Thunderbolt, Georgia

Thunderbolt, Georgia
Town
Seal
Location in Chatham County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 32°1′56″N81°3′6″W / 32.03222°N 81.05167°W / 32.03222; -81.05167
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Chatham
Area [1]
• Total	1.56 sq mi (4.04 km2)
• Land	1.34 sq mi (3.48 km2)
• Water	0.22 sq mi (0.56 km2)
Elevation [2]	20 ft (6 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,556
• Density	1,903.20/sq mi (734.87/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	31404, 31410
Area code	912
FIPS code	13-76364 [3]
GNIS feature ID	0333226 [2]
Website	www.thunderboltga.org

Thunderbolt ( /ˈθʌndərˌboʊlt/ ) is a town located in Chatham County, Georgia, United States, approximately five miles southeast of downtown Savannah. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 2,556. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thunderbolt runs along the western shore of the Wilmington River (a tidal river that is part of the U.S. Intracoastal Waterway). The town is important to Georgia's shrimping industry, with scores of docks for shrimping trawlers. The town's picturesque atmosphere and seafood restaurants draw many local visitors.

History

An early variant name was "Warsaw". The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the town as "Warsaw" in 1856. ^[4] Coincidentally, Casimir Pulaski died in Thunderbolt, who was born in Warsaw, Poland. An act of legislature officially changed the town's name to "Thunderbolt" in 1921. ^[5]

According to tradition, Thunderbolt was named from an incident when lightning strike caused a spring to open up. ^[6]

Fort Thunderbolt, colloquially referred to as the Thunderbolt Battery, was built to protect the city of Savannah from invading Union forces advancing from Whitemarsh Island. ^[7]

Geography

Thunderbolt is located at 32°1'56" North, 81°3'6" West (32.032111, -81.051733). ^[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.8 km²), of which 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.5 km²) is water.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	543		—
1920	721		32.8%
1930	802		11.2%
1940	886		10.5%
1950	1,238		39.7%
1960	1,925		55.5%
1970	2,750		42.9%
1980	2,165		−21.3%
1990	2,786		28.7%
2000	2,340		−16.0%
2010	2,668		14.0%
2020	2,556		−4.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]

Thunderbolt racial composition as of 2020 ^[10]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	1,376	53.83%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	639	25.0%
Native American	1	0.04%
Asian	81	3.17%
Other/Mixed	115	4.5%
Hispanic or Latino	344	13.46%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,556 people, 1,091 households, and 516 families residing in the town.

See also

• Samuel Bowen, who grew the first soya beans introduced to North America in Thunderbolt.

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Thunderbolt, Georgia
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 226. ISBN   0-915430-00-2.
5. Acts and Resolutions of the General Assembly. 1921. p. 1122.
6. Candler, Allen Daniel; Evans, Clement Anselm (1906). Georgia: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons. State historical association. p.  443.
7. Mayle, Mary Carr. "Portside: Saving a piece of Thunderbolt history". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2021.