Lanier County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 69 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Lanier County, Georgia — about one every 2.5 years. Of those, 12 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 23 miles away on 27 September 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.5

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 · 2Cat 1 · 8TS / TD · 59

The 69 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 23 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 95 kt (109 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1987) — 2.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles38 of 69
Peak monthSeptember — 21 storms (30% of all)
Most active year1885 — 3 storms
Most active decade1870s and 1880s — 7 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 Lanier County, Georgia, September is the most active month, with 21 of the 69 recorded storms (30%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 72% of all activity. The 1870s and 1880s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 7 storms. 0 of the 69 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	3	9	6	11	21	18	1	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: 13 storms in 1950–1987 against 19 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	22.9 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Debby (2024)	5 Aug 2024	39.0 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	13.9 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	18.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	8.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	27.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	11.2 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	7.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alberto (2006)	13 Jun 2006	5.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	23.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	42.2 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	18.9 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Gordon (2000)	18 Sep 2000	41.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Georges (1998)	30 Sep 1998	36.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	49.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Josephine (1996)	8 Oct 1996	40.7 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Jerry (1995)	26 Aug 1995	27.6 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	20.3 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Marco (1990)	12 Oct 1990	7.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	2.9 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Charley (1986)	13 Aug 1986	40.0 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	41.0 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	23 May 1976	38.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Alpha (1972)	28 May 1972	35.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	11.9 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	5.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Dora (1964)	12 Sep 1964	43.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Brenda (1960)	29 Jul 1960	39.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	8.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Love (1950)	21 Oct 1950	27.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	17.2 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	11.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	28 Aug 1949	9.7 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	15 Oct 1947	36.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	16.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	4.9 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	6 Sep 1933	4.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	45.4 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	8.1 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	11.4 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	29.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	5 Oct 1916	25.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	6.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	28.0 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	16 Jul 1912	18.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	5 Aug 1911	15.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	21.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	5.0 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	8.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Oct 1898	47.3 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	36.6 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	16 Jun 1893	33.0 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	9 Sep 1888	36.2 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	23.7 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	46.0 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	12 Oct 1885	28.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	34.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	10.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Oct 1882	46.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Oct 1878	18.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	42.8 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	3.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	8.1 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	26.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Oct 1871	9.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	23 Aug 1871	22.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	21.1 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	49.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	18.6 mi	Cat 1	70 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
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	8.3 mi	45 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	38.6 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1929	39.2 mi	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	4.6 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 Lanier County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Lanier County, Georgia ranks #47 — more exposed than 97.9% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #19 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Helene (2024) passed 23 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Idalia (2023) passed 14 miles away on 30 August 2023 as a hurricane, reaching 86 kt (99 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1898) passed 47 miles away on 2 October 1898 as a hurricane, reaching 77 kt (89 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 37 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 77 kt (89 mph) while within 50 miles.

64 of the 69 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 69 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 15 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 12 years, between 1935 and 1947. 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 Lanier County, Georgia?

12 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Lanier County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 69.

When was the last hurricane in Lanier County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 23 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 Lanier County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), which reached 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 23 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Lanier County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.5 years — 69 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

Lanier County, Georgia borders or sits close to 5 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 Clinch County, Georgia67 storms within 50 mi Echols County, Georgia67 storms within 50 mi Berrien County, Georgia64 storms within 50 mi