Ben Hill County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 61 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Ben Hill County, Georgia — about one every 2.9 years. Of those, 12 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 8 miles away on 27 September 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.9

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 · 11TS / TD · 50

The 61 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 11 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 8 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 80 kt (92 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1860) — 2.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles30 of 61
Peak monthAugust and October — 15 storms (25% of all)
Most active year1871 — 3 storms
Most active decade1910s — 9 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1851–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Ben Hill County, Georgia, August and October are tied as the most active months, with 15 of the 61 recorded storms (25%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 70% of all activity. The 1910s was the most active decade on record, with 9 storms. 0 of the 61 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	1	9	6	15	13	15	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: 10 storms in 1950–1987 against 13 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
3	1	6	4	2	4	9	3	2	4	3	3	1	3	4	3	3	3

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	8.2 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	41.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Elsa (2021)	8 Jul 2021	31.1 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Michael (2018)	11 Oct 2018	50.0 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	31.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	23.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alberto (2006)	14 Jun 2006	32.1 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	24.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	35.6 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	8.2 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Jerry (1995)	26 Aug 1995	40.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	13.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Marco (1990)	12 Oct 1990	9.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	17 Aug 1987	27.7 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Charley (1986)	14 Aug 1986	8.1 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	5.2 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Agnes (1972)	20 Jun 1972	48.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	31.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	41.6 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Dora (1964)	12 Sep 1964	5.7 mi	TS / TD	56 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	41.3 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	48.3 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	29.6 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	28 Aug 1949	15.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	15 Oct 1947	10.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	8 Oct 1947	11.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	21.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	27.3 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	6 Sep 1933	30.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	47.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	36.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	27 Jun 1923	16.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	19.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1917)	30 Sep 1917	18.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	5 Oct 1916	25.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	3 Aug 1915	49.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	44.4 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	21.3 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	16 Jul 1912	30.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	29 Aug 1911	21.4 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	5 Aug 1911	33.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	2 Jul 1909	23.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	27.1 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	16.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	24.1 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	3 Oct 1898	11.3 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	9.1 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	15.4 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	21.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	12 Oct 1885	49.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	18.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	9.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	48.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	19.0 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Oct 1871	44.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	27 Aug 1871	28.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	23 Aug 1871	25.9 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	2.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	30.4 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	14.5 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	24 Aug 1851	31.9 mi	Cat 1	65 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 5 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	14.4 mi	37 kt
Flossy (1956)	Post-tropical	25 Sep 1956	11.4 mi	35 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	10.1 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1929	6.0 mi	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	42.0 mi	55 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1851–2025. 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 Ben Hill County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Ben Hill County, Georgia ranks #107 — more exposed than 95.1% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #30 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Helene (2024) passed 8 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1898) passed 11 miles away on 3 October 1898 as a hurricane, reaching 77 kt (89 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 9 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1852) passed 15 miles away on 10 October 1852 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.

57 of the 61 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.9 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 61 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 9 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 13 years, between 1972 and 1985. It has been 1 year since the last one; 38 of the 50 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Ben Hill County, Georgia?

12 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Ben Hill County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 61.

When was the last hurricane in Ben Hill County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 8 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 Ben Hill County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), which reached 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 8 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Ben Hill County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.9 years — 61 storms over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Ben Hill County, Georgia borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Coffee County, Georgia has 66 on record.

Coffee County, Georgia66 storms within 50 mi Irwin County, Georgia61 storms within 50 mi Telfair County, Georgia57 storms within 50 mi Turner County, Georgia54 storms within 50 mi Wilcox County, Georgia52 storms within 50 mi