Irwin County, Georgia Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Irwin 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 Irwin 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 16 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 · 12TS / TD · 49

The 61 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 12 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 16 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 80 kt (92 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1947) — 3.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles31 of 61
Peak monthSeptember — 16 storms (26% of all)
Most active year1871 — 3 storms
Most active decade1910s — 8 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 Irwin County, Georgia, September is the most active month, with 16 of the 61 recorded storms (26%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 70% of all activity. The 1910s was the most active decade on record, with 8 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	14	16	13	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	7	3	2	5	8	3	2	4	4	3	0	3	4	3	3	3

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	16.0 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	43.5 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	34.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	40.1 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	31.0 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	25.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alberto (2006)	14 Jun 2006	35.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	11.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	30.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	12.0 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Jerry (1995)	26 Aug 1995	30.4 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	14.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Marco (1990)	12 Oct 1990	16.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	17 Aug 1987	26.3 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Charley (1986)	14 Aug 1986	7.9 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	7.8 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	34.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	38.3 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Dora (1964)	12 Sep 1964	6.5 mi	TS / TD	56 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	40.3 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Flossy (1956)	25 Sep 1956	14.3 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	36.2 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	18.8 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	28 Aug 1949	22.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	15 Oct 1947	4.5 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	8 Oct 1947	3.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	23.3 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	30.1 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	6 Sep 1933	30.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	47.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	24.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	27 Jun 1923	23.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	8.5 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1917)	29 Sep 1917	27.2 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	5 Oct 1916	21.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	33.8 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	13.5 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	16 Jul 1912	21.1 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	29 Aug 1911	28.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	5 Aug 1911	25.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	2 Jul 1909	30.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	20.4 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	46.0 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	17.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	26.2 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	3 Oct 1898	22.9 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	4.9 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	17.5 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	18.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	27.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	6.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	39.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	46.4 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	11.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Oct 1871	44.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	27 Aug 1871	36.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	23 Aug 1871	15.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	8.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	32.7 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	17.4 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	24 Aug 1851	33.7 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	16.7 mi	37 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	47.1 mi	45 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	7.2 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1929	6.2 mi	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	43.2 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 Irwin County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Irwin County, Georgia ranks #110 — more exposed than 95.0% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #33 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Helene (2024) passed 16 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1898) passed 23 miles away on 3 October 1898 as a hurricane, reaching 77 kt (89 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 5 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 77 kt (89 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Idalia (2023) passed 44 miles away on 30 August 2023 as a hurricane, reaching 73 kt (84 mph) while within 50 miles.

58 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. 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 19 years, between 1966 and 1985. It has been 1 year since the last one; 37 of the 48 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Irwin County, Georgia?

12 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Irwin 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 Irwin County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 16 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 Irwin County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), which reached 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 16 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Irwin 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

Irwin 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 Tift County, Georgia65 storms within 50 mi Berrien County, Georgia64 storms within 50 mi Ben Hill County, Georgia61 storms within 50 mi Turner County, Georgia54 storms within 50 mi