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Brookhaven, GA Tornado History — 118 Tornadoes Since 1950

Georgia · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Brookhaven, GA had?

Brookhaven has had 118 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 7 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near Brookhaven?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Brookhaven was an EF1 on December 29, 2024.

When is tornado season in Brookhaven?

April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Brookhaven, with 21 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.

At a Glance

Tornadoes Since 1950
118
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
7
5.9% of total
Peak Month
April
21 on record
Per Year Avg
1.6
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Brookhaven

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 42 total, averaging 2.1 per year over this window.

2026 0+1 prelim
2025 0
2024 4
2023 3
2022 0
2021 2
2020 5
2019 2
2018 2
2017 2
2016 3
2015 2
2014 5
2013 2
2012 1
2011 2
2010 1
2009 1
2008 5
2007 0

Striped bars mark preliminary reports not yet confirmed by NWS survey — excluded from the confirmed counts.

Preliminary tornado reports near Brookhaven since December 29, 2025

These is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.

Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.

Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.

Preliminary EF0° March 16, 2026
1 SSW Snapfinger, DeKalb County, GA

Within 25 miles of Brookhaven. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 6
1960s 7
1970s 20
1980s 17
1990s 19
2000s 13
2010s 22
2020s 14

Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating

F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.

EF0 36
EF1 51
EF2 24
EF3 6
EF4 1

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 5
Feb 9
Mar 18
Apr 21
May 16
Jun 9
Jul 3
Aug 2
Sep 3
Oct 13
Nov 9
Dec 10

Casualties on Record Near Brookhaven

10 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Brookhaven since 1950, across 7 events. 510 injuries have been reported across all events. 1975 was the deadliest year on record.

The deadliest single event was a F3 on March 24, 1975, which caused 3 fatalities along a 14.8-mile track.

Notable Tornadoes Near Brookhaven

Deadliest Tornado
F3 on March 24, 1975 — 3 fatalities, 14.8 mi path, 500 yd wide.
Costliest Tornado
F3 on March 24, 1975 — est. ~$275.0M (NOAA damage class, pre-1996 estimate).
Widest Tornado
EF1 on May 20, 2008 — 1,760 yards wide.
Longest Path
F2 on March 31, 1973 — 72.4 mile track.
Most Recent
EF1 on December 29, 2024.

About Tornadoes in Brookhaven

This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.

Brookhaven can drift through long quiet stretches, its spring thunderstorms passing without incident, and then an active outbreak day compresses what feels like a generation of risk into the space of an afternoon. That contrast — calm punctuated by sudden violence — is the defining rhythm of tornado weather in this corner of the Atlanta metro. The volatile days tend to come when humid air from the Gulf of Mexico surges north across Georgia and meets a sharp cold front beneath strong jet-stream winds, a combination that favors rotating storms from late winter into spring. The event history on this page draws on the database maintained by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.

That history genuinely spans generations. Grandparents may recall the F2 that struck on December 5, 1954, killing 1 person and injuring 40 along a short path. Their children came of age amid the stormy 1970s, when an F2 tore a 72.4-mile track through the area on March 31, 1973, killing 2 people and injuring 100, and an F3 followed on March 24, 1975, killing 3 and injuring 152. A younger generation remembers the F4 that crossed nearby on November 22, 1992, injuring 46. More recently, the EF2 of March 15, 2008, killed 1 person and injured 30 as it moved through the metro.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Brookhaven, GA had?
Since 1950, 118 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Brookhaven. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
What was the deadliest tornado near Brookhaven?
The deadliest tornado on record within 25 miles of Brookhaven was a F3 on March 24, 1975, which caused 3 fatalities.
When is tornado season in Brookhaven?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Brookhaven, with 21 tornadoes on record. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring months (April–June) generally see the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
Has Brookhaven been hit by an EF4 or EF5 tornado?
Within 25 miles of Brookhaven, there has been 0 EF5 and 1 EF4 tornado recorded since 1950. EF4 and EF5 tornadoes are the most destructive ratings on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds above 166 mph.
When was the most recent tornado near Brookhaven?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Brookhaven was an EF1 on December 29, 2024.
How do I get tornado warnings for Brookhaven?
Vortex delivers real-time tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm alerts, and SPC outlook updates for any US location via push notification and phone call. Alerts are sourced directly from the National Weather Service and updated within seconds of issuance.

Official Resources

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