Mar 1996 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Feb 1990 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Apr 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 1980 | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 1979 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 1979 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1978 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 12 May 1971 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1970 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 20 Mar 1970 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 23 Dec 1956 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Dec 1954 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 20 Jan 1953 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Harris County had?
26 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Harris County?
27 May 2024 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Harris County?
The tornado of 16 Nov 2011, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $5.0M.
How does Harris County compare with Georgia for tornado?
5.6 events per 100 square miles against 4.1 statewide; the county holds 26 of the state's 2,356 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.