Clinch County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 67 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Clinch County, Georgia — about one every 2.6 years. Of those, 10 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 44 miles away on 27 September 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.6

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 · 3TS / TD · 60

The 67 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 4 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 44 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 95 kt (109 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1868) — 3.7 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles34 of 67
Peak monthSeptember — 20 storms (30% of all)
Most active year1885 — 4 storms
Most active decade1880s — 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 Clinch County, Georgia, September is the most active month, with 20 of the 67 recorded storms (30%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 70% of all activity. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 0 of the 67 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	4	10	6	10	20	17	0	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 18 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	1	6	8	3	3	7	2	3	4	4	3	3	1	4	4	5	5

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	44.1 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Debby (2024)	5 Aug 2024	20.0 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	9.6 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	9.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	18.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	42.6 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	28.3 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Colin (2016)	7 Jun 2016	33.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Andrea (2013)	7 Jun 2013	33.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	29.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alberto (2006)	13 Jun 2006	19.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	18.2 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	9.7 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Gordon (2000)	18 Sep 2000	18.8 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Georges (1998)	1 Oct 1998	29.4 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Jerry (1995)	25 Aug 1995	43.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	42.1 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Marco (1990)	12 Oct 1990	17.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	25.7 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	23 May 1976	22.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Alpha (1972)	28 May 1972	19.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	30.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	11.3 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	21.0 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Brenda (1960)	29 Jul 1960	19.9 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	18.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Love (1950)	21 Oct 1950	5.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	28.6 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	5.4 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	28 Aug 1949	14.2 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	15 Oct 1947	49.6 mi	TS / TD	61 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	9.3 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	36.7 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	21.0 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	6 Sep 1933	26.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	26.0 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	15.7 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	8.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	35.6 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	5 Oct 1916	37.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	2 Aug 1915	34.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	8.2 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	38.7 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	15 Jul 1912	26.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	5 Aug 1911	25.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	38.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	16.1 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	28.4 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Oct 1898	41.6 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	29 Sep 1896	38.1 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	16 Jun 1893	15.0 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	9 Sep 1888	13.3 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	44.0 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	12 Oct 1885	6.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	30 Sep 1885	49.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	22.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	5.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Oct 1882	26.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Sep 1880	35.7 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Oct 1878	5.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	11.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	14.8 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	25.9 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Oct 1871	12.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	23 Aug 1871	28.5 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	3.7 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	41.4 mi	Cat 1	67 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 4 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
Josephine (1996)	Post-tropical	8 Oct 1996	23.9 mi	45 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	7.6 mi	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 1947	38.8 mi	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	18.5 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.

Storms that came back

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

Alma — 2 passes (1966, 1970)

How Clinch County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Clinch County, Georgia ranks #59 — more exposed than 97.3% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #20 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Helene (2024) passed 44 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 38 miles away on 29 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Idalia (2023) passed 10 miles away on 30 August 2023 as a hurricane, reaching 86 kt (99 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1898) passed 42 miles away on 2 October 1898 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.

61 of the 67 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 67 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 12 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 16 years, between 1852 and 1868. It has been 1 year since the last one; 38 of the 51 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Clinch County, Georgia?

10 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Clinch County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 67.

When was the last hurricane in Clinch County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 44 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 Clinch County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), which reached 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 44 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Clinch County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.6 years — 67 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

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

Atkinson County, Georgia70 storms within 50 mi Ware County, Georgia70 storms within 50 mi Lanier County, Georgia69 storms within 50 mi Echols County, Georgia67 storms within 50 mi Columbia County, Florida65 storms within 50 mi Baker County, Florida61 storms within 50 mi