Douglas, Georgia

8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1988. It stands in the Douglas census division. It lies in ZIP code area 31533. The Survey maps it on the Douglas North quadrangle. 11,722 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 253 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Douglas within Coffee County

On record in Douglas

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 6 records

63rd Army Air Forces Contract Pilot School (Primary)listed 2013
Downtown Douglas Historic Districtlisted 1993
Eleventh District A & M School-South Georgia College Historic Districtlisted 2010
Gaskin Avenue Historic Districtlisted 1993
Lonnie A. Pope Houselisted 1982
Union Banking Company Buildinglisted 1982

Surveyed buildings and structures 3 records

602 East Ward Street (House), Douglasfederal building survey, 5 photographs
916-918 East Ward Street (House), Douglasfederal building survey, 5 photographs
Gaskin Avenue Neighborhood, Bounded by Dart Street to east, CSX Railroad to south, Pearl & Madison Avenues to west, & Wilson & Gordon Streets to north, Douglasfederal building survey, 23 photographs

Population over time

2 figures

Douglas grew from 11,589 to 11,722 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

Year	People	Change
2010	11,589
2020	11,722	+133 (+1%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 8 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

1953 USGS Waycross quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
1958 USGS Waycross quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
1971 USGS Douglas North quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
1979 USGS Hazlehurst quadrangle1:100000
1988 USGS Waycross quadrangle1:250000

Photographs

8 of 19 photographs shown, 1938

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Near Douglas, Georgia. Sharecroppers grade the cured leaves on the porches and sort them to go to the tobacco auction
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1938. Library of Congress

Douglas, Georgia. Farmers at tobacco auction. Common question is "What will it bring this year?"
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1938. Library of Congress

As the auctioneer knocks down the last bid on each basket of tobacco in the warehouse, the price is immediately recorded, and the farmers go to the "money box" to get their money. Douglas, Georgia
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1938. Library of Congress

Near Douglas, Georgia. "You don't have to worriate so much and you've got time to raise somp'n to eat." The program to eliminate the risk and uncertainty of a one-crop system meets the approval of this sharecropper. She sits on the porch and sorts tobacco
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1938. Library of Congress

Douglas, Georgia. The "golden leaf," already graded by the farmers, sorted and wrapped in "tobacco sheets," rolls into town to the warehouse where the auctions are held every year
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1938. Library of Congress

Douglas, Georgia. South Georgia tobacco sharecropper during the tobacco auction. In order to eke out a living members of the sharecropper families in recent years have begun to migrate to Florida after cotton or tobacco harvest to work in fruits or vegetables
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1938. Library of Congress

Each farmer follows his tobacco in the warehouse to learn what price it brings at auction. Douglas, Georgia
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1938. Library of Congress

Douglas, Georgia. South Georgia tobacco sharecropper in town for auction. Note tobacco sheets in which he brought tobacco from the farm
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1938. Library of Congress

Every photograph of Coffee County

Fires near this place

428 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 428 fires within 5 miles of Douglas between 1992 and 2020, burning about 966 acres in total. 12 started naturally. 56 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Debris and open burning	265
Arson/incendiarism	56
Misuse of fire by a minor	33
Equipment and vehicle use	25
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	13
Natural	12
Recreation and ceremony	11
Smoking	10
Railroad operations and maintenance	3

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
8 September 2016	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	FY2017-COFFEE-015
7 September 1996	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
5 September 2017	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	FY2018-COFFEE-006
4 September 2011	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	FY2012-COFFEE-013
30 September 2016	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	FY2017-COFFEE-017
30 September 2008	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
29 September 2016	Debris and open burning	4.0 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	FY2017-COFFEE-016
29 September 2006	Arson/incendiarism	1.5 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Coffee County

Mines and quarries near this place

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Douglas: 1 occurrence, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where	Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
	Burkett Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
	Unnamed Sand Deposit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence	Alluvium

