Atkinson County, Georgia Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Atkinson County, Georgia as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1852, 70 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Atkinson County, Georgia — about one every 2.5 years. Of those, 13 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 25 miles away on 27 September 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.5

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 1 · 9TS / TD · 61

The 70 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 9 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 25 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1898) — 81 kt (93 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1949) — 1.3 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles38 of 70
Peak monthSeptember — 20 storms (29% of all)
Most active year1885 — 3 storms
Most active decade1910s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1852–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Atkinson County, Georgia, September is the most active month, with 20 of the 70 recorded storms (29%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 70% of all activity. The 1910s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 0 of the 70 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	3	10	6	13	20	16	2	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 14 storms in 1950–1987 against 16 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	2	7	7	3	4	8	3	2	3	5	4	2	3	4	4	3	5

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	24.9 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Debby (2024)	5 Aug 2024	47.6 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	12.9 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	30.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	3.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	45.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	8.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	6.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alberto (2006)	14 Jun 2006	4.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	4.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	21.7 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Gordon (2000)	18 Sep 2000	39.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	42.7 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Jerry (1995)	26 Aug 1995	44.7 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	17.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Marco (1990)	12 Oct 1990	8.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	4.5 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Charley (1986)	14 Aug 1986	38.9 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	30.7 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	23 May 1976	47.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Alpha (1972)	28 May 1972	47.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	6.6 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	7.2 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Dora (1964)	12 Sep 1964	33.3 mi	TS / TD	56 kt
Brenda (1960)	29 Jul 1960	40.8 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	14.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Flossy (1956)	25 Sep 1956	45.5 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Love (1950)	21 Oct 1950	27.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	36.9 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	9.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	28 Aug 1949	1.3 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	15 Oct 1947	24.2 mi	TS / TD	61 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	8 Oct 1947	30.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	2.5 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	6 Sep 1933	1.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	26.3 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	19.1 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	27 Jun 1923	45.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	10.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1917)	30 Sep 1917	48.6 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	5 Oct 1916	10.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	2 Aug 1915	40.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	16.7 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	12.0 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	15 Jul 1912	1.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	5 Aug 1911	5.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	13.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	19.9 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	47.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	5.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Oct 1898	26.4 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	28.8 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	16 Jun 1893	37.3 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	9 Sep 1888	34.3 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	19.6 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	48.5 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	12 Oct 1885	24.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	48.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	23.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	47.6 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Oct 1878	27.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	37.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	16.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	20.8 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	5.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Oct 1871	12.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	23 Aug 1871	5.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	31.9 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	32.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	17.7 mi	Cat 1	67 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 6 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	20 Oct 2019	46.9 mi	37 kt
Josephine (1996)	Post-tropical	8 Oct 1996	43.8 mi	45 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	23.1 mi	45 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	24.7 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1929	31.8 mi	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	15.6 mi	55 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1852–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

How Atkinson County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Atkinson County, Georgia ranks #38 — more exposed than 98.3% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #14 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1898) passed 26 miles away on 2 October 1898 as a hurricane, reaching 81 kt (93 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Helene (2024) passed 25 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Idalia (2023) passed 13 miles away on 30 August 2023 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 29 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.

65 of the 70 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 70 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 13 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while stretches of a decade or more have passed with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 12 years, between 1935 and 1947. It has been 1 year since the last one; 38 of the 54 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Atkinson County, Georgia?

13 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Atkinson County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 70.

When was the last hurricane in Atkinson County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 25 miles away — 2 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Helene (2024) in 2024.

What was the strongest storm to affect Atkinson County, Georgia?

Unnamed Storm (1898), which reached 81 kt (93 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 26 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Atkinson County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.5 years — 70 storms over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Atkinson County, Georgia borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Ware County, Georgia has 70 on record.

Ware County, Georgia70 storms within 50 mi Lanier County, Georgia69 storms within 50 mi Clinch County, Georgia67 storms within 50 mi Coffee County, Georgia66 storms within 50 mi Berrien County, Georgia64 storms within 50 mi