Lightning in Georgia
Every lightning event the National Weather Service has filed in Georgia, year by year, with the most significant episodes. A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
The most significant on the map
The most significant lightning episodes in Georgia.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 1,315
- Deaths
- 40
- Injuries
- 285
- Damage
- $103 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Georgia, September 20 to 23, 2009A historical, record, and catastrophic flood event unfolded during this period, mostly in the west central Georgia area, including the western and northwestern suburbs of Atlanta.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, May 10 to 12, 2008A stationary front was draped across north Georgia early on May 10th with an active northwest flow aloft. Meanwhile...a vigorous short wave aloft was approaching the area from the southern plains.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, April 4 to 5, 2011An extremely progressive and highly kinematic upper flow remained in place across the U.S. A deep, full-latitude negatively tilted trough and associated strong Pacific cold front swept through the eastern U.S. April 4th into April 5th.
- Tornadoes and Flood in Georgia, March 1 to 2, 2007A major, negatively tilted and closed upper trough rotated through the mid-south and southeast U.S. on March 1st. A 150kt jet was located over the region at 250mb with a strong 50kt low-level jet from central Alabama into central Tennessee.
- Tornadoes and Flood in Georgia, March 15 to 16, 2008The pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Georgia, March 25 to 26, 2021A very moist and moderately unstable airmass over the region combined with strong shear and persistent southwesterly mid and upper flow produced numerous showers and thunderstorms across north and parts of central Georgia through the day on the 25th into the morning of the 26th.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Georgia, May 5 to 11, 2003The Dade county Emergency Management Director reported penny-sized hail.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, May 26 to 27, 2011A deep, closed upper low was moving from the Southern Plains into the mid-south with an accompanying strong Pacific cold front.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, May 10 to 11, 2008A warm front lifted northward through southern South Carolina and southeast Georgia during the morning, with a strong cold front then sweeping through the area during the evening. This resulted in several rounds of severe weather across the region.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, February 18 to 19, 2009A strong cold front accompanied and deep negatively tilted upper trough through the eastern U.S. from the 18th into the 19th.
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Georgia, June 27, 2004Several Atlanta news media television stations, along with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that three individuals were killed and six were injured at Buford Dam State Park at the south end of Lake Lanier when lightning strikes hit one or more trees under which the…
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Georgia, July 10, 2003The Dawson county Emergency Management Director reported that excessive rainfall had forced several creeks out of their banks across the western portion of the county near Juno. At least four roads across the county had to be closed because of flooding.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Georgia, March 2 to 3, 2012The cold front that stalled across central Georgia on March 1st began advancing back north as a warm front the morning of March 2nd.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Georgia, August 29, 2005A National Weather Survey Team concluded that an F2 tornado touched down approximately 1/4 mile south of Glenloch in far northern Heard county, then continued north at 30-35 mph into Carroll county about three miles southeast of Roopville, finally terminating three miles…
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, April 10 to 11, 2009A vigorous upper closed low was moving from the mid-south and Mississippi valley region into the mid-Atlantic and southeast U.S. A strong cold front accompanied the upper system.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Georgia, July 6 to 7, 2005The Harris County 911 Center reported that several trees were down scattered throughout the county, including one tree that was blown down in downtown Hamilton.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, April 4 to 5, 2011A potent squall line of severe thunderstorms raced eastward across the entire southeastern U.S. from the morning of April 4 through the afternoon of April 5, 2011.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, May 20, 2008An active and very unstable northwest flow continued across the southeast United States as the polar vortex remained very strong in the northeast United States.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, February 26, 2008A deep upper trough was moving from the mid-south toward the southeast U.S. early on the 26th. A strong cold front accompanied the upper system.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Georgia, January 2, 2006The National Weather Service river gage on Crooked Creek along the Fulton/Gwinnett county line, or about 4 miles west-northwest of Norcross indicated that the river had exceeded flood stage at 8:35 AM EST and fell below flood stage at 11:45 am EST.
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Georgia, July 28, 2005The Newnan Times-Herald reported that a large white oak tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds onto a car being driven on Lower Fayetteville Road. The two occupants were not injured.
- Tornadoes and Flooding in Georgia, November 10 to 11, 2002The Lamar county sheriff sighted a possible funnel cloud near the Lamar/Monroe county line.
- Hail and Lightning Strike in Georgia, February 13 to 14, 2000Several public reports indicated hail ranging from dime to quarter size fell in Polk county.
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Georgia, July 13, 2010An unusually strong cold front was pushing south through the Ohio Valle and mid-Atlantic region and into the southeast U.S. A large subtropical ridge of high pressure aloft was located across the southern plains.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Georgia, July 22, 2003The public reported that drainage ditches in the area were well out of their banks and water was flowing across the roads.
More
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.