Every working recorded in Coffee County

Storms near this place

60 of 104 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Douglas in 104 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 69 thunderstorm wind, 21 hail, 4 tornado, 4 funnel cloud. The reports record 8 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
July 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	6 hurt, $250,000	Three mobile homes destroyed, eight damaged. Large trees and power lines were blown down.
November 2002	Tornado (F2)	Douglas	2 hurt, $500,000	Tornado touched down in field along the Atkinson-Coffee County line near Marshal Corbet Road. Just inside of Coffee county one wood frame structure had a portion of its roof removed. Three large 100 yard long chicken houses were totally destroyed and machinery tossed about. One automobile was picked up and landed on the roof of a brick structure. Extensive roof damage to brick structure. Several work sheds destroyed. Trees snapped off and twisted at tops with debris wrapped in tree tops. Numerous large live oak trees felled. Clear evidence of rotation was noted by investigating officials. The storm continued north in a discontinuous path doing damage to cotton fields. the tornado crossed Highway 135 at the Satilla River with trees again snapped and twisted at the tops. Approximately 1 mile north of the Satilla River the tornado passed over an airstrip destroying a hanger/office structure and severely damaging a crop dusting aircraft. Debris from the destroyed chicken houses was identified at this site some 3 miles from its point of origin. This was the final discernable touchdown, although there was some evidence from debris further north that the system continued as a funnel cloud just above tree top level into southeast Douglas.
July 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$15,000	A roof was blown off of a building on South Peterson Avenue and several traffic lights were blown down off of the line. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for inclusion of this event in Storm Data.
February 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$10,000	Power lines down in and near Douglas and on Highway 135 in Southwestern Douglas. Power lines also down 5 miles south of Douglas and road signs flying across the road in Broxton.
May 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$8,000	no account filed
June 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$5,000	Numerous power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds.
October 1993	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$5,000	Several large trees and power lines were blown down by thunderstorm winds.
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$4,000	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
June 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$3,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$2,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
May 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$2,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
April 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$2,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$2,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
October 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$2,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
February 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$2,500	no account filed
November 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$2,500	no account filed
June 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$2,000	A large tree was blown down in a backyard. A large branch fell onto a back porch and damaged some patio furniture. The cost of damage was estimated for the inclusion of the event in Storm Data.
June 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$2,000	Large trees down across roadways.
October 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$2,000	Large trees down on power lines Highway 158. Hail of unknown size also reported.
February 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$1,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
August 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$1,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
January 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$1,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
February 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$1,500	Large tress and power lines were blown down.
October 1997	Tornado (F0)	Douglas	$1,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
May 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$1,000	Power lines and trees were blown down with tin metal sheeting blown around across the city. Widespread damage was reported across the city. The time of damage was based on radar data. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for inclusion of the event in Storm Data. The wind speed estimate of 50 mph was extrapolated between a measured 55 mph gusts in Alma and a 38 mph wind gust in Douglas as storms moved across the area.
May 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$1,000	Large trees were blown down.
May 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$600	Large trees blocked US-441.
March 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$500	Large trees were blown down.
June 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$500	Large trees were blown down.
August 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$250	A tree was blown down in Douglas. The Douglas AWOS measured a wind gust to 32 mph. The cost of damage was estimated.
March 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$200	A tree was blown down on Lupo Lane and East Baker Highway. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for the inclusion of the event in Storm Data.
March 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	$50	no account filed
August 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	A metal street sign was blown over at the intersection of Peterson Avenue and Ward Street. The time of damage was based on radar.
January 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	About 6 large trees were blown down across the county as a line of severe storms moved across the area.
August 2023	Heavy Rain	Douglas	-	A public weather station along Lee Avenue measured 4.62 inches of storm total rainfall thus far in Douglas.
April 2021	Flood	Douglas	-	There was at least 2 inches of standing water along Highway 32 between Douglas and Nicholls.
January 2021	Heavy Rain	Douglas	-	A weather station measured 2.92 inches daily rainfall north of Douglas.
May 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	A residence off of Green Avenue with awning and gutter torn off. Trees were twisted and snapped on the property. The time of damage was based on radar imagery.
May 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	Trees and power lines were blown down across the Douglas city limits, especially across the north side of town toward Ambrose along State Road 32. Five to six homes were damaged due to trees falling onto the structures.
April 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	Trees and power lines were blown down. A roof collapsed on Sleepy Hollow Farm Road.
August 2019	Heavy Rain	Douglas	-	The public measured about 3.67 inches of rain in about 2.5 hrs.
March 2019	Hail	Douglas	-	Quarter size hail was photographed in Douglas.
July 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	Several trees were blown down within the city limits of Douglas. The time of damage was based on radar.
January 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	Multiple trees were blown down along Highway 32.
April 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	Trees and power lines were blown down near Douglas. Portion of a roof collapsed on a home.
June 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	Multiple trees were blown down across Douglas.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	A large tree was blown down along Westgreen Road in Douglas. The time od damage was based on radar.
June 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	A roof was blown off of a structure. There were also several trees and power lines blown down with the city limits.
June 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	A tree was blown down, crushed a truck, and blocked Walker Street. Several power lines were blown down.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	A tree was blown down along Spring Street.
February 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	Numerous tree were blown down throughout the county.
February 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	A large tree was blown down and went through a home on Gaskin Avenue in Douglas.
August 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	A large pine tree was blown down onto a home which caused extensive damage. The cost of damage was unknown. No injuries were reported.
May 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	Trees and power lines were blown down in Douglas. The time of damage was based on radar.
August 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	A tree was blown down in Douglas.
August 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	Power lines were blown down.
August 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	Trees were blown down along New Forest Highway northeast of Douglas. The time of damage was based on radar.
January 2012	Hail	Douglas	-	Quarter size hail was reported NW of Douglas.
August 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	County dispatch reported that 15 different reports of trees blown down occurred across the Douglas city limits. The time of the events was based on radar imagery.
February 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Douglas	-	Large tree limbs were blown down at the Douglas Golf and Country Club. The time of damage was based on radar imagery.

Every storm recorded in Coffee County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Oak Park	2.0 miles	8
Blystonel	2.0 miles	8
Upton	2.5 miles	7
Bethel	3.4 miles	8
Cherokee Hills	3.6 miles	8
Huffer	4.8 miles	8
Bay Meadows	4.9 miles	8
Lotts	5.5 miles	8

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on Douglas	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1004791	The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 313591. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.