Ocilla, Georgia
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1988. It stands in the Ocilla census division. It lies in ZIP code area 31774. The Survey maps it on the Ocilla West quadrangle. 3,498 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 348 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Ocilla
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 2 records
Irwin County Courthouselisted 1980
Ocilla Public Schoollisted 2004
Population over time
2 figuresOcilla grew from 3,414 to 3,498 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 | 3,414 | |
| 2020 | 3,498 | +84 (+2%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 8 printed sheetsMatched 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
- 1973 USGS Ocilla West quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1981 USGS Cordele quadrangle1:100000
- 1988 USGS Waycross quadrangle1:250000
Photographs
8 of 14 photographs shown, 1936 to 1977Taken 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.
Mydans, Carl, photographer, 1936. Library of Congress
Robinson, Beverly J, 1977. Library of Congress
Robinson, Beverly J. (Collector), 1977. Library of Congress
Marshall, Howard W. (Collector), 1977. Library of Congress
Robinson, Beverly J. (Collector), 1977. Library of Congress
Robinson, Beverly J. (Collector), 1977. Library of Congress
Robinson, Beverly J. (Collector), 1977. Library of Congress
Robinson, Beverly J. (Collector), 1977. Library of Congress
Every photograph of Irwin County
Fires near this place
274 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 274 fires within 5 miles of Ocilla between 1992 and 2020, burning about 774 acres in total. 12 started naturally. 14 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 | 186 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 25 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 23 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 14 |
| Natural | 12 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 7 |
| Smoking | 4 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1997 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 9 September 1997 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 9 September 1996 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 7 September 1997 | Debris and open burning | 1.1 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 30 September 1993 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 28 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2020IRWIN009 |
| 25 September 1996 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 24 September 1998 | Smoking | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
55 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ocilla in 55 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 40 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 4 tornado, 2 flood. The reports record 1 death and 1 injury. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | 1 killed, 1 hurt, $50,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the county. One man was killed and his wife hospitalised when a tree crashed through their roof. Irwin county schools were closed for the day as a result of trees making roads impassable. The monetary damage figure provided is a rough estimate. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $250,000 | Straight line winds tossed cargo trailers around at the Forest River Plant near Ocilla. |
| December 2002 | Tornado (F1) | Ocilla | $250,000 | A small tornado briefly touched town which destroyed a mobile home, damaged several barns and uprooted trees. The tornado also hit a mobile home industrial park, where a dozen homes were severely damaged. Reported by the Irwin County Sheriff. |
| September 2000 | Tornado (F1) | Ocilla | $200,000 | An F1 tornado touched down severely damaging a home near U.S. Highway 319, then raced northeast across Highway 32 destroying a home on Tomberlin Lane between Ocilla and Mystic. The tornado damaged several peanut and cotton farms before dissipating. Numerous large trees were uprooted and power lines were toppled. Reported by the Irwin County EMA. |
| April 2014 | Tornado (EF1) | Ocilla | $70,000 | A tornado briefly touched down in Irwin county south of Ocilla and produced mainly EF0 damage along its path, largely in the form of uprooted trees with some smaller trees snapped. The tornado was at its strongest near the end of its damage path where EF1 damage was noted. A mobile home was knocked several feet off its foundation, but remained upright. Most of the roof was torn off. A large hardwood tree was snapped in half and many others were uprooted. Several out buildings were destroyed and shingles were stripped from the roof of one home. Peak winds were estimated around 105 mph. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| December 2005 | Tornado (F0) | Ocilla | $50,000 | A tornado touched down on Old Whitley Road. The steel beam support from a farm building was blown into a nearby house. The roof of another farm building was ripped off. Numerous trees and power lines were down. Reported by the Irwin County EMA. |
| December 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $15,000 | Several downed trees and power lines reported in Ocilla. Several windows were blown out on Satilla Road. |
| May 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $10,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down in Ocilla. In addition, a house fire resulted from a downed power line. Damage was estimated. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds knocked down a large tree onto a general store. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $5,000 | Three power poles were blown down in Ocilla. |
