Berrien County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 64 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Berrien County, Georgia — about one every 2.7 years. Of those, 11 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 4 miles away on 27 September 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.7

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 2 · 1Cat 1 · 9TS / TD · 54

The 64 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 4 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 95 kt (109 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1886) — 3.8 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles38 of 64
Peak monthSeptember — 19 storms (30% of all)
Most active year1950 — 3 storms
Most active decade1870s — 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 Berrien County, Georgia, September is the most active month, with 19 of the 64 recorded storms (30%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 73% of all activity. The 1870s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 0 of the 64 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	5	11	19	17	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: 11 storms in 1950–1987 against 15 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	2	8	5	2	4	7	3	2	4	5	3	0	3	4	4	3	4

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	4.3 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	30.7 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	37.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	21.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	29.3 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	12.2 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	10.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alberto (2006)	13 Jun 2006	21.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	10.0 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	36.9 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	36.9 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	29.7 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Jerry (1995)	26 Aug 1995	25.6 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	5.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Marco (1990)	12 Oct 1990	14.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	14.0 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Charley (1986)	14 Aug 1986	22.4 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	21.7 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	26.0 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	18.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Dora (1964)	12 Sep 1964	23.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	21.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Flossy (1956)	25 Sep 1956	34.1 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Love (1950)	21 Oct 1950	44.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	20.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	5.3 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	28 Aug 1949	19.4 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	15 Oct 1947	16.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	8 Oct 1947	11.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	41.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	19.4 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	6 Sep 1933	14.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	11.1 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	31.1 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	27 Jun 1923	45.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	14.1 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1917)	29 Sep 1917	49.0 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	5 Oct 1916	15.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	13.1 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	10.6 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	16 Jul 1912	4.3 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	5 Aug 1911	5.3 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	8.7 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	24.6 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	39.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	12.0 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Oct 1898	38.8 mi	Cat 1	69 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	17.2 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	3.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	30.4 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	12 Oct 1885	43.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	29.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	49.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Oct 1878	36.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	23.3 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	17.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	28 Sep 1875	49.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	26.5 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	13.5 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Oct 1871	27.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	23 Aug 1871	7.8 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	39.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	30.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	6.5 mi	Cat 1	67 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	36.4 mi	36 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	25.2 mi	45 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	18.8 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1929	19.6 mi	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	24.1 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 Berrien County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Berrien County, Georgia ranks #81 — more exposed than 96.3% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #26 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Helene (2024) passed 4 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Idalia (2023) passed 31 miles away on 30 August 2023 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1898) passed 39 miles away on 2 October 1898 as a hurricane, reaching 77 kt (89 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 17 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 77 kt (89 mph) while within 50 miles.

61 of the 64 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.7 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 64 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 19 years, between 1966 and 1985. It has been 1 year since the last one; 36 of the 49 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Berrien County, Georgia?

11 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Berrien County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 64.

When was the last hurricane in Berrien County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 4 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 Berrien County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), which reached 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 4 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Berrien County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.7 years — 64 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

Berrien County, Georgia borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Lowndes County, Georgia has 70 on record.

Lowndes County, Georgia70 storms within 50 mi Atkinson County, Georgia70 storms within 50 mi Lanier County, Georgia69 storms within 50 mi Coffee County, Georgia66 storms within 50 mi Tift County, Georgia65 storms within 50 mi Irwin County, Georgia61 storms within 50 mi