Grady County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 58 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Grady County, Georgia — about one every 3.0 years. Of those, 13 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 45 miles away on 27 September 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

3.0

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 3 · 1Cat 2 · 4Cat 1 · 8TS / TD · 45

The 58 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 45 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormMichael (2018) — 107 kt (123 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1877) — 1.4 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Michael (2018) — 35.4 miles
Passes within 25 miles25 of 58
Peak monthSeptember — 20 storms (34% of all)
Most active year1885 — 3 storms
Most active decade1870s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
Record span1851–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Grady County, Georgia, September is the most active month, with 20 of the 58 recorded storms (34%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 78% of all activity. The 1870s was the most active decade on record, with 7 storms. 1 of the 58 storms was major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	0	7	3	14	20	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: 9 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	2	7	5	1	6	5	2	2	3	3	2	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	44.5 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Nicole (2022)	11 Nov 2022	9.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	33.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Michael (2018)	10 Oct 2018	35.4 mi	Cat 3	98 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	36.1 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	32.6 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	25.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Frances (2004)	6 Sep 2004	15.2 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	48.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Georges (1998)	30 Sep 1998	19.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	15.7 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Jerry (1995)	26 Aug 1995	41.2 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	29.1 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	41.5 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Charley (1986)	13 Aug 1986	15.4 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	3.7 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Agnes (1972)	20 Jun 1972	40.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	34.8 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Dora (1964)	11 Sep 1964	27.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	42.2 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Flossy (1956)	25 Sep 1956	24.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	38.1 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	16 Oct 1947	20.0 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	19.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	6.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	31 Aug 1937	46.3 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	49.3 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	14.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	40.4 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	43.2 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	22.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	31.9 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	16 Jul 1912	29.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	4 Aug 1911	18.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	1 Jul 1909	24.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	3.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	16.8 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	40.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	28 Sep 1901	10.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	14 Jun 1901	29.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	10.2 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	18.4 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	21.1 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	29 Sep 1885	37.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	39.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	21.8 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Oct 1878	32.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	3.3 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	1.4 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	27 Sep 1875	5.4 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	43.1 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	26 Aug 1871	13.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	23 Aug 1871	36.5 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	37.4 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	46.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	33.4 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	33.1 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	24 Aug 1851	28.3 mi	Cat 1	80 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
Fay (2020)	Remnant low	6 Jul 2020	37.9 mi	20 kt
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	19 Oct 2019	14.2 mi	36 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	10.0 mi	45 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	29.2 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1929	9.0 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 Grady County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Grady County, Georgia ranks #130 — more exposed than 94.1% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #34 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Michael (2018) passed 35 miles away on 10 October 2018 as a hurricane, reaching 107 kt (123 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Helene (2024) passed 45 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 10 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 91 kt (105 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1851) passed 28 miles away on 24 August 1851 as a hurricane, reaching 86 kt (99 mph) while within 50 miles.

55 of the 58 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 3.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 58 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 11 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; 33 of the 44 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Grady County, Georgia?

13 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Grady County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 58.

When was the last hurricane in Grady County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 45 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 Grady County, Georgia?

Michael (2018), which reached 107 kt (123 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 35 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Grady County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.0 years — 58 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

Grady County, Georgia borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Thomas County, Georgia has 64 on record.

Thomas County, Georgia64 storms within 50 mi Leon County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi Gadsden County, Florida58 storms within 50 mi Decatur County, Georgia57 storms within 50 mi Mitchell County, Georgia52 storms within 50 mi