| August 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $5,000 | A roof was blown off of a drugstore onto powerlines in Ocilla which knocked out electrical service to most of the county including a large portion Ocilla. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $4,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down across the county. |
| March 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $3,000 | A few trees were blown down along Spruce Road. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $3,000 | Several trees were blown down along Highway 319 and along 5 Bridge Road near Ocilla. The monetary damage figure provided is a rough estimate. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $2,000 | Several power outages from gusty winds occurred across Irwin county. |
| February 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $2,000 | Magnolia road was closed due to a tree down with power lines hanging in the tree. |
| April 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $2,000 | Several downed trees and power lines were reported. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $1,000 | A tree was blown down onto a power line resulting in a power outage on the southwest side of Ocilla. |
| February 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $1,000 | Trees were blown down on Palm Road. |
| February 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $1,000 | Tree tops were in the road in the area of Daisy Road and Highway 90. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $1,000 | Trees were blown down on Old Valley Grove Church Road. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $1,000 | A large tree was blown down on Poppy Road. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $1,000 | Trees were blown down on Bushy Creek Road. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $1,000 | A tree was blown down on the dirt portion of Azalea Road and blocked the road. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $1,000 | Trees were blown down on Dogwood Road. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $1,000 | Trees were blown down on 5 Bridge Road. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | $500 | The Irwin County Sheriff reported a few trees down. |
| March 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | Trees were blown down in Ocilla. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | A tree was blown down across Hickory Road near Tucker Road. |
| January 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | Several trees were blown down. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | Several trees were blown down across Irwin county. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | A tree was blown down on Althea Road between Begonia and Plum. |
| April 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | A tree was blown down in Ocilla. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | A tree was blown down on Oak Circle. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | A tree was blown down on Hickory Road. |
| March 2020 | Flood | Ocilla | - | Water was reported over Hemlock Road. |
| March 2020 | Flood | Ocilla | - | Thrasher Lane was flooded and closed. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | A tree was blown down across Althea Road. |
| March 2019 | Hail | Ocilla | - | Ping pong ball size hail was estimated via photo from near Ocilla. |
| March 2019 | Hail | Ocilla | - | Quarter size hail was reported in Ocilla via the Irwin county 911 facebook page. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | Numerous trees were blown down across Irwin county, mainly between Ocilla and Douglas. A storm survey revealed straight line winds up to 80 mph. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | Power lines were blown down in Ocilla. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | A pecan tree was snapped just north of Ocilla. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | Trees were blown down along a 10 mile stretch of Highway 32 from Ocilla eastward to the Irwin county line. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | Trees were blown down on Votech Drive. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | Power lines were blown down on the south side of Ocilla. |
| August 2012 | Heavy Rain | Ocilla | - | The public reported 7 inches of rain during the overnight hours. This was measured on two farms about 3 miles northeast of Ocilla. |
| August 2012 | Flash Flood | Ocilla | - | Very high water was reported washing over Highway 129 in southern Irwin county. Rainfall amounts up to 11 inches occurred during the overnight hours. |
| January 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | A few trees were blown down in Ocilla. |
| April 2005 | Hail | Ocilla | - | Golfball size hail reported by the public. |
| April 1998 | Hail | Ocilla | - | Nickel sized hail reported by the Irwin County Sheriff. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocilla | - | Thunderstorm winds knocked several large trees down across powerlines. Pea-size hail was also reported. |
| July 2018 | Hail | Ocilla | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Ocilla | - | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Hail | Ocilla | - | no account filed |
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.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mystic | 4.9 miles | 8 | |
| Holt | 5.3 miles | 7 | |
| Pinetta | 5.7 miles | 8 | |
| Riverbend | 7.2 miles | 9 | |
| Irwinville | 7.9 miles | 8 | |
| Osierfield | 8.7 miles | 8 | |
| Wray | 10.5 miles | 7 | |
| Lax | 10.8 miles | 9 |
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 Ocilla | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1023481 | 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 332555. 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.
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.




