Bulloch County, Georgia Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Bulloch 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 Bulloch County, Georgia — about one every 2.9 years. Of those, 9 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Debby (2024), which passed 45 miles away on 6 August 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 2 · 4Cat 1 · 6TS / TD · 51

The 61 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 4 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentDebby (2024) — 45 mi away, 6 August 2024
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1893) — 90 kt (104 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordCharley (1986) — 2.0 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles32 of 61
Peak monthAugust — 16 storms (26% of all)
Most active year1871 — 2 storms
Most active decade1880s, 1890s, 1900s, 1940s and 1960s — 5 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 Bulloch County, Georgia, August is the most active month, with 16 of the 61 recorded storms (26%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 69% of all activity. The 1880s, 1890s, 1900s, 1940s and 1960s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 5 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	2	9	5	16	15	11	3	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 12 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Debby (2024)	6 Aug 2024	44.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	19.1 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Elsa (2021)	8 Jul 2021	17.8 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	19.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Andrea (2013)	7 Jun 2013	44.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Beryl (2012)	30 May 2012	22.0 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Alberto (2006)	14 Jun 2006	20.9 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Bonnie (2004)	13 Aug 2004	42.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (2003)	26 Jul 2003	16.4 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Allison (1995)	6 Jun 1995	10.8 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	37.2 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Chris (1988)	28 Aug 1988	42.4 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Charley (1986)	14 Aug 1986	2.0 mi	TS / TD	12 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	6.8 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Isabel (1985)	11 Oct 1985	48.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
David (1979)	4 Sep 1979	36.7 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	11 Sep 1971	43.8 mi	TD	—
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	24.1 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Abby (1968)	7 Jun 1968	19.0 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	35.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Dora (1964)	13 Sep 1964	5.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Cleo (1964)	29 Aug 1964	8.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Brenda (1960)	29 Jul 1960	49.2 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	44.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	1 Sep 1953	13.0 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Love (1950)	22 Oct 1950	12.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	15 Oct 1947	45.7 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	7.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	20 Oct 1944	41.6 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	8 Oct 1941	11.5 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	12 Aug 1940	9.1 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	20.7 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	7 Sep 1933	44.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	33.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	27 Jun 1923	27.6 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	3 Aug 1915	26.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	28 Aug 1911	3.1 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	3 Jul 1909	2.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	36.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	4 Nov 1904	11.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	22.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	18 Sep 1901	32.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	31 Aug 1898	6.6 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	29 Sep 1896	34.4 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	6.2 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	28 Aug 1893	32.6 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	16 Jun 1893	44.2 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	9 Sep 1888	9.9 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	14.3 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	12 Oct 1885	6.0 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1884)	11 Sep 1884	9.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	35.4 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	4 Oct 1877	34.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	36.3 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Oct 1871	32.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	28 Aug 1871	4.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	14 Aug 1860	35.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	33.6 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1854)	9 Sep 1854	15.8 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	12.2 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	24 Aug 1851	46.7 mi	TS / TD	55 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 10 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. Showing the 9 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	20 Oct 2019	34.6 mi	39 kt
Barry (2007)	Post-tropical	3 Jun 2007	47.9 mi	40 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	18 Sep 2000	15.5 mi	25 kt
Earl (1998)	Post-tropical	3 Sep 1998	18.9 mi	40 kt
Josephine (1996)	Post-tropical	8 Oct 1996	44.9 mi	45 kt
Flossy (1956)	Post-tropical	26 Sep 1956	14.6 mi	40 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	27.4 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 1947	29.9 mi	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	16.6 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.

Storms that came back

1 named storm in this record passed Bulloch County, Georgia more than once.

Alma — 2 passes (1966, 1970)

How Bulloch County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Bulloch County, Georgia ranks #108 — more exposed than 95.1% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #31 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 33 miles away on 28 August 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1854) passed 16 miles away on 9 September 1854 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 34 miles away on 29 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 87 kt (100 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1947) passed 46 miles away on 15 October 1947 as a hurricane, reaching 84 kt (97 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. 4 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 11 years, between 1860 and 1871. It has been 1 year since the last one; 42 of the 56 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Bulloch County, Georgia?

9 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Bulloch 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 Bulloch County, Georgia?

Kate (1985), on 22 November 1985, passing 7 miles away — 41 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Debby (2024) in 2024.

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

Unnamed Storm (1893), which reached 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 33 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Bulloch 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

Bulloch County, Georgia borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Bryan County, Georgia has 79 on record.

Bryan County, Georgia79 storms within 50 mi Effingham County, Georgia72 storms within 50 mi Evans County, Georgia65 storms within 50 mi Candler County, Georgia52 storms within 50 mi Screven County, Georgia51 storms within 50 mi Emanuel County, Georgia47 storms within 50 mi Jenkins County, Georgia45 storms within 50 mi