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Tornado in Murray County, Georgia

13 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.

13 events · 9 deaths recorded · peak month April · county share of state 0.6%

2020-04-12: Tornado2017-03-01: Tornado1998-04-16: Tornado1997-04-22: Tornado1997-04-22: Tornado1991-02-13: Tornado1978-05-08: Tornado1977-04-04: Tornado1974-04-03: Tornado1974-04-03: Tornado1964-07-09: Tornado1957-11-18: Tornado
Tornado event locations in and around Murray County. Dots: Tornado event locations in the kept record. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

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.

NCEI records 13 tornado events in Murray County, Georgia, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 11 years.

April is the busiest month, with 7 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 2 events against 5 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.

The county holds 0.6% of the 2,356 tornado events recorded in Georgia; its 3.8 per 100 square miles compares with 4.1 statewide.

NCEI attributes 9 deaths in the county to tornadoes.

By rating: 2 at (E)F0, 8 at (E)F1, 1 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 2 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.

Compared with Georgia

MeasureMurray CountyGeorgiaUS
Tornado events since 1950132,35681,281
Per 100 square miles3.84.12.3
Per 10,000 residents3.32.22.4
Deaths recorded92206,410
Busiest monthAprilAprilMay

By year

195019882026
Tornado events recorded in Murray County per year, 1950 to 2026 (2026 is partial).

Seasonality

Jan
0
Feb
1
Mar
1
Apr
7
May
1
Jun
1
Jul
1
Aug
0
Sep
0
Oct
0
Nov
1
Dec
0
Tornado events in Murray County by month of occurrence, all years.

Magnitude distribution

EF0/F02
EF1/F18
EF2/F21
EF3/F30
EF4/F42
EF5/F50
Unrated0
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 13 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.

DateEvent typeMagnitudeProperty damageCrop damageDeathsInjuriesGeography
12 Apr 2020TornadoEF2$500K—824County
1 Mar 2017TornadoEF1$100K———County
16 Apr 1998TornadoF1$200K——10County
22 Apr 1997TornadoF0$100K$350K—3County
22 Apr 1997TornadoF0$100K$350K—3County
18 Jun 1994TornadoF1$500K———County
13 Feb 1991TornadoF1$250K———County
8 May 1978TornadoF1$25K———County
4 Apr 1977TornadoF1$250K———County
3 Apr 1974TornadoF4$2.5M——15County
3 Apr 1974TornadoF4$250K—12County
9 Jul 1964TornadoF1$25K———County
18 Nov 1957TornadoF1$25K———County

Questions and answers

How many tornado events has Murray County had?

13 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 Murray County?

12 Apr 2020 (Tornado, EF2). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.

What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Murray County?

The tornado of 3 Apr 1974, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.

How does Murray County compare with Georgia for tornado?

3.8 events per 100 square miles against 4.1 statewide; the county holds 13 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.