Georgia, 1978

Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, April 18, 1978

April 18, 1978 · 16 events in 13 counties and zones

7 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 3 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$300,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
16

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 3 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Colquitt

When
April 18, 11:30 AM CST
Where
Colquitt County
Rating
F1
Path length
3.8 mi
Path width
77 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
31.070, -83.630

Tornado, Cook

When
April 18, 11:35 AM CST
Where
Cook County
Rating
F1
Path length
9.5 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
31.080, -83.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Thomas

When
April 18, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Thomas County
Coordinates
32.120, -81.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Lowndes

When
April 18, 1:15 PM CST
Where
Lowndes County
Coordinates
30.830, -83.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Lanier

When
April 18, 1:42 PM CST
Where
Lanier County
Coordinates
31.030, -83.080

Thunderstorm Wind, Appling

When
April 18, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Appling County
Coordinates
31.770, -82.350

Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne

When
April 18, 2:15 PM CST
Where
Wayne County
Coordinates
31.620, -81.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Hancock

When
April 18, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Hancock County
Coordinates
31.530, -81.530

Tornado, Polk

When
April 18, 5:05 PM EST
Where
Polk County
Rating
F2
Path length
4.1 mi
Path width
200 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
33.930, -85.280

Hail, Polk

When
April 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Polk County
Measured
2.5 in hail
Coordinates
34.020, -85.250

Hail, Polk

When
April 18, 6:10 PM CST
Where
Polk County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.020, -85.250

Hail, Floyd

When
April 18, 9:15 PM CST
Where
Floyd County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.250, -85.180

Hail, Bartow

When
April 18, 9:55 PM CST
Where
Bartow County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.170, -84.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Forsyth

When
April 18, 10:30 PM CST
Where
Forsyth County
Coordinates
34.250, -83.970

Hail, Fulton

When
April 18, 11:30 PM CST
Where
Fulton County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.850, -84.400

Hail, Fulton

When
April 18, 11:30 PM CST
Where
Fulton County
Measured
3.25 in hail
Coordinates
34.080, -84.370

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Georgia in 1978Every state in 1978This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 1978

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 9996637, 9996638, 9996639, 9996640, 9996641, 9996642, 9996643, 9996644, 9996646, 9996645, 9996647, 9996648, 9996649, 9996650, 9996651, 9996